I grew up watching documentaries about the Long Neck Karen Tribe. Never did I ever imagine that one day I would actually visit one of the villages and see this lovely tribe in person. The long neck tribe is famous as the women wear brass coils around their neck.
These villages are found between Chiang Mai and The Golden Triangle. It is 300-500 Bhat for a tour of this village. Many of the Karen tribe actually reside in Burma, though some fled to Thailand as refugees, to escape the conflict in Burma. Their only source of income is through Tourism and handmade goods.
The brass neck rings weigh around 4.5 Kgs and they can have up to an additional 30 pounds of rings that they wear on their arms and legs. There are many reasons why they wear them.
Apparently, neck rings prevented bites from tigers and the women themselves say it is to distinguish their cultural identity.
This tribe is hard working and just want to earn their daily income to educate their children and support their families. Hopefully someday, when the situation gets better for them, they can return to their homeland again.