Local Culture

Meo, Lisu, Yao, Akha, Lawa and Karen hilltribes live throughout northern Thailand's mountains. They share animist beliefs and honour numerous forest and guardian spirits. Each tribe has distinctive ceremonial attire, courtship rituals, games, dances, agricultural customs, puberty rites, languages or dialects, aesthetic values and hygienic habits.
Popular 'Jungle Treks', lasting from 2 to 7 days, take visitors through forested mountains and high valleys and meadows, and include visits to remoter high-altitude hilltribe settlements for overnight stays. The best guides are hilltribe youths who customarily speak English, Thai and at least three tribal dialects.

Treks commonly feature travel by foot, sometimes by boat, elephant-back, horse-back or jeep, frequently a combination of two or three modes of transportation.

Prospective trekkers are advised to shop around companies offering such tours for the best conditions. All treks must be registered with the Tourist Police. This is done for trekkers' protection. Avoid companies that do not abide by this law. Visitors are welcome to enquire from the Tourism Police to confirm which tour companies have negative or bad reputations. Also, avoid narcotics, essentially everything from 'soft drugs' such as marijuana to 'hard drugs' such as opium and heroin, both during travel and at hilltribe villages. There are severe penalties for such usage. Valuables, such as passport, jewelry and money, should be deposited in the safe of your hotel or guest house while you are trekking upcountry

Thai Etiquette

What is considered polite in your country is probably considered polite in Thailand, too. However, there are a few cultural pitfalls, mainly social and religious taboos, the breaking of which can cause offense. For example, Thais revere their royal family. Even social malcontents, Who ignore legal and community standards, refuse to tolerate a faintly implied slur on the monarchy. Outward expressions of anger are regarded as crude and boorish. Visitors who remain calm and smile will find all sorts of doors opened to them. Visitors should dress neatly in all religious shrines. They should never go shirtless, or in shorts, hot pants or other unsuitable attire. Shoes should be removed when entering a private Thai home, a Buddhist temple chapel, any of the Islamic community's mosques.

Each Buddha image, large or small, ruined or not, is regarded as a sacred object. Never climb onto one to take a photograph or do anything which might indicate a lack
of respect. Public displays of affection between men and women are frowned upon. Westernized Thai couples may hold hands, but that's as far as it goes in public.

It is considered rude to point your foot at a person or object. Thai is regard the head as the highest part of the body, literally and figuratively. Therefore, they do not appreciate anyone patting them there, even as a friendly gesture.

Thai is customarily ask questions which are regarded elsewhere as being personal. If the visitor is asked, 'Where are you going?' or 'How much do you earn?' such questions are asked in a friendly manner and signify genuine interest. Joking answers such as, 'I'm not sure' or "Never enough!' are perfectly acceptable.