Plemiona górskie jako atrakcja turystyczna Tajlandii

Abstract

For the last 20 or so years South-Eastern Asia, particularly Thailand, has played an increasingly important part in the world tourism. Neither the economic crisis in 1997 nor the horrible tsunami in 2004 hampered this upward tendency in regional tourist industry. Tourist assets of Thailand include natural values (climate, sea, beaches, coral reefs and vegetation), rich architectural heritage (mostly sacral buildings), well developed tourist infrastructure and political stability. The nature is definitely the all-important element attracting tourists to Thailand, mostly beach-vacationists seeking the 3S (sun, sea and sand) environment. Particularly favoured are beautiful islands of southern Thailand as Phuket, Phi Phi, Lanta, Samui, Pha Ngan as well as extensive beaches with luxury hotels e.g. in the Hua Hin and Cha-am resorts. Nevertheless, an increasing number of tourists shift from the standard 3S formula to totally different concepts focused on cultural heritage of Thailand. Thailand’s culture, very specific and exotic, is formed mainly by Buddhist religion, rich historical background and diversified ethnic structure. Visitors are most interested in temples, palaces and bazaars of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Lopburi, ruined ancient capital cities of Sukhotai and Ayutthaya as well as WWII reminiscences related with the Kwai River Bridge at Kanchanaburi. Since the 1980s the famous Golden Triangle in the North has become a popular destination. Formerly hardly accessible, mysterious and dangerous area of opium trade raged by wars fought by mafia groups is at the same time a very interesting region from the ethnic point of view. It is inhabited by so-called hill tribes that represent the most specific ethnic component of the Thailand’s population. Accounting for merely 1–2% of the country’s population they are ranked among major tourist attractions nationwide. This group of some 700 thousand people is divided into several tribes living in more than 3,500 villages clustered chiefly around Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Tha Ton, Chiang Rai and Nan. Hill tribes have preserved their ancient folkways, almost unchanged over centuries. Most of these people represent relic tribes (e.g. Akha, Lahu, Lisu, Mien) pushed away long ago by more advanced peoples to higher areas of uneasy access and difficult settlement conditions. The tribes live on primitive agriculture, in some cases using the slash-and-burn system. Some still live by gathering edible plants, fishing or – particularly in the mountain areas – growing opium poppies. Each tribe is distinguishable by specific costumes and finery. The majority of hill tribes came to Thailand only in the 20th century from China, Tibet and Burma. Some of them are political refuges from Laos, Cambodia, and first of all Burma, who immigrated in the 1970s; for instance for the last 20–30 years some 120,000 Karens escaped from prosecutions imposed by Burma government. The second largest refugee group are Hmongs fighting the communist authorities of Laos and Vietnam. In recent years due to very dynamic growth of tourism the remote mountainous regions of Thailand experience typical phenomena known from other parts of the world where indigenous tribes became discovered by modern civilization. Many inhabitants of tribal villages live nowadays on tourism transforming their settlements into open air museums. This is most striking in the villages of so-called ‘long necks’ tribe. It leads to various negative effects including economic dependence on seasonal tourist flows, abandonment of other forms of economic activity (e.g. farming), artificial folk culture (‘traditional’ handicraft), commercialization of customs and tradition. Nevertheless tourism is not the most dangerous threat for culture and identity of hill tribes in Thailand. Much more perilous is political and social discrimination, denial of human rights, shrinking arable land, illiteracy, poverty, widespread drug addiction. Hill tribes are the most destitute group of Thailand’s society. The only way to improve this situation is to change their legal status, promote education and mend the attitude of Thai majority toward ‘highlanders’.