The Indigenous World 2025: Thailand

Written on 25 April 2025. Posted in Thailand

The Indigenous Peoples of Thailand live mainly in three geographical regions of the country: Indigenous fisher communities (the Chao Ley) and small populations of hunter-gatherers in the south (Mani people); small groups on the Korat plateau of the north-east and east; and the many different highland peoples in the north and north-west of the country (previously known by the derogatory term “Chao-Khao,” or “hill tribes”). Nine so-called “hill tribes” are officially recognized: the Hmong, Karen, Lisu, Mien, Akha, Lahu, Lua, Thin and Khamu.^[1]

Estimates put Thailand’s Indigenous population at around 6.1 million people, or 9.68% of the total population.^[2] According to the Department of Social Development and Welfare (2002), the total officially recognized population numbers 925,825, distributed across 20 provinces in the north and west of the country. There are still no figures available for the Indigenous groups in the south and north-east. When national boundaries were drawn in South-East Asia during the colonial era and in the wake of decolonization, many Indigenous Peoples living in remote highlands and forests became divided. For example, you can find Lua and Karen people in both Thailand and Myanmar, and Akha people in Laos, Myanmar, south-west China and Thailand.

Thailand is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It voted in support of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) but does not officially recognize the existence of Indigenous Peoples in the country. Section 70 of the 2016 Constitution refers to “Ethnic groups”.

In 2010, the Thai government passed two Cabinet resolutions to restore the traditional livelihoods of the Chao Ley^[3] and Karen, on 2 June and 3 August respectively.

This article is part of the 39^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous activist Funa-ay Claver, a Bontok Igorot, standing alongside Indigenous youth activists and others. They are protesting against the repressive laws and human rights violations suffered through the actions and projects of the Government of the Philippines and other actors against Indigenous Peoples at President Marcos Jr’s national address on 22 July 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines. The photo was taken by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2025 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2025 in full here

Situation of Indigenous children and youth^[4]

The issues concerning Indigenous children and youth over the past year were highlighted at the 4^th Indigenous Children's and Youth Assembly, held from 4-7 May 2024, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Youth leaders from various regions gathered to learn and exchange experiences with others. The following common issues were raised by all groups.

Ethnic prejudice still exists, such as the perception that Indigenous Peoples destroy forests or are unclean, among others. Mainstream media continues to misrepresent Indigenous communities, sometimes portraying them in a stereotypical or negative light. This affects their public image, such as news headlines linking Indigenous groups to drug trafficking, despite such actions being the wrongdoing of individuals rather than the entire community.

Some youths have not yet received Thai citizenship, preventing them from accessing basic rights, including student loans from the government. Many youth come from impoverished families that cannot afford to support their higher education.

The communities where the Indigenous youth live, despite being long-established, lack land rights because they are located within state-declared conservation areas. This also limits their access to basic state development services, such as roads, water sources, electricity, and infrastructure. These restrictions have led to an increase in youth migration to urban areas for education and employment.

As a result, youth face a lack of opportunities to learn and preserve their own culture, with some no longer being able to speak their native language.

Additionally, youth face specific challenges, such as teenage pregnancies among adolescents who are not yet ready for parenthood.

The youth have proposed the following solutions, which they submitted to the Minister of Culture on 9 August:

• Organize activities to support the revival of Indigenous culture and the learning of Indigenous languages among children and youth.
• Encourage youth to form groups and develop their potential by coordinating support from various sectors and organizing group activities, such as annual assemblies.
• Promote suitable career opportunities for youth.
• Develop new-generation communicators who can use social media to foster learning and communicate the issues and needs of Indigenous children and youth to the wider society.
• Support and advance the mechanisms of the Council of Indigenous Peoples in Thailand (CIPT) by encouraging youth participation through membership representation.
• Expand the designation of cultural and livelihood protected zones for Indigenous communities.
• Advocate for laws that protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights and promote their way of life.

