Religion, culture and lifestyle

The Yao hill tribe people in Thailand are primarily Buddhists. Most of them have mixed elements of Buddhism with their traditional animistic beliefs. Animism encompasses the beliefs that there is no separation between the spiritual and physical (or material) world. Animists believe that souls or spirits exist, not only in humans, but also in animals, plants, rocks, geographic features such as mountains or rivers, or other entities of the natural environment. Animists often seek help through supernatural spirits and objects.

The Yao prefer high altitude dwellings. Their homes are usually built on solid ground. In a traditional Yao home, you will find a communal living area, a few bedrooms, and a guest area. I remember from personal experience  three Yao villages on a mountain top in Chiang Rai province. We had a great view and could see the lights of the city Chiang Rai after dark.

The Yao typically grow corn and rice as their primary crops, though they are known to grow other crops as well. The Yao adapted to Thai agriculture and learning to produce a variety of new vegetables with each passing year. Opium cultivation is still relevant in some sections of Yao culture, though the tradition is on the decline. In the early 1990s the cultivation of opium was still a problem in Northern Thailand. In the three Yao villages there was a presence of Thai border police to control the situation.