TRAVEL BLOG
Monday, March 17, 2008
Long Neck Women - Chiang Mai
Location: Chiang Mai Province - Thailand Date: 7 Feb 2008
The long neck women are from Burma/Myanmar but many live as refugees in Thailand. The long neck women are known as Padaung, a sub-group of the Karen tribe.
Long Neck Woman
The Karen tribe villages are near the Thai-Myanmar border, but there are also "villages" near Chiang Mai. I say "villages" as they are really just market stalls set up for the benefit of tours from Chiang Mai.
Long Neck Market Village
Opinion is divided on these tours. Some say it is a like a human zoo, while others say that the money raised in the markets is money that these tribes wouldn't have otherwise got.
My conscience wasn't helped by a story about the plight of the long neck women that was continually aired on BBC World the week I was there.
It seemed to me though that both the tourists and the tribe are willing participants in this bizarre tour.
Long Neck Woman Weaving
Long Neck Child
Long Neck Girl
The long neck women are from Burma/Myanmar but many live as refugees in Thailand. The long neck women are known as Padaung, a sub-group of the Karen tribe.
Long Neck Woman
The Karen tribe villages are near the Thai-Myanmar border, but there are also "villages" near Chiang Mai. I say "villages" as they are really just market stalls set up for the benefit of tours from Chiang Mai.
Long Neck Market Village
Opinion is divided on these tours. Some say it is a like a human zoo, while others say that the money raised in the markets is money that these tribes wouldn't have otherwise got.
My conscience wasn't helped by a story about the plight of the long neck women that was continually aired on BBC World the week I was there.
It seemed to me though that both the tourists and the tribe are willing participants in this bizarre tour.
Long Neck Woman Weaving
Long Neck Child
Long Neck Girl
Labels: chiang mai, long neck women, thailand
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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