The Hmong are one of the most populous “hill-tribe” groups across Southeast Asia and are found in large numbers in northern Vietnam, northern Laos and in various provinces of north Thailand. If you are travelling in these areas, or of course trekking, they are one of the minority ethnic groups that you are most likely … read the full post

The Thai name for the Shan people is Thai Yai, meaning great or big Thai. Indeed though possessing distinct cultural traits, a very separate history and inhabiting adjacent rather than overlapping regions, the Shan people are a part of the greater Tai* ethnic family — which also includes Lao, Tai Lu, Black Tai, White Tai … read the full post

After looking at the background to the Kayan or “Long Neck Karen”, we’ll now deal with the question of “Should you visit the Kayan or “Long Neck Karen” by looking at some of the specific pros and cons, and arguments for and against visiting the villages where these people live. For us, one of the … read the full post

I won’t add this post to the “see and do” category, but being a generally positive sort of person I won’t add a new “don’t see and do” post category either for what is one of North Thailand’s more contentious “tourist attractions”. We’ll try and highlight a few of the pros and cons of visiting … read the full post

An Akha village just off the road between Tha Ton and Mae Chan, close to the turn off for Mae Salong in northwest Chiang Rai province, Ban Lorcha is also the site of a community-based tourism scheme run by the Population & Community Development Association (PDA). This pilot project aims to create a sustainable tourism … read the full post

The Palaung are not to be confused with the similar sounding Padaung, or the famous “long-neck” Karen whose status in Thailand is that of refugees from Burma. Many of the Paduang have been settled in rather dubious “tourist villages” in certain parts of Northern Thailand where “partnerships” between Thai businesspeople and villagers mean fees are … read the full post

The Akha are probably Thailand’s most visible ‘hill-tribe’ group and these days you certainly don’t need to go anywhere near northern Thailand to come across them. The sight, and sound, of an Akha woman with a wooden frog will be all too familiar in any of the country’s tourist hot spots, from Phuket to Khao … read the full post

One of Northern Thailand’s most distinctive and colourful ‘hill-tribes’ and one of the ethnic groups you’re most likely to come across in that part of the kingdom are the Lisu, or Lisaw in Thai. They inhabit a wide swathe of the mountainous northwest and are most populous in Mae Hong Song province, but also well … read the full post

Before starting our brief description of this little known ethnic group, a word on their name. Ethnologists usually refer to them as Mabri (or Mlabri), whilst to the Thais they are the Pee Tong Luang people – which roughly translates as ‘spirit of the yellow leaves’ tribe. The Mabri people themselves apparently prefer to drop … read the full post