Long Neck Village Visit Mae Hong Son

I spent two hours telling
> what each picture was and for some reason they didn't
> show up. One of lifes little unsolved mysteries. So I guess
> this is a good as it's going to get
>
>
> We had spent five days on the bike by this point so a boat
> trip sounded like a nice change. Met a really nice guide
> turns out he was from The Issan area just like us. Started
> there doign ack pack tours for five years. This was during
> the time when he airports were closed. So we had everything
> available to u and most the time at discount prices.
>
> The old lady in the photo, was the first person you run
> across. Yuo will see her photo on every brochure and even a
> really big one of her in the Opium Museum in Chaing Sean
> (those photos will get to you some day).
>
> There are photos of some young girls just starting in with
> the rings on the neck, they call them long necks but what
> really happens is it forces the shoulders and rib cage down.
> Not much fun. But, I guess you can used to anything
> especially if you want to beautiful in the eye of the
> beholder. I knew about the neck rings but not about the ones
> on the legs.
>
> These girls are expected to get married at 14, so probably
> not that unsual a hundred years ago even in our country.
> Interesting people they really have no country, they live on
> the border of Myramar and Thailand, no citzenship in either
> country.
>
> They are not Budhist they are Christian, so a Catholic and
> Protestant church in this tiny village. They have a school
> that goes to the six grade, the norm in the country
> area's here. They are required to learn four languages,
> Thai, Burmese English and the Karin Language.
>
> There are photos of some young ladies weaving thread by
> hand to waeve into cloth later. The weaving method was the
> same that I saw in the Philippines years ago. Long equipment
> sit up to the cealing and the weaver sits on the floor and
> just works away getting it done, Looks odd but it works and
> has for a few thousand years.
>
> A photo of a young baby just learning to walk, not a patch
> of level ground anywhere must be agile people. Got a shot a
> of some young kids playing by a hut, thinking kids are kid
> no matter where you go. Then I noticed the little turkeys
> were playing craps.
>
>
> From nine to ninety they sit on a bench and pat it as you
> walk by. Indicating for you sit down, when you do the
> selling begins. I had always been told you ahd to pay to
> take photos. I asked the guide, he said not to do that. That
> ha trinkets for sale and if you saw something you like they
> would be happy thar you bought something. Well having Poi
> along that was no problem.
>
> There are only two roads into the village, very narrow and
> the water supply runs across the secondary road. They had a
> socker field that was busy being used by the only cow in the
> village. They had pinned pigs and the usual chickens running
> around.
>
> At one point I got a photo of a young woman feeding her
> baby lunch, didn't notice it at the time. Didn't
> seem to bother her one bit. That was when the guide went
> into an explanation that he was really not to happy about.
> As you can see the ladies wear long skirts. Seems like when
> they have to pea they just stop standing up and do so
>
> We went by long tail boat used all around Thailand, they
> are good for both deep and shallow water. The prop can be
> raised and lowered by the helmsman to clear rocks and such.
> At this time of year the river is low so yuo go through some
> rapids. In the wet season it is about ten feet higher you
> will notice the houses are built on stilts.
>
> Well I can't think of much else at the moment sorry the
> explanation did come out on the photo, but this should be
> enough for you to get the idea. This is a way of life that
> will probably disappear in the future. Many of the young
> people leave the village after shcool to seek work in
> factories and they sure can do that with those rings on.
>
> Oh no roads to this village everything is delieved by boat,
> Other villages do have roads to them. Boat I wanted the boat
> ride LOL
>
> You woudl have goten the biggest kick out of this. When the
> lady at the tour office gave us a price she told me how much
> for Poi and then rather proudly double the price for me LOL
> I explained to her that I want a tourist thaat I lived here.
> Her response but you are a farrang (forigner)
>
> Hit the wrong button on me she took mine down to the Thai
> price.
>
> They were really nice people, they price wasn't bad. I
> told the lady when she see's a farrang and a Thai
> standing there she already knows the farrang is going to
> pay, just give them one price for the both of the, Don't
> talk about doubling the price unless she is asked.
>
> They really don't get it can you imagine telling a
> black person they had to pay twice a much to get into
> Disneyland, Having lived here in Udon for six years yuo
> rarely see that here. If it happens it's all over the
> foriegner community and that business won't be seeing
> many farrangs again.
>
> To be honest I expected it in the tourist area. But not
> that balantant LOL
>
> Enjoy

Have a problem with degenerative disks in neck (cervical) and went through OP therapy at AEK Udon which included a neck stretching traction device. It helped but expensive treatment to use on a permanent basis. Wonder if I can get the Karen folks to put some of those on my neck?

Thanks for the pictures and narrative, Git. A good one.

Looks like a nice day. What was the cost of the "tour?"

The cost was as I remember was 550 baht, for two people. It took a few hours so not bad.

We were not rushed at all. They picked us up with a nice van and drove us to the boats and then back as well. They also had a different village you go to in the van, these just seemed like moer fun to me.

