The study compares the difference in physical and mental health between Hmongs and rural Thais in Chiang Mai based on Maslow’s Needs Theory by investigating personal perceptions on life quality and by evaluating personal feelings by using the expressions of happy and unhappy faces. The four-scale needs questionnaire is used to evaluate physical health and personal needs levels. The needs include security, love and belonging, prestige, and self-actualization. Interviews were conducted with 207 Hmongs and 207 rural Thais, aged between 16 and 65 years. The findings reveal that personal needs levels are related more to quality of life or metal health than physical health. The four levels of needs were variables predicting satisfaction with life in various aspects. The need for love and belonging is the variable with the highest prediction level, followed by needs for security and self-actualization. From the two-way variance analysis, it is found that the Hmongs require the needs for love and belonging, and prestige. They significantly express dissatisfaction with various aspects of life quality. Both groups are not satisfied with economic condition, cost of living, income, and housing. There is no significant difference in the perception of life quality between males and females, whereas older age groups are more satisfied with life than younger age groups. It is recommended from the research findings that certain aspects of life quality should be raised in rural development strategies.