Northern Thailand is home to interesting
and colourful ethnic minorities, known as the hill
tribes. Most of the hill tribes have migrated into
the region during the past 100 years from the Asian
interior and have largely preserved their traditional
ways, making them a fascinating cultural study. They
prefer living above 1,000m, and shy away from the
outside world. There are seven broad hill tribe
groupings: Karen, Lahu, Hmong, Lisu, Akha, Mien, and
Padaung. However, within these categories, there are
sub-categories and clans that further divide the groups.
Each hill tribe has its own customs, language, dress and
spiritual beliefs and this is sometimes true even of the
numerous sub-categories within one hill tribe. For
example, the Green Hmong and White Hmong speak in
different and distinct dialects and dress differently.
The hill tribes are most distinctly recognised for their
colourful and unique costume, which they continue to
wear daily.
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