Thai Lanna Migrating like many of the other hilltribes, Lanna Thais originated in the Yunnan region of southern China, and began their steady movement south about 1,000 years ago. About 10 million of the 50 million ethnic Thais in Thailand are Thai Lanna. Throughout history, Thai Lanna have located their settlements in the lowlands along river basins. Consequently, each of the biggest cities in Northern Thailand is located along a river: Chiang Mai (the Ping River), Chiang Rai (the Kok River), Lampang (the Wang River) and the many important towns along the Nan River.

Though most all Thai Lanna can speak--or at least understand--Central Thai (Thai as spoken in Bangkok), among each other they speak a different dialect, Kam Meuang or Northern Thai. Kam Meuang is pronounced at an overall higher pitch than Central Thai. It similar in sound and vocabulary to Lao--indeed Northern Thais often refer to it, inaccurately, as Lao. Approximately one-third of the words are the same as in Central Thai, one-third are the same base word pronounced with a different tone and one-third are completely different. Kam Meuang is marked by the melodious "jao" that women use at the end of each sentence for politeness and to create a pleasing sound.

Though the Thai Lanna have a distinct culture, clothing (notably denim Maw Hom shirts) and music , they share many aspects of their lifestyle with Thais throughout the country. The majority of Thai Lanna work as farmers, growing rice, corn and fruit. Lamyai (longan) grown in Lampoon and lynchee grown in Chiang Rai are popular all over the country and exported in huge quantities to many countries, most notably China. Over 95% of Thai Lanna are Theraveda Buddhists, about the same percentage as Thailand on the whole. In a country known for its hospitality, Northern Thais are distinguished as being especially sweet and welcoming. And like all Thais, the Thai Lanna are fiercely proud of their Thainess and adore their King.

Though the Thai Lanna control the power structure of Northern Thailand, they are not without problems. Poverty in Northern Thailand is still widespread, and the mountainous geography is an inherent obstacle to creating a vibrant infrastructure. Drug abuse, trafficking (especially through the Golden Triangle area of Chiang Rai) and corruption are major problems. Also, an unfortunate combination of poverty, cultural acceptance and the fair-skinned beauty of the Thai Lanna women has allowed prostitution to become a major social force. Prostitution is a huge industry in Thailand and the majority of prostitutes come from the North. While many families benefit financially from prostitution--one daughter can put her other siblings through school while also supporting the family--just as many have been torn apart by the detrimental aspects inherent to the lifestyle, including emotional problems, drug addiction and HIV/AIDS. On a walk through a rural Thai village, one could easily find a large modern house among tin-roofed wooden shacks...and a funeral for a twenty-two-year-old girl at the village temple.

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