VZCZCXRO9654
PP RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHCHI #0103/01 1980156
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 170156Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1108
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 1190

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 CHIANG MAI 000103 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECIN ECPS EINT EIND ELAB ETRD EINV PHUM
PBTS, SCUL, SMIG, TH, LA 
SUBJECT: HMONG IN NORTHERN THAILAND ARE ASSIMILATING AND NETWORKING 
WITH HMONG WORLDWIDE 
 
CHIANG MAI 00000103  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified; please handle accordingly. 
 
 
 
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Summary and Comment 
 
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¶1.    (U) Over the past twenty years, the Hmong in northern 
Thailand have accepted a sedentary lifestyle and continue to 
assimilate into Thai society.  Today, there are many 
agricultural Hmong communities in northern Thailand where trade 
in handicrafts and other products is growing.  These Thai-Hmong 
communities are slowly creating global networks by using modern 
technology to connect with Hmong elsewhere.  Their progress 
sharply contrasts with the situation of those Hmong residing in 
the de facto camp in Petchaboon Province or at immigration 
detention centers. 
 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Comment: The northern Thai-Hmong have a history of 
being on the move and selling opium.  Nowadays, they live in a 
similar fashion to rural Thais, focusing on agriculture and the 
production and sale of local handicrafts.  Even though the 
market for Hmong handicrafts is not significantly large, the 
industry is providing another means for Hmong to make money. 
Since the Hmong are now staying in one place, they have better 
means to accumulate goods and trade for profit.  To grow their 
businesses, the Thai-Hmong are beginning to connect with other 
Hmong populations worldwide to find the cheapest inputs and sell 
to wider markets.  Additionally, remittances and investments 
from abroad (also not significantly large) assist some families 
in meeting basic needs.   Based on visits to Hmong communities, 
it seems like the Hmong in northern Thailand are adapting to 
their new lifestyle and will continue to evolve in Thai society, 
becoming more productive as they continue to learn new 
technologies and adjust to a market economy.  End Summary and 
Comment. 
 
 
 
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Settling In 
 
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¶3.  (U) The Hmong in Thailand are descendants of the Hmong/Miao 
who began migrating from Southern China over 200 years ago. 
There was an uptick in the Hmong population in Thailand after 
the American withdrawal from Vietnam in the mid 1970s.  Some of 
these political refugees, mostly Lao-Hmong, were placed in camps 
while others settled in various Hmong communities in the North. 
The Hmong in Thailand have often been characterized by outside 
observers as swiddeners who specialize in producing opium. 
Since the mid 1970s, the Hmong in Thailand have significantly 
reduced their dependence on the opium trade and now live 
sedentarily as non-poppy-based farmers and artisans. 
 
 
 
¶4.  (U) Today, there are approximately 154,000 Hmong living in 
Thailand in 260 villages.  Ninety percent of Thai-Hmong have 
Thai citizenship, allowing them to legally own property, vote, 
receive health care, and send their children to school. 
Furthermore, Hmong communities can receive vocational training, 
funding from central government grants, and assistance to 
promote tourism.  Nonetheless, the conversion of many highland 
areas into national parks and forest preserves and other 
restrictions on construction remain challenges for the Hmong and 
highlanders in general.  Hmong communities continue working to 
develop the tourism sector as foreign interest in observing hill 
tribe communities increases and expatriated Hmong come back to 
visit their native land. 
 
 
 
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Citizenship equals assimilation 
 
------------------------------- 
 
 
CHIANG MAI 00000103  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) An ethnic Thai-Hmong professor at Chiang Mai 
University stated that the Hmong in Thailand are assimilating 
into Thai culture and face minimal discrimination from Thais. 
He also noted numerous instances of Hmong/Thai intermarriages. 
ConGenOffs observed this assimilation by visiting two separate 
Hmong communities, where local populations successfully 
transitioned from a swidden culture to a sedentary agro-centric 
lifestyle similar to surrounding Thai villagers.  Hmong 
Communities are growing small plots of rice and other produce, 
mainly for local consumption with the excess being sold at 
market. 
 
 
 
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More than agriculture 
 
--------------------- 
 
 
 
¶6.  (U) Although the Hmong typically work in the agriculture 
sector, some act as merchants and produce local handicrafts. 
Hmong populations that live near tourist areas are able to 
produce clothing and handbags to sell to foreigners and Thais 
alike.  ConGenOffs talked to numerous Hmong traders who said 
they do not have any specific style of handicrafts, rather, the 
Hmong evolve with market demand and will produce products that 
sell, not necessarily products that are endemic to Hmong (unless 
for personal consumption). 
 
 
 
¶7.  (U) Additionally, Hmong products are rarely handmade 
anymore.  A Hmong trader we spoke with stated that many 
producers are using more technology and marketing techniques, 
such as textile design software, sewing machines, business cards 
and websites to increase sales and efficiency (although most 
marketing and design services are outsourced to ethnic Thais). 
Unfortunately, the global economic crisis has slowed demand for 
Hmong products and local revenues are down in comparison to 
previous years, stated a Hmong trader. 
 
 
 
¶8.  (U) The Thai-Hmong do not have a specific style to their 
products; they are trying to diversify by creating hemp products 
that ethnic Thais do not produce.  At one village we visited, 
there was a sewing and batik group that imported hemp cloth from 
Hmong-Chinese.  This group either resold the cloth for profit 
after dyeing it or produced hand bags and other apparel after 
decorating it. Villagers reported that they could make between 
300 and 400 THB (9-12 USD) a day producing hemp products. 
 
 
 
¶9. (U) Aside from handicrafts, surprisingly, the movie business 
is growing in Thai-Hmong communities.  We met with a Hmong movie 
producer in Phayao Province who creates films that show 
traditional Hmong life, specific celebrations, Hmong music 
videos, etc. and sells them abroad.  He said he receives funding 
from Hmong-American investors who pay the initial costs of a 
production in return for the final product sent to the U.S. for 
distribution.  The movie producer has a high-quality video 
camera and interesting scripts, while actors and actresses can 
make 30,000 THB (900 USD) per movie. 
 
 
 
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Common language and culture helps trade for stateless Hmong 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
 
 
¶10.  (U) Since the Thai-Hmong are entering commercial markets 
and have a long history of migration, ConGenOffs asked whether 
they have trade networks abroad.  The professor at Chiang Mai 
University and a prominent Thai-Hmong leader both said that the 
Thai-Hmong do not have significantly large networks due to the 
fact that the turbulence during the Vietnam War severed many old 
familial and commercial networks.  They stated that some minor 
international trade takes place through family connections where 
Thai-Hmong send traditional handicrafts and food stuffs to the 
West. 
 
CHIANG MAI 00000103  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
 
 
¶11.  (U) Interviews of Thai-Hmong villagers gave a clearer 
picture about connections abroad.  Although the information did 
not prove the Hmong have significantly large global networks, 
there are signs of emerging networks with Hmong in other 
countries.  The Hmong are using the internet, cell phones, and 
other social networks to reach Hmong outside of Thailand.  Hmong 
transnational networks are most highly concentrated in Southeast 
Asia and China, but there are some minor commercial connections 
back to third countries, including the U.S. 
 
 
 
¶12.  (U) A number of Hmong villagers in Chiang Rai and Phayao 
stated that Chinese-Hmong merchants come down through Laos and 
sell their products to Thai-Hmong.  Unfortunately, trade with 
the Chinese-Hmong is typically one-way, as they do not purchase 
many Thai-Hmong products to bring back to China.  Villagers 
stated that trade is more reciprocal with the Lao-Hmong, as they 
act as middlemen for China or sell produce in Thai markets while 
the Thai-Hmong sell finished products to these Lao-Hmong traders. 
 
 
 
¶13.  (U) Outside of Southeast Asia, friends and relatives 
provide a majority of the opportunities to export abroad, 
reported Hmong traders.  A common way for the Thai-Hmong to gain 
connections in the U.S. and elsewhere is through marriage. 
Hmong-American men often come to Thailand and find Thai-Hmong 
wives to take home.  These relationships are common as the 
Hmong-Americans share the same language and culture (White 
Hmong) as the Thai-Hmong.  With these new connections, family 
members of wives can access new markets, albeit small, across 
the Pacific. 
 
 
 
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Few handouts from abroad 
 
------------------------ 
 
 
 
¶14.  (U) Since many Thai-Hmong have family living abroad, 
ConGenOffs asked whether local communities receive a significant 
amount of remittance income.  In each village staff visited, 
villagers responded that remittances are typically small and 
only occur when a Thai-Hmong girl marries an American. 
Additionally, villagers stated that it was expected that the 
Thai-Hmong send some local product back to the remitter as a 
sign of thanks for the assistance.  There was one instance where 
a growing Hmong village of former refugees in Phayao Province 
received a substantial amount of remittances.  This town of 400 
Hmong received remittance income around 6 million THB (175,000 
USD) in 2008, which ConGenOffs suspect was to help the new 
community get settled.  In other villages, remittance incomes 
appeared not to contribute very much to local economies as each 
location visited was exceptionally poor. 
 
 
 
¶15. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Bangkok. 
ANDERSON