Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand

The major Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand are Karen, Lahu, Lisu, Hmong, Akha, Lawa, Yao and Paduang. Some of these Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand are split into seperate and distinct groups.

There have been hill tribe people living in the northern border areas of Thailand for about two hundred years but their origins go back about two thousand years to Tibet from where their nomadic lifestyle took them to the Yunnan area of southern China and from there  through Myanmar (Burma)  and Laos into Thailand itself. 

The Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand were traditionally nomadic peoples, living by slash and burn agriculture and by keeping some domestic animals, such as pigs, chickens and buffalo. When the natural resources of an area were exhausted they would move on.

The Hill Tribes have their own languages which do not have a written form, except for that of the Yao people, and are distinct from tribe to tribe. As with most nomadic peoples, their culture is passed on by means of their religion, dress and cultural practices.

Unlike the Buddhists of Thailand they are followers of the animist tradition, one of the earliest forms of religion, in which everything in the actual world has its counterpart in the spirit world. Communication between the worlds is the business of the Shaman, who may also be the village headman, who can speak to the spirits  and  seek their help to ensure good fortune and protect  the people from disease and bad luck. There has been much missionary activity amongst the hill tribes in Thailand, and many have converted to Christianity, though still retaining aspects of their animist beliefs.

All of the hill tribe peoples preserve various aspects of their Chinese cultural heritage, including ancestor worship.

With the coming of the modern era, came the unfolding of a story that is very familiar to us today. Their agricultural practices, and hunting, conflicted with limited land resources and the preservation of dwindling forests, and destroyed the habitat of many species, including monkeys, which became extinct.

Many of the tribes took to the cultivation of the opium poppy, and in order to stop this dependence, the King of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumiphol Adyuladej ( Rama IX ) founded, in the 1950’s the Royal Development Project for Hill Tribes. This project taught the cultivation of cash crops such as cabbages, sweet corn, strawberries, coffee and fruit trees, and the use of eco-friendly methods of cultivation. The project also established primary schools and introduced roads and electricity to help the tribes people integrate into the rest of Thailand.

Most of the hill tribe people are officially stateless and many do not have a birth certificate and therefore cannot register as Thai citizens, although this situation is now changing for the better. Without citizenship, they cannot own their own fields; may be fined at checkpoints if they cannot produce citizenship papers; cannot obtain vehicle & motorcycle licences for any vehicles purchased; and  stateless children cannot sit for examinations.

It is a sad twist to their tale that the hill tribes are in danger of being assimilated into the mainstream culture, and face the inevitable encroachment of consumerism. It may be that in another generation these varied and unique cultures will be a matter of history.  

Tourism has become an important part of the hill tribe economy, particularly to the Paduang, (Long Necked Karen), whose young women are famous for the many brass rings adorning their necks.

Most hill tribe people are pleased to show hospitality to visitors, and it is the responsibility of visitors to show respect  in their turn.

Karen

The most numerous of the tribes are the Karen numbering over 250,000, and are thought to have originated in Tibet. Thais refer to the Karen as Galiang. They live at between 800 and 1800 metres up in the mountainous, densely-forested region of Mae Hong Son due west of Chiang Mai,Chiang Mai and Lamphun and can also be found in Phrae, Chiang Rai and Lampang.
The Karen do not recognise political borders and so have often in the past been caught between rebel forces and forced to feed & shelter them. They are subsistence farmers and their possessions are few. They have little or no furniture, sleep on floor mats and cook on open fires. Water for washing & drinking is drawn from the river. Karen silver has a reputation for being 99% silver, far purer than sterling silver, and is made into unique items of jewellery.
The Karen live in bamboo houses built on stilts, with their domestic animals living under the house. The women are also skilled weavers and make beautiful clothes & handicrafts as well as skills in the distilling of alcohol.

Lahu

The Lahu number about 60,000 and also live in tall bamboo houses, usually in quite small villages. They have many sub-groups usually referred to by colour, Red, Black, Yellow and White Lahu..The Thais call the Lahu "Mussur"
Lahu can be found in Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam and in Thailand live mainly in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son.
In addition to weaving they are skilled at basket making. The men hunt, using crossbows, and work in wood. The Lahu worship a supreme spirit who is higher than the other spirits. The Lahu call themselves “Bon Yu” – “The People of the Blessing” – to acknowledge the blessings of health, enough food, and security. Many of the Lahu in Thailand have been converted to Christianity. Lahu are free to marry who they choose and divorce is available on payment of a fine.

Lisu

The Lisu number about 25,000 and live in houses built on the ground, with dirt floors but sometimes they are built on stilts. They probably originated in Tibet and spread into Myanmar and to Chiang Mai province in Thailand. They can be seen also in some other Thia provinces including Mae Hong Son. Thais call the Lisu "Lisaw".
They too have their own handicrafts and, interestingly, have a legend in which they feature as the only tribe to survive a great flood. They live near streams but not too near for fear of the mystical power of the water spirits. Bamboo piping is used for water supply.


Hmong

The Hmong number over 100,000 and entered Thailand about 100 years ago from Laos originally dwelling in Nan but later moving to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai & Tak. During the Vietnam War, the Hmong worked with the American CIA in the secret war in Laos. They were forced to flee to refugee camps in Thailand after the victory of the Communists, and many went on to live in America. They still produce their distinctive “flower cloth”  designs,  valued works of textile art based on traditional natural forms.
The Hmong have many sub groups but the main two in Thailand are the Blue & the White Hmong. Thais refer to the Hmong as "Mong" or "Maeo". The Hmong choose the highest land of any of the Hill Tribe peoples and are renowned growers of the opium Poppy. Hmong live in large villages and the front doors of their houses must face downhill.
The Hmong usually marry at a young age, certainly before 18 and the boy must have the agreement of his father on the choice of bride. Households are large because it is common that the sons, after marriage, continue to live in their fathers' houses. See also Ban Hmong Mae Sa (Photo courtesy of man without a tan)

Akha

The Akha number about 30,000. They probably originated from South east Yunnan and gradually spread into Laos, Vietnam and Burma, and from Burma (Myanmar) into Thailand.
Their villages feature carved wooden gates which are made for the guardian spirits to enter the village. Akha houses are raised on stilts on hillside slopes.
The women’s clothing is very distinctive, consisting of  a black jacket with embroidered cuffs, black leggings and short black skirt, and a fitted cap covered with silver coins.  Their family history is of great importance as it is taboo to be too closely related, and one should be able to go back seven generations before finding a common ancestor.
Every year in late August / September tha Akha hold their swing festival. A pyramid is constructed from 4 newly cut trees and a seat is suspended from a vine rope. The whole village makes merry for the 4 days of the festival.
(Photo courtesy of Butch Osborne)

Yao (Lu Mien)

The Yao originated from the Hunan / Guizhou border and spread into the southern provinces of China, Vietnam and Laos. With the expansion of the opium trade they migrated from Laos into the Payao province of Thailand. Their population in Thailand is now about 30000.
The Yao people are the only hill tribe to have a written language, which organises their daily living, including worship & medicine. "Mien" means "People" in Yao and the Chinese and Thai call them Yao. In Laos and Vietnam they are called Man.The women are expert at cross-stitch embroidery, and wear long black jackets with lapels of bright scarlet wool and a large turban.The Yao also make silver jewellery.
The Yao have no communal buildings and their villages can not be built lower down than another ethnic group.
Yao people prefer large households to enlarge the work force. Yao girls can choose their own husbands who frequently live with them before marriage. If the girl becomes pregnant this will increase her status as a desirable bride. Wedding ceremonies are vast , elaborate and expensive and can last for many days
(Photo courtesy of Butch Osborne)

Lawa

The Lawa people have inhabited Thailand since the 8th century. They are said to have originated in Cambodia, but some say they may have come from Micronesian stock.
They live on the plateau between Hot & Mae Sariang. The unmarried girls wear a loose white blouse edged with pink. After marriage they wear a long fawn dress but retain their striking necklace of yellow and orange beads. Because they have been living in Thailand for such a long time they are not strictly classed as hill tribe people.

Paduang

The Karen Paduang are perhaps the most widely known of all the hill tribes in Thailand because of their long necked women. Some Thais refer to the Paduang as "I Kaw". The" I " showing contempt.
From a young age brass rings are put on the girl’s necks as a beauty enhancement and continuously added to creating a long neck over time. After about 2 years of wearing these rings the girl's neck muscles become too weak to support their heads so they are unable to remove the rings. Today, with the onset of Tourism, the wearing of these brass neck rings is a commercial advantage . Like the Lawa, the Paduang have lived in Thailand for a very long time and are not officially classed as Hill Tribe.
(Photo courtesy of Butch Osborne)