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Home » Reader question » Reader question: To go or not to the “Long Necks” in Chiang Mai?
Reader question: To go or not to the “Long Necks” in Chiang Mai?
Dear readers,
We will be in Chiang Mai in two weeks and want to visit the “Long Necks” population group. Now I have read that this is maintained for the tourists. Who knows if that's true, because then we won't go there.
We are in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai for two weeks, any good tips and ideas?
With kind regards,
Joke
Do not go! It is even more artificial than Volendam, it is monkey-watching of a low grade. This just needs to die out. If you go there, you participate in that fuss.
Isn't this a bit of a stretch? It is true that it is artificial, but are we also going to close the open-air museum in Arnhem or Bokrijk? Or ban all clogs in Volendam? Or maybe ban dirndls in Austria? There is still a lot of fuss here with us.
If it is clear that it is a museum, then you know what to expect. If it is not a museum, then you also know that the intention is merely to stay alive, perhaps. Every right-thinking person can decide for themselves how the fork fits the stem.
Volendam and Bokrijk are not comparable, are they? These are women who are physically disfigured for the sake of the tourist.
But this is my personal opinion…..
We've been there, sat on the tour, but we thought it was sad, like those women walking around there, not seen one who was happy, as far as we're concerned, don't go, but on the other hand, the people there will getting a certain fee to be able to live on it, it's double, do what your gut tells you.
Oh well, it's fun and photogenic…
What else is original in the world…we prefer to be live between the Gorillas or something.
I've been to such a place near Chiang Rai, where they had 1 different tribes in 6 place
with their typical clothing, music, etc., very handy
In the hills against Burma you will still meet Karen, longnecks.
And for these people, just like so many other tourist attractions, it is also just income, nothing wrong with that.
I personally try to avoid the attractions with native animals, so monks with tigers, snakes, baby elephants in BKK….
Do not go there. It's dying time and super touristy.
The Karen in Thailand live in the lowlands as well as in the mountains of the provinces of Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son and Chiang Rai. The Padaung in particular are known for wearing copper rings around the neck, which makes the neck appear much longer. In reality, the rings push the shoulders down. Stretching the neck is physically impossible.
Nowadays, parents force their children to wear these rings again. This is not only to keep the tradition alive, but above all to secure the income from tourism.
Furthermore, the attitude of the Thai government towards this group is quite controversial. They would be stateless and more or less forced by the Thai government not to leave their village. Families whose wife or daughter wears the rings receive a small allowance from the government to maintain tourism in the relevant places. The UNHCR (United Nations High Commission of Refugees) has even advised against visiting those 'human zoos' of longnecks. According to this organization, there is exploitation. Wearing the rings is disastrous for health, especially for young girls. Tourists would therefore do better to ignore this controversial 'attraction'.
We went there last November. Pile of misery, some tribes hang on your wallet and others look so sad that I get the feeling that those people act like slaves.
I have also been there to see for myself what they warned me about and they were absolutely right; watching monkeys!
Unfortunately all too true also TIT
Advise anyone not to visit this tribe and I can scrape it out of all trips.
If there are no more tourists, these people will no longer have an income!! Join in if you want!!
No, Margo, that's a fallacy. If tourists keep coming, there is no incentive to look for alternatives, either by the Karen community or by the government. The stacking of the rings pushes the shoulders down, causing the chest to grow together. So you're talking about willful mutilation that only happens to girls, starting at a young age.
Besides: you don't walk with too many rings around your neck to attract tourists. You think of other options for that. For example walking on wooden shoes that are custom made! Well, do whatever you want with it!
Women have no choice in this… are forced!
Money is for the men….who buy booze for it!!!
Again different opinions about the longnecks. It's just the way you want to view it. As a tourist attraction, as culture or as income. I also come there regularly and see it positively. You also come across them in the border region and then it is not only for profit but also as a culture. According to Gerard and Cor it is super expensive and touristy. Why touristy? They also came as tourists. Why expensive? 400 bath. That's not a lot of money for an "attraction" is it? People, the clogs and tulips will also remain, as will the Zeeland caps. I don't think it's fun to wear it...
Dear Ger, those rings around the neck of those women cause serious deformities. So a comparison with Zeeland hoods is rather flawed.
Actually you shouldn't go, but who am I? I've been there too and even though it's monkey watching, it's true that when we were there we bought different things there and those people also benefit from that, it's their source of income.
Because what if no one comes anymore who will help these people, it is very easy to say let them die out.
Wearing those rings is dangerous I've been told, it's not that the neck gets longer but the collar bone is compressed, and it seems that if they take those rings off they can break their neck.
They are not rings but a piece that is twisted several times around the neck. Sometimes it goes off and then one is back to normal.” I have not yet been able to detect any deformities, but then I am not a doctor.
I have not brought in the Zeeland caps to compare these. Just say I don't think it's fun to wear these. Have no experience with it, but there are also few who have experience wearing the copper rings. I did talk to women who wore them and didn't think it was a problem, they didn't suffer from it. It made them money...
If you want to give your opinion, it must of course correspond to reality.
Sad that some people are so naive in their statements.
These people desperately need the money because they are not very popular in Thailand among the Thai people and have no rights there at all.
There used to be special villages far away and there had to be one
few hundred baht entrance fee to be paid.
Nowadays there are also fake villages around Chiang mai.
A visit to this is often an integral part of a day trip.
You see the Longneck women and young girls and are allowed to take pictures.
They hope that you will buy their souvenirs in return. I've done it a few times.
I have mixed feelings about it, but I also have about the elephant treks
the snake farm. Where are the boundaries?
Do not go…. watching monkeys!
It is of course not the case that these people wear ring or rings just for tourism, because it is mainly the culture of this people that has existed for more than a thousand years.
In answer to your question, this stuff is officially maintained and encouraged by the Thai government. The aim is to earn money that ends up, for the most part, with this government. This population group lives in poverