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Hill Tribes of the Golden Triangle
The Lahu Hill Tribe in Thailand |  Lahu Hill Tribe WomanLike many of the hill tribes in Thailand, the Lahu (or Museur in Thai language) migrated from Southwestern China. Currently there are about 85,000 Lahu in Thailand broken up into four main hill tribe groups: Red Lahu (Lahu Nyi), Black Lahu (Lahu Na), Yellow Lahu (Lahu Shi) and Lahu Sheleh (Lahu Cheleh). Other smaller Lahu hill tribes include the Lahu Balan hilltribe and the Lahu Bakio hilltribe. The Lahu people originated in Tibet, migrating first to Southern China and then to Burma, to escape the Chinese aggression. Some groups went on to Northern Thailand and into Laos. Lahu hill tribe villages are usually located above 1200 meters in the mountains of the Golden Triangle in Northern Thailand. Houses are built on high stilts with walls of bamboo or wooden planks, thatched with grass roots. A ladder leads to an open central living area with a store room to one side and the living quarters to the other. There is one large bedroom, divided in partitions, according the family size. Black Lahu hill tribe women wear a black cloak with diagonal cream stripes with the top of the sleeves decorated in bold colors. Red Lahu hilltribe women wear black trousers with white edging and vivid striped sleeves. Lahu men wear a plain black shirt and baggy black trousers. But nowadays amongst many Lahu hill tribes in Thailand, traditional costumes has been replaced by a simple shirt and Thai sarong. |  White Lahu hill tribe girlsThe Lahu hill tribe people cultivate rice and corn as well as small amounts of vegetables. Until, some years ago, drug restrictions were strict enforced in Thailand, opium was an important crop for the Lahu hill tribes. Profits from the sale of opium were used to buy salt, iron and other products which they could not produce themselves. Lahu hill tribe villages in Thailand consist out of 10 or more houses, generally built on the mid-slope of the mountain. Each Lahu village has a traditional leader (Ka Sere), a spiritual leader (Doo Boo), a spiritual doctor (Nee De Baa), a council of village elders and a female spiritual leader (Mee Boo Maa). When a problem arises in a Lahu hill tribe village, then this group of leaders is consulted. A high proportion of the Lahu people have been converted to Christianity, but most have done so whilst mixing Christianity with their own animist beliefs. Many Lahu hill tribe people in Thailand have abandoned their traditional way of life as a result. |  Traditional Lahu Hilltribe DancersTraditional Animist Lahu people believe in one spirit with overall control, and in their lifestyle, they are rather predatory in searching for a marriage partner, divorce and adultery is very common in the Lahu hill tribes of Thailand. Amongst the Hill Tribes in the Golden Triangle of the Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai region in Thailand, the Lahu language has become the main language for inter-tribe communication. Lahu language is easy and the people of the Lahu hill tribe mix easily with other Hill Tribes in Thailand, renting themselves out to other Thai hill tribes as hired laborers is a very common practice. The Lahu hilltribe people consider themselves as "The blessed" among the hill tribes in Thailand. They consider that good health, plenty to eat and family security are blessings given to them by their Creator. The Lahu often refer to themselves as "The Children of the Blessing". |
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Hill tribes in Thailand, the Lahu hill tribe
The Lahu hilltribe in Thailand, red and black Lahu growing opium in the Golden Triangle, animist religion
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