Indigenous Groups

In Thailand, there are several ethnic and indigenous groups scatter over Northern Thailand.They live around the vast mountainous areas and rugged terrain that forms the Himalayan foothill.

Each of these tribes are unique in their own ways as each group has their own culture and style of living. These tribes are rather opened to tourist and in fact welcomes them to do home stays in immerse in their culture and way of living.

Lisu (Lisaw)

There are over one million Lisu tribesfolk in China, Burma and North-Eastern India. Thailand has around 25,000 in the Northern area, they arrived in the early 1900's to settle down in the mountains.

They believe they are the only tribe to survive a global flood.

Lisu costume is the most striking of all tribes with women wearing colorful clothing and men wearing dark clothing.

Karen

The Karen are thought to have originated in Tibet and have been in Thailand since the eighteenth century.

There are today some four million Karen in Burma and 280,000 in the mountain areas all along the Thai side of the Burmese border.

Karen believe a white "younger brother" will come from over the waters bringing with him knowledge of writing that had been long ago lost. As a result many embraced easily Christianity upon encountering foreign missionaries

The Karen have a special relationship with elephants and their trainers are the best in Asia.

Yao

30,000 Yao tribes live in Thailand. They crossed the border from China via Laos at the end of the ninetieth century to settle in Thailand

The Yao are literate and in many ways the most sophisticated of the hilltribal people. They use Chinese characters for writing their ancestral and medicinal books. Many of their Taoist ritual date back to the thirteenth century.

They also believe in a spirit world that is the opposite of the human one. They believe that people have several souls and ancestors, especially those of male lineage, are deeply revered.

Musser

In Thailand there are some 60,000 Lahu. They began arrriving at the start of the twentieth century. There are different clans and each clan wore a different dress from the other.

Although many Musser have now adopted Christianity, they still believe strongly in spirits.

The Musser long for the blessings of this life and the next, for things that are good and pleasant and, in accordance with the message of an old legend, men are particularly caring of their partners.