Into a geopolitical melting pot, diverse ethnic groups have migrated to Thailand, especially in the north, coming from the former colonial empires in Burma and Indochina, as well as from China. I found it amazing that despite centuries of persecution, each of these groups had managed to preserve its way of life with little change over thousands of years.

Within this Buddhist society each tribe has its own language, beliefs, customs, dress, and social organization. Although for the most part they live in pre-industrial, pre-literate communities, they follow complex laws and beliefs that are designed to harmonize relationships between individuals.

This results in a wonderful tolerance of other ethnic groups and an acceptance of those who are different from themselves. It was natural for them to be welcoming and hospitable towards me - and my time spent among them was wonderfully relaxed and enjoyable.