Hill tribe trekking in Thailand

There are tens of thousands of indigenous Thai people and ethnic minority groups living in the highlands and dense tropical forests of Northern Thailand. Each group has their own customs, language, handicrafts, clothing, and system of beliefs. Collectively they’re known as hill tribes.

Many have been forced to migrate into Thailand from Tibet, China, Myanmar and Laos. Persecution, deforestation and a lack of natural resources – due to slash and burn farming methods – led these traditionally transient tribes to set up more permanent camps. These camps have long since grown into large, well-established villages with dirt tracks, bamboo buildings and concrete constructions.

Surrounding the villages are sections of mountain slope that have been set aside for subsistence crops such as rice and wheat. Cash crops are also grown including: decorative flowers, pineapples, coffee and strawberries. These fields were once used for growing opium. The Thai government put pay to poppy production in the 1960s by setting up the Royal King’s Agricultural initiative which encouraged communities to swap opium harvests for organic crop alternatives.

H'mong people are said to stem from stretches of the Yangtze River and over time they’ve been forced south, through Laos and Vietnam, as China expanded. H'mongs are now considered the second largest ethnic minority group in Thailand and mainly occupy areas within the Thai highlands, close to the borders with Laos and Myanmar in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son. Women often wear their hair in a bun and favour ankle-length pleated and embroidered skirts whilst men opt for smart baggy pantaloons that are often embroidered around the trim.

The Akha are another tribal group who have migrated south from China to live in the Northern Thai provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. The Akha are revered for their hunting ability and this is still a popular pastime amongst male Akha as well as a means of gathering food. Deteriorating land quality has led to homestay tourism becoming an important means of economic support for Akha, perhaps more so than any other hill tribe. Akha women, wearing conical headdresses adorned with coins, shells and beads, can often be seen selling their wares at the night markets of Chiang Mai.

Other hill tribe groups that you might meet in Thailand include the colourfully dressed Lisu, who originate from eastern Tibet. There are also Lahu hill tribes who have migrated south from Yunnan province in China and also favour colourful textiles including baggy blue or green pyjama type trousers. Mien or Yao people also originate from China, close to the Yangtze in Hunnan province. Mien are still strongly associated with the Chinese religion of Daoism and are thought to have been practising farming, rather than slashing and burning, for far longer than any other hill tribe in Thailand. Mien people are well known silversmiths and tailors, and can be recognised by their red and black embroidered clothing, which includes a large black turban and red fluffy scarf.

On arrival you’ll be introduced to the tribal elders and shown where you'll be sleeping. This will usually be in a communal hut with the rest of your trekking group, not with members of the hill tribe community. Woven mats will form your sleep space on the bamboo floor as well as a safe place to stash your day pack. You'll then be invited to look around the village, meet other villagers and maybe find out more about their handicrafts or organic farms. Evening meals are communal affairs and you might even be invited to help chop vegetables or prepare food to be cooked over the fire.