Akha is the name the Akha call themselves, but Thai people call them Ekaw, a name the Akha do not like. There is a people group called the Hani that is very closely related to the Akha living in the Red River Area in China, as well as another group in China known as Aini or Yani who also call themselves Akha.

Most of the Akha living in Thailand today migrated south from Yunnan province in China, or from Burma, sometime during the last 50 years. The majority of Akha people live outside Thailand: roughly 300,000 in Yunnan province, 200,000 in Kengtung state, Burma, with 70,000 and 60,000 in Thailand and Laos respectively.

Most of the Akha people in Thailand live in Chiang Rai province, not far from the office of MMF. In fact, if one were to rent a motorbike and ride north of Chiang Rai, pretty much any left-hand turn would take one up into the mountains and past multiple Akha villages. Some Akha also live in Chiang Mai, Lampang and Tak provinces.