page_title: Peopling of Thailand
section_title: Hmong–Mien migration from China via Laos
hierarchical_section_title: Peopling of Thailand / Hmong–Mien migration from China via Laos
caption_attribution_description: Taken at Coc Ly market, Sapa, Vietnam 2004
context_page_description: The peopling of Thailand refers to the process by which the ethnic groups that comprise the population of present-day Thailand came to inhabit the region.
context_section_description: Like the Lolo, many of the Hmong–Mien ethnic groups are among the hill tribes in Thailand. Their population is clustered in the northeastern region of Thailand near the Laotian border. The Hmong–Mien of Thailand generally migrated from China in the second half of the 19th century through Laos, where they established themselves for some time prior to their arrival in Thailand. An exception to the China-Laos-Thailand migration pattern is the Iu Mien people, who apparently passed through Vietnam during the 13th century, prior to entering Thailand through Laos. The Iu Mien arrived in Thailand approximately 200 years ago, contemporaneously with a large number of other Hmong–Mien migrants.
caption: Women in traditional Hmong dress
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