There have been hill tribe people living in the northern border areas of Thailand for about two internet leads 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 Cheap Adsl Modem 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 internet security 2007 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.
Travel Guide to Chiang Mai
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