The article covers the socio-economic, political, cultural and belief structures of the Akha ethnic group in northern Thailand, with a particular focus on the socio-cultural and belief structures of the ethnic group.
Ancestors of the Akha in Burma, Laos and Thailand originated in Yunnan, China. Their settlements are on mountain ridges with the height of over 1,200 meters. The group practices the slash-and-burn farming method, cultivating highland rice as the main crop and other crops, such as corn, sugarcane, sesame, peanuts, tobacco and vegetables as the supplementary crops. Opium poppies are the major cash crop. The Akha society is a patriarchal clan system, with the oldest man being the household head. At the village level, a village head, sometimes with his assistants, oversees the village administrative affairs. The position of village head may be inherited or he may be selected by the village elder council.
The Akha pay homage to Village Guardians and therefore there are holy places and structures, such as the Village Gate, the graveyard, the ceremonial swing, the water source, and the shrine of the spirit of the locality. The rituals are conducted by the village priest or dzonma who is regarded as the most important person in the village.