DIGITAL PRESERVATION ON IDENTITY OF HILL TRIBES OF NORTHERN THAILAND.

Abstract

Among the rural population of Thailand, hill tribes were considered disadvantaged and vulnerable group of society, being largely dependent on farming with low income and employment and poverty. Today, attention addressed a wide range of issues concerning hill tribe people, not only citizenship and land settlement issues but also quality of life, tradition and culture initiated by King Rama IX. The qualitative study was employed to study the identity of hill tribes of northern part of Thailand in Chiangrai province as a case study. Focus group, in-depth interviews, on site observations and reviewed documents were used to explore and experience their uniqueness and identity of hill tribe ethnic groups. It was found that hill tribes in Chiangrai included Akha, Lahu, Lisu, Yao or Mien, Hmong, and Karen migrated from Myanmar, Tibet and southern China. Each had their own history, culture and traditions, language, dressing and occupation and religion. However, animism was still their belief as God or guardian. Their identity needed to be preserved digitally in various platforms as digital archives. In this conjunction, issues of particular attention included the relationship among environment, social-economic, technology and education for sustainable development not only a tourism destination