Trends of LAWA

Considering the long period of time that the Lawa have been in their general area, it must be said that their rate of absorption by the Thai people has been a very gradual process and continues to be such. Some circles, to be sure, have definitely been completely absorbed, such as the former village near Chiangmai city and near Vieng Pa Pao, Chiangmai Province, but the distinctive physical features of the Lawa will still be seen in such communities. In such a situation, none of the young people are able to speak the Lawa language and few of the older people will use the language among themselves However , in economic aspects , retaining their tribal affiliations and language Indeed , it is a fact that physically , the Lawa in this area have modified the Thai people around them as much as the Thai have modified them , through the mixing of their bloods . There are villages which consider themselves to be Lao-Thai , but the Lawa characteristics are so strong in them that one is immediately impressed that the village might actually be Lawa instead . the "pure" Lawa , who are racially very different from the Thai people .

certainly have more dominant genetic characteristics than the Thai people . While economic assimilation will undoubtedly be an eventuality , it will be a very long time before the physical characteristics of the Lawa people is lost completely Other than the trend towards greater assimilation with the Thai people , the Lawa do not show today any definite trends to move away from their areas . They are becoming more and more permanently established within the plateau region , and at the same time , more closely established with the Thai people , their customs and their economic systems .