Progress on drafting and reviewing the Law on the Protection and Promotion of the Way of Life of Ethnic Groups and Indigenous Peoples in Thailand

At the start of 2024, Parliament accepted five draft laws in principle proposed by civil society, political sectors, and academic institutions. A special parliamentary committee was established to review and consolidate the Draft Act on the Protection and Promotion of the Way of Life of Ethnic Groups. This committee includes representatives from all sectors – government agencies, political parties, civil society organizations, and Indigenous communities – to ensure that the law is comprehensive and aligned with the needs of all groups.

The draft law was tabled for a second reading in the House of Representatives in September 2024. However, it faced several controversies, primarily concerning the definition of “Indigenous Peoples”. The majority of MPs rejected this term, arguing that it could pose a risk to national security, culminating in its removal from the draft. Another major issue was the designation of cultural and livelihood protected areas for Indigenous Peoples, covered in Sections 27–29 of said draft Act. These sections proposed an exemption from regulations on residence and the use of natural resources in these protected areas. However, concerns were raised that this could negatively impact national forests and natural resources, resulting in a postponement of the review. The next reading is scheduled to resume 5 February 2025.

The chair of the special parliamentary committee, Ms Piyarat, emphasized:

This draft law is not designed to grant privileges to any specific group. Its core purpose is to ensure access to fundamental rights for ethnic and Indigenous communities, who have long faced systemic limitations. It also aims to empower ethnic and Indigenous groups by leveraging their unique cultural heritage, benefiting their livelihoods and fostering opportunities for cultural-based economic development in Thailand.^[5]

Royal Decree on Protected Areas (Sections 64 and 121): reinforcing and worsening existing problems

On 29 November 2024, after passage of the Royal Decree on Protected Areas, over 2,000 people from various ethnic and Indigenous groups gathered in front of Chiang Mai City Hall and Mae Rim District Office during a mobile Cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Under the banner of the “Assembly of Forest Communities”, the demonstrators were protesting against two new Royal Decrees.^[6]

The protest stemmed from a Cabinet resolution on 15 November 2024 approving the issuing of two Royal Decrees: one under Section 64 of the National Parks Act B.E. 2562 (2019) and another under Section 121 of the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019). These decrees, proposed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, were seen as violating and restricting the rights of Indigenous communities to reside in and utilize forest resources essential for their livelihoods.

Key concerns included:

• Limiting land ownership to no more than 20 rai (3.2 hectares) per family, which does not align with the actual needs of community members, nor does it correspond to the land they are currently using.
• Allowing land use for only 20 years, without any guarantees that communities will be able to continue residing and farming on the land afterwards.
• Revoking land rights for community members who have another plot of land situated outside designated protected areas.

The Protesters' Four Demands:

1. Halt the enforcement of the Royal Decrees under Sections 64 and 121 nationwide until the laws are revised.
2. Establish a participatory mechanism, such as a committee or working group, to gather input from affected communities in every national park and wildlife sanctuary. The government must conclude these consultations within 60 days to inform amendments to the two laws.
3. Revise the National Parks Act and the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act through a process that includes the affected communities. The draft amendments must be submitted to the Cabinet 90 days prior to proceeding to Parliament.
4. Suspend the declaration of 23 new national parks and wildlife sanctuaries until the legal amendments are finalized unless the demarcation process, including recognition of community land and farmland, has been completed and agreed upon by all stakeholders.

On the day of the protest, Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Chanthararuangthong met with the demonstrators and signed an agreement acknowledging their four demands. He pledged to present them for Cabinet consideration.^[7]

This event highlights the ongoing challenges faced by ethnic and Indigenous communities in Thailand, whose housing and land rights remain severely impacted by government forestry policies. The management of conservation areas continues to undermine their economic, social, and cultural rights, particularly land tenure security. Despite years of advocacy, progress on Indigenous land rights remains slow and inadequate.

Progress on the appeal against the coal mining concession in Kaberdin village, Omkoi District, Chiang Mai Province^[8]

Since 2022, residents of Kaberdin, Omkoi District, Chiang Mai, have been fighting against a lignite coal mining concession that is threatening their environment and way of life. The affected community filed a lawsuit with the Chiang Mai Administrative Court seeking to revoke the project's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. The court granted a temporary injunction preventing the company from using the EIA report in public hearings while the legal case is ongoing.

