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The Lawa or Lua as the northern Thai call them, are found only in Thailand. The history of
the Lawa people is long and poorly understood. It is certain that they have inhabited Thailand 800 years ago and they
were certainly in Thailand already when the Thais arrived. They believe that they migrated from Cambodia, but some
archaeologists think their origins lie in Micronesia, perhaps 2,000 years ago.
The Lawa identify themselves as Lavu'a (La-woe-a). It is estimated that the Lawa people, once known as the Milakkha or
Lowa, migrated into the northern region of the Mae Ping valley around 660 A.D. They are of Austro-Asiatic stock and
according to protohistorical tradition, they are believed to be the first settlers in North Thailand. They are
linguistically closely related to the Mon-Khmer and have largely been absorbed into Thai society.
With such a long history of cohabiting with the Thais (the legendary king Mengrai who unified Northern Thailand was
probably half Lawa), there has been large scale integration, so that most Lawa villages are indistinguishable from Thai
settlements. However, in an area of about 500 square kilometres, on the Bo Luang plateau, between Hot, Mae Sariang and
Mae Hong Son, and in the mountainous area of Umpai, south east Mae Hong Son. They still live a largely traditional life,
although even here the majority have adopted Buddhism and Thai style houses.
Unmarried Lawa girls wear loose white blouses edged with pink. Around the neck distinctive strings of orange and yellow
beads are worn. The tight skirt is in parallel bands of blue, black, yellow and pink. On marriage, these brightly
coloured clothes are replaced with a long fawn dress, but the strings of beads are still worn. The hair is tied in a
turban, and it is usual for women to smoke tobacco from a wooden pipe.
With such a long cohabitation with the Thais, most Lawa villages are indistinguishable from Thai settlements and most
Lawa speak thai as their first language., but the Lawa language, related to that of the Wa Tribe of Burma, is still
spoken in many villages.
The Lawa in Thailand are estimated to be 17,000.
Their economy is based on subsistence agriculture, with rice grown on terraces according to a sophisticated rotation
system. The Lawa practise shifting cultivation of the rotational type and are skillful in making wet rice terraces. They
are recognised as being the most conservation - minded land users in the highlands.
The Lawa society is similar to that of other tribes in that descent is traced matrilineal and marriage is monogamous.
Their society is regarded as, having a dual structure. Most members are classified as Lua or common people. A small
group who trace descent from Khun Luang Wilanka, a proto-historical Lua King, are called Kun.
The Lawa are animists and ancestor- worshippers who, like the Thai, combine their traditional beliefs with Buddhism.
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