Very heavy neck brace I would say, might want to go that route instead

Great pictures.
I was in Chiang Mai December 07 and had planned to get a flight to Mae Hong Son to visit Kayan village when we found a similar long neck village close by.
If I remember correctly , it started as a visit to an elephant training village and then there was to be a treck by elephant through the mountains to the village. It would have been a bit too much as we had children with us but then we found that you could drive directly to the village.
So this was the option we took and it was great. Seeing the environment in which they have lived for so long. Apparently there were a couple of different tribes there. The village had been established to get all the people together in one location as an obvious advantage for the tourist.

That entire area has a very different feel the Udon, makes for a really nice break I will be going back. I could stay busy five days in Mae Hong Son easily. Lots of short day rides that loop back into it. We stopped at both the major Wats in town. One has really nice museum. I'll be posting that later.

Definetly recommend the area for a visit.

Good pics....

Always wondered ...Do they ever take those rings off, or do they die with them on..?

They take them off everyday and clean them, actually a lot of work

Arrr thats something i learn't today....but are their necks strong enough and can they leave them off for a number of days/weeks with no problems...especially on the older women that have a lot or rings fitted.

The old lady with the rings on her neck looks ET.
Ouch!!!

hate to cast a dirty bucket of water on the "kayan long neck thing" but a few comments:

- a number of the "long neck villages" are Potemkin villages where a Thai businessman has imported kayan's from Burma for Tourist purposes. While they Kayan's aren't treated badly, they're stuck in the village and as non-thai citizens in Thailand are stuck under the thumb of the businessman that brought them in.

- so you've got an exploitation for business thing here.. I've seen various articles in the BKK Post over the years where at times the Kayan protested against their involuntary servitude only of course to be deported to their country of origin with the Thai businessman who brought them in let off scot free...

So, always take some of these "cultural" oddities with a grain of salt...

They look happy enough though.

You know I have read the articles as well. I saw Long necks in Cahing Rai and Cahing Mai a well.

But I will only speak as to this village. Their living conditions weer not that much different then what you see in rural Issan vilages. Difference they make money selling trinkets. I had always heard that you were supposed to pay to take photos of these people. We were told specifically not to do that.

We were there in the week of the Kings Birthday, so no students in the school. But the school was the nices building in the complex. I also noticed solar generating panel what they were for I have no idea.

I spoke with the Local mayor of the commi unity. He wa actually upset for two reaons. He wanted to see the community to maintain it's intergrity. Stop selling the trinkets and hit the fields. We were told that some do and some don't. He did complain that to many people we leaving the village for work in the big city an that a way of life would be lost. But there was no mention of stopping them from going. I was not there 24/7 so you may be correct I have no idea.

Children selling articles to be hhonest if they are in school when it operates I really have no objection. I worked after school and in the fileds on school breaks. Didn't harm me one bit. I have had hobby buisnesses in the states, my kids as they became old enough were there. I didn't need their help, but I wanted them to see and understand how important earning a living was and what it really meant. My ultimate goal was to get to stay in University. But, with a devoirce I was taken out of the picture and failed at that.

However, they did learn what work was and that it was not always fun.

The people overall seemed very healthy, happy have to a lot more then a few hours to see that. So no comment.

I do recall thinking about the politcs I had read about and thinking these people are bothering no one. It would be better if they were just left alone. Spoke to the guide about that a bit. He said that niether Myramar no Thailand wanted them. Sad really, I noticed that they did have the standard fishing equipment. Saw one man who appeared to be a very accomplished wood carver.

There were not a lot of men in the village during our visit. I asked about it, simple answer they were out working.

So I donlt doubt for a second that some taken adavantage of and as a matter of fact felt just that way in seeing those in Chaing Rai and Chaing Mai. But in the village I went to I didn't really see any evidence of that at all.

But, remember I was only about two Klms from the Myramar Border. That in itself could make a big difference in what you see.

I'm sure there are a lot of other examples of using these people as well. Just wasn't what I saw on this trip.

On to more fun things why they wear the rings:

Literally hundreds of stories of why they do this. In Opium Museum in Chain Saen it is posted that they wear them because of tiger attacks and preventing neck bites.

The guides story it was the way the men marked the women as their wives.

So I can't answer that

The rings themselves I wa told what they were made of but for the life I of me I can't recall waht material was used. I didnlt see the normal green dicloration that ould be left by copper, so maybe a bronze mixture. They reaonably pliable and split in the back with about a tow inch gap so not hard to remove.

I want everyone to understand I have a lot of respect for Frazeee and I am not disputing anything he said. Just describing what I saw in that village on that day.

git wrote:We were there in the week of the Kings Birthday, so no students in the school. But the school was the nices building in the complex. I also noticed solar generating panel what they were for I have no idea.

Noticed a sat dish on the education building. It's likely the solar panel is power for that and tv.(or pc)