A study on the effects of urbanization on the housing of the hill tribes in Northern Thailand - A case study of the Akha Settlements in Chiang Rai

The hill tribes in Thailand have developed their own cultures and languages. In recent years social change has had a significant effect on living spaces, including the houses themselves. This soncentrates on the settlements of the Akha tribe in Chiang Rai and the effects of urbanization on their houses, especially the elements of houses and their various combinations. The research reached two conclusions; 1) The modernization the houses of the Akha is related to the geographical proximity to urban areas, and 2) In settlements undergoing urbanization the variation of elements used increases but the number of each combination type decreases.