The Thais call the Lahu tribe Musur , which means hunters . Indeed, they were largely a hunting community until a lack of game and a shortage of primary forest forced them into a more agricultural means of existence. They do not have such a long history as farming people, so they are not as efficient at producing food as the other tribes. For this reason, the Lahu language has almost become a lingua franca , spoken throughout the other hill tribes, since, amongst the Lahu, hiring out labour to other hill tribes has become common. Although the Lahu can be quite reserved initially, before long one becomes a welcome visitor to their villages.
Many villages are very poor, and a number have captured the attention of missionaries.
In recent times the King's Royal Project and other aid agencies have been helping them with such initiatives as alternative crop production and the marketing of handicrafts. Times are improving slowly for some of them, despite the great difficulty of change. The Lahu tribes originated in southwest China, and have migrated into Thailand from northern Burma. Most of their settlements are concentrated close to the Burmese border, in Chiang Rai, northern Chiang Mai, and Mae Hong Son province. The Black Lahu are the most reserved, but wear the most distinctive costumes.