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THE “HILLTRIBES” |
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One of the main tourist attractions of the north, the so-called hilltribes of northern Thailand have preserved their way of life with little change over thousands of years. Originating in different parts of Southeast Asia, mostly southern China, and resisting persecution by other cultures, they have migrated into Thailand in a quest for freedom and security.
Although the hilltribes might be regarded as “primitive” in that they pre-industrial, sometimes oral, vs. literate, societies, hilltribe communities are not merely groups of simple people living simple lives. Their customs, laws and beliefs are complex and very sophisticated, designed |
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to harmonise relationships between individuals and to conserve their environment. It is only in recent years, with the effects of rapid population growth and competition for land, that their traditional way of life has proved to be insufficient to cope with the stresses resulting from external forces.
In Northern Thailand there are often several different hilltribe or minority ethnic groups living within a small geographical area, often sharing the same mountainside. Each group nevertheless has its own language, customs, religious beliefs and social organization. All the groups, however, are welcoming and hospitable to visitors, providing them with a unique opportunity to see and experience ways of life which have long been forgotten in the west. A visit to any of these peoples is always an experience that will stay with you for a lifetime. |
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108/2 Charoenphratet Rd, Muang
Chiang Mai 50100 Thailand
Tel: (053) 308 775-6 (Mon -Sat )0800-1700 hrs
Fax: (053) 818221
E-mail: tiger@loxinfo.co.th |
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