I would like to stay in a Chiangmai Hill tribe community for a couple of days when doing my next border run shortly. Are there any less touristic Hill tribes left?

I want to see the real thing!

If not in Chiang Mai, do they have hill tribes in the Chaing Rai area?

The trips and tous are great. Spartan but still good and completely safe. I got the sense that there was 24 hour security for my 2 days. Good stuff, it was nice to see the origin of all that costume wear on sale at night along Soi Bangla in Patong!

You must shop around in Chiang Mai for an outfit that will take you to anarea with less possibility of seeing other tourists. You wont find any villages that have not been vistied at least once anymore. But there are places htat received less tourists. Basically the longer you have to walkk the better. Some villages have roads into them now as the Thai government opens up the moutnain areas to keep control of the economies of the mountains, so you will see villages with mini vans full of tourists surrounds by hill tribe people trying to sell them stuff. This scenario is best avoided by walking to villages. Get your guide/operator to show you exactly on a map where you will go...if there is a road to the village then forget it. Mind you, sometimes the roads are preety bad and during the wet season unpassable. Or worse still they may only be used by missionaries !!

the further away from Chian Mai you start, the better. In my experience it is better to go towards Mae hongSon than Chiang Rai. More chance of seeing something close to what you want. Many villages I have visited in Chaing Rai, have drug problems and are littered with debris. For your information I have done probably more than 40 treks in different areas of the North.

In Chiang Mai there is the Trekking Guides Association. they would be worth visiting. Last time I was there, the office was located down the end of Loi Kroh Road towards the river end just 100 m after McDonalds and those farang style pubs. Check the Chiang Mai online directory or one of the tourist magazines that come out regularly up there.

And please bear in mind the side issues as you visit them. Look here..

Or worse still they may only be used by missionaries !!

So don't forget to take a gun or blunt instrument just in case you do meet some of these delightful people.

Stick with the blunt instrument....