Supporting Hill Tribes through their Crafts

Guests often ask us –  ‘How can we help the hill tribes ? ‘ ….. ‘ What can I bring from my country to support them ? ‘ .  The simple answer to this, goes back to that old saying “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. The most sustainable and effective way to help hill tribe communities in northern Thailand, is to support their livelihood and trade, rather than donating items or money.

On our tours, travelling through small villages across Thailand, we come across an array of ethnic handicrafts handmade by locals. From intricate hill tribe textiles handwoven by the Karen tribe, to reed-straw bracelets hand-plaited by the Lahu tribe. When we travel we encourage you to take the opportunity to buy souvenirs or handicrafts directly from local artisans – not only does this represent important supplemental income for them, but helps to preserve traditional hill tribe arts and crafts.

Another fantastic way to help is by visiting the Thai Tribal crafts Fair Trade store in Chiang Mai city. This is one of the oldest fair trade organisations in Chiang mai,  set up by missionaries in the 1970’s, and is a certified member of World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) since 2002.

They work with thousands of hill tribe villages and artisans across northern Thailand, guiding them through the production process, ensuring quality control and fair trade practices.  They have a huge range of products from scarfs to bamboo baskets. They also have recently set up an online shop at –https://www.ttcrafts.co.th/

They have a huge product catalogue, which goes beyond what is displayed onlinr, so contact them directly if you’re looking for something particular.

Their store in Chiang Mai city is located at:

Thai Tribal Crafts Fair Trade Co.,Ltd
208 Bumruang Radj Road,
Wat Ket, Chiang Mai 50000
Thailand

Tel : 053-241 043

Mobile : 093 320 7089

Email : info@ttcrafts.co.th