Near the end of the trip, we spent a day visiting some of the many hill tribe villages in northern Thailand. Most of these tribes have their ethnic roots in either Tibet or China's Yunnan Province, but over the centuries they have migrated south into Thailand, Burma and Laos. The Thai government, sadly, does not give them citizen status equal to ethnic Thais, so many hill tribes remain stuck at the bottom of the economic ladder, unable to climb up because of this unfair treatment. But some villages have capitalized on tourism, making a living selling tribal crafts and hosting village treks.
Above Picture:As we walked through a Lisu village, we discovered this child sitting in a broken bucket. We're still not totally clear on his motivations, though.
These kids are members of the Palong, a Mon-Khmer tribe found mostly in Burma's Shan state. They are also living proof that every day is a good day for ice cream in Thailand.
Young Palong boy.
The Mayor of Palong Village. Well, maybe not, but this kid sure seemed to be in charge.
Lisu girl. The Lisu are originally from eastern Tibet, but they can now be found throughout Southeast Asia.
Lisu boy. As you can see here, the kids of these villages are just as likely to wear western clothes as they are to wear traditional clothing. The Lisu are well known for their colorful tunics, but you'll have to take our word on that.
Hmong Baby. The Hmong are perhaps the most well known of the hill tribes. Thousands of Hmong immigrated to Thailand and the US following the communist takeover of Laos in 1975.
Taking a shower, Lahu style. Because there is no running water in this village, the kids take advantage of the community water tank for cooling off. The Lahu are originally from southwestern China.
