Thai Hilltribes at Historic Crossroads

Their cultures may be rich and diverse, but Thai hill tribes are among the poorest in their country.

Until recently the Thai government did not recognize them as citizens even though many had resided in the country for several decades.

They used to live in the remote highlands where they had little contact with Thai society. This isolation allowed their unique cultures to survive.

But as early as ten years ago the government relocated the majority...
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Their cultures may be rich and diverse, but Thai hill tribes are among the poorest in their country.

Until recently the Thai government did not recognize them as citizens even though many had resided in the country for several decades.

They used to live in the remote highlands where they had little contact with Thai society. This isolation allowed their unique cultures to survive.

But as early as ten years ago the government relocated the majority of them to the low lands. They moved them on for a variety of speculative reasons, including a claim that the hill tribes were destroying the habitat.

It is here, on the periphery, that they must work to fight assimilation and gain prosperity in the new paradigm of globalization, and it has been far from easy.
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