Akha tribes of Thailand

Published September 2, 2010 | By islandofthailand

Akha is a tribal group, which is southwest of China. In addition to northern Thailand, this strain is also present in China, Laos and Burma. Today there are about 20,000 Akha living in northern Thailand in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai in the higher elevations.

There are four main groups of this strain or the law of U, the law Wed, Pa I, A and Kay. All four groups speak the Akha language other than their own dialect. The dialect spoken by the Metro Act, the law and I Pa Iis very similar, but speak a dialect Kay A very special.

The Akha live in houses made of bamboo. Cogoni use grass on the roofs of their houses to be built. They built their houses on stilts. Akha villages are generally large, consisting of thirty houses. Their houses are built on hills, like an attempt to avoid diseases and epidemics. The main leaders in Akha village is the spiritual leader or shaman. Akha are animists and live their lives accordingin their beliefs. If a tribe member for a non-believer, he / she usually leave the country forever.

The Akha lifestyle is their farm system. They toil in the fields, spending more time there than with their families. They grow rice and vegetables in a variety of slopes. They also crops such as chilli, soybean, cabbage and tomatoes. Akha women are taken for their expertise in weaving note. They sell fabric, clothing, decorative objectssupplement based on bamboo, wood and rattan, with their meager income.