Ahka woman—Diverse ethnic groups such as the Akha, Palaung, Lahu, Wa, Tai Kuen, Tai as well as Shan live in Kengtung and the surrounding area and travel to town to visit the market and exchange goods. Kengtung is the center of the Kung minority group which makes a large part of the town’s population. The entire region was once closely tied to the Lanna Kingdom based around Chiang Mai in northern Thailand and there are many similarities between the two peoples today.