The Karen is an ethnic group whose beliefs are the framework of their existence and the origin of their cultural identity. The Hermit doctrine is the belief that has combined all Karen societies. It is also the belief that has been crystallized and accumulated for a long time so that the Karen are able to rely on and deify nature. It included a religious taboo which is a tool of social control. The hermit is the central feature of their belief and it has a role of unifying between the Karen along the Thai-Mynmar border. On both side of the border, they have accepted the market system and joined in the exploitation of the natural resources. They also have borderless interactions. However, since modernization has become the key feature, the nation state has intervened in the Karen lifestyle by setting up the educational system, and abandoning their rituals and beliefs. The Karen also have been treated as a minority group or as marginal people. This causes social problems such as drug addiction, labour employment, and illegal immigration along the Thai-Mynmar border. The government does not understand the basis for these problems so they cannot completely solve them.