However, despite the injunction, the mining company has continued its efforts to advance the project, causing conflict and division within the community. Reports indicate that the company has lobbied local leaders to discourage opposition, spread misleading information to gain community support, offered financial incentives to village leaders, and promised monthly stipends to locals willing to partner with the company.

Community resistance and legal action

In 2024, the Kaberdin community intensified its resistance on many fronts by collaborating with civil society networks to hold public awareness campaigns, training community leaders and youth to strengthen their advocacy, visiting affected communities in other regions to learn from their experiences of resisting multiple infrastructure projects, and joining a national coalition, the “People's Network for Mining Justice” to push for policy reforms.

In September 2024, the coalition filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Administrative Court demanding the revocation of Thailand’s Second Mineral Management Master Plan on the grounds that it was developed without public participation. They also called for a new mineral zoning process to ensure that mining concessions do not harm local communities.

Further, on 7 December 2024, the Kaberdin community marked the 5^th anniversary of its anti-mining movement with an event featuring scientific and legal discussions on the environmental and legal implications of coal mining, plus international case studies on environmental protection and Indigenous rights.

At the event, the community presented three key demands:

1. Expedite the legal case to revoke the EIA report.
2. Remove Kaberdin from the Mineral Management Master Plan to prevent future mining projects.
3. Recognize community rights to manage land and natural resources independently.

The ongoing struggle in Kaberdin reflects the broader fight of Indigenous and ethnic communities in Thailand to defend their land, environment, and cultural heritage from state-backed development projects. Their activism highlights the urgent need for inclusive decision-making and policies that genuinely protect both people and nature.

This article is part of the 39^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous activist Funa-ay Claver, a Bontok Igorot, standing alongside Indigenous youth activists and others. They are protesting against the repressive laws and human rights violations suffered through the actions and projects of the Government of the Philippines and other actors against Indigenous Peoples at President Marcos Jr’s national address on 22 July 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines. The photo was taken by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2025 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2025 in full here

Notes and references

Kittisak Rattanakrajangsri is a Mien from the north of Thailand. He has worked with Indigenous communities and organizations since 1989. He is currently Executive Director of the Indigenous Peoples’ Foundation for Education and Environment (IPF) based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

^[1] Ten groups are sometimes mentioned, with the Palaung also included in some official documents. The Department of Social Development and Welfare’s 2002 Directory of Ethnic Communities in 20 northern and western provinces also includes the Mlabri and Padong.

^[2] Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. “Master Plan for Ethnic Groups Development in Thailand 2015-2017.” Accessed 15 January 2025. https://readgur.com/doc/2075846/%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%97-%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%92%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B8%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%98%E0%B8%B8%E0%B9%8C%E0%B9%83%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A8%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A2

^[3] Composed of Moken, Moklen and Urak-rawoy.

^[4] Report of the Ton-Kla Indigenous Youth Network (TKN) in Thailand, 4–7 May 2024, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

^[5] Thairath. “Have rights, honor, pressure, GDP of the country, ethnic laws in the hands of Pheu Thai.” Accessed 15 January 2025. https://www.thairath.co.th/news/local/2837562?fbclid=IwY2xjawH9vTJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZr_i0ZV7hLKzQH6JAl2IAzE4wHmnVq4aih2p8OvuOA4h95Efp7oEWwrdg_aem_OeY6Gl-26E2dguCYVQ6r2Q

^[6] MGR Online. “The mob of the forest dwellers stormed the Chiang Mai City Hall to receive the mobile cabinet meeting, set up camp and submitted 4 points to solve the problem of land rights.” 29 November 2024. https://mgronline.com/local/detail/9670000114842

^[7] The Active. “Cabinet approves secondary law on conservation forests: granting rights or violating people living with forests?” 12 November 2024. https://theactive.thaipbs.or.th/news/lawrights-20241112

^[8] Kaberdin Community Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/KaberdinWonderland/

Tags: Land rights, Youth, Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders