The
'hill tribes' are ethnic minorities living in the mountains. Each hill tribe has
its own language, customs, way of dressing and belief.
They have migrated
to Thailand from Tibet, Myanmar (Burma), China and Laos during the past 200 years.
As they are of
semi-nomadic origin, they continue to cross and neglect national borders.
The Tribal Research
Institute in Chiang Mai recognizes 9 different hill tribes and estimates the
total hill-tribe population to be around 746.000