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Hilltribes of Thailand
Hilltribe Visitor Etiquette
Thailand Hilltribes Research Institute Museum
It is kind, but not necessary, to give gifts to the peoples you visit. Some suggestions or alternatives to sweets and cigarettes are - balloons and other inexpensive toys, cosmetics, medical supplies antiseptic, mild painkillers such as aspirin, food, fruit, clothing, sewing supplies and foreign coins.

Follow the advice of your guide, don't be afraid to ask questions. Respect the fact that you are a guest visiting the homes and villages of these people. By showing them that you  are genuinely interested in them, your friendliness, sincerity and goodwill are the most precious gifts you can offer.

Akha

Hmong

MienKaren
simply-thai.com - thai market - Destination Guides - Hilltribe People - The Akha People - The Villages of these colourful people are to be found in the mountains of China, Laos Myanmar (Burma) and northern Thailand. There are approximately 20,000 Akha living in Thailand's northern provinces of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai at high altitudes. This tribe originate in Tibet. Every Akha village is distinguished by it's carved wooden gates, presided over by guardian spirits.simply-thai.com - thai market - Destination Guides - Hilltribe People - The Hmong (Meo) People - The Hmong are divided in two sub-groups, White and Blue, and can be found in mountainous regions of China. Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. In Thailand there are probably about 60,000 Hmong people settled in villages throughout a wide area of the north, with perhaps another 50,000 refugees from Laos living in camps located near the north-eastern border of the country. These ethnic group originates in western China.simply-thai.com - thai market - Destination Guides - Hilltribe People - The (Mien) Yao People - The Yao People are to be found in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. In Thailand there are approximately 55,000 Yao in widely scattered villages in the provinces of Phayao, Nan and Chiang Rai, and perhaps another 10,000 or so refugees from Laos, living in refugee camps along the border.simply-thai.com - thai market - Destination Guides - Hilltribe People - The Karen People - The majority of the Karen people live in Burma, and yet they also form by far the largest of the major tribes of northern Thailand. There are as many as 280,000 Karen's living in Thailand. They can be found living both in the mountains and on the plains, most of them in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Sorn, Chiang Rai, but also in central Thailand. They live in bamboo houses raised on stilts, beneath which live their domestic animals, pigs, chickens and buffalos. The mountain-dwelling Karen's practice swidden agriculture, and the plains-dwellers, for the most part, cultivate irrigated paddy fields.
 
Lahu LawaLisuPalong
simply-thai.com - thai market - Destination Guides - Hilltribe People - The Lahu People - The Lahu people are to be found in the mountains of China, Myanmar (Burma), Laos and northern Thailand. There are approximately 25,000 Lahu's now living in Thailand. There are four tribes within the Lahu: Black, Red, Yellow and She-Leh. Lahu villages are mostly at high altitude in the northern provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Sorn. They originated in south west China. Their houses are built on high stilts with walls of bamboo or wooden planks, thatched with grass. A ladder leads to the open central living area, with a store room to one side and living quarters to the other. Their domestic animals like chicken, pigs and buffalos are kept in the basement corral. Their practice of slash and burn agriculture does not provide them with even the basic essentials of life, let alone the enrichment to be found in education for their children, adequate medical care, and the simple amenities of modern life.simply-thai.com - thai market - Destination Guides - Hilltribe People - The Lawa People - The Lawa people are not really rated as a Hilltribe. It seems that they have inhabited Thailand since at least the eight century and they were certainly here already when the Tai arrived. They are believed to have migrated from Cambodia, but some archaeologists think their origins lie in Micronesia, perhaps more than 2000 years ago. With such a long cohabitation with the Thais, most Lawa villages are indistinguishable from Thai settlements and most Lawa speak thai as their first language.simply-thai.com - thai market - Destination Guides - Hilltribe People - The Lisu People - Villages of the Lisu group are to be found in the mountains of China, Myanmar (Burma) and northern Thailand. There are approximately 21,000 Lisu's living in Thailand's northern provinces of Chaing Mai, Mae Hong Sorn and Chiang Rai. They originate from eastern Tibet. Their houses are built on the ground, with dirt floors and bamboo walls around a central ridge. For many generations the main means of livelihood for many of the Lisu people has been the cultivation of the opium poppy. Some of these people have given up poppy growing, and are now seeking to supplement their income through the sale of skilfully produced crafts.simply-thai.com - thai market - Destination Guides - Hilltribe People - The Palong People - There are only a few Palong villages in Thailand, all of them in the northern part of Chiang Mai province along the border to Myanmar (Burma). In general, the Palong's can be found in Burma's eastern Shan state. At present the population is about 60,000. They belong to the Mon-Khmer branch of the Austro-Asiatic linguistic family.
 
PadaungKhamu PeopleMlabri People
simply-thai.com - thai market - Destination Guides - Hilltribe People - The Padaung People (Padaung, Ka-Kaung) - The Padaung, or Ka-Kaung as they call themselves, are a sub-group of the Karen. Ka-Kaung means 'people who live on top of the hill'. Padaung women are often referred to as 'giraffe' or 'long-necked' because of the custom of placing brass rings around their necks from when they are young girls until they marry. The practice is fast disappearing. In fact it is not the neck which has stretched but the shoulders which have been forced down by the weight and pressure of the rings. Unfortunately they are most likely to be seen paraded like animals in a zoo.simply-thai.com - thai market - Destination Guides - Hilltribe People - The Khamu People - The Khamu are one of the small tribal groups, living along the Thai-Laotian border of Nan province. At the present there are about 7,000 people of this tribe living in northern Thailand. They originate from Laos, mainly of Luang Prabang and Xieng Khoung districts. They first migrated as labour and worked either in the teak forests or similarly isolated employment.simply-thai.com - thai market - Destination Guides - Hilltribe People - The Mlabri People - This tribe is known by the Thais as "Phi Tong Luang", which means "spirits of the yellow leaves". There are only a few Mlabri still living in Thailand, just about 100 people. They can be found in the provinces of Nan and Phrae. The Mlabri originate from Laos. These people are fragmented into extremely small, highly nomadic, family bands. They used to rely almost exclusively on hunting and gathering. By custom it is not allowed to own rice fields but they can work as labourers in the fields such as the Thais.
 
Thins People The Chin Ho People

Over 100 years ago, the Hilltribe peoples migrated south from China into what are now Burma, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. The six major tribes are the Karen (Kariang, Yang), the Hmong (Meo), the Yao (Mien), the Akha (Ekaw), the Lisu (Lisaw), and the Lahu (Mussur). The main profession of all these tribes is farming, and all of them tend to migrate whenever they feel that the soil at their present location is becoming depleted.

Each tribe is distinct, with its own culture, religion, language, art, and dress. With Thailand undergoing rapid modern development, it is difficult yet to say whether these tribes will continue in there traditional ways of life, or whether they will eventually be absorbed into the surrounding, and ever more-encroaching, Thai society.

Most Hilltribes live their lives close to nature. They make a living mainly from farming while some have recently turned to tourism. Each group of Hilltribe has its own unique tradition, folk culture, and clothing.

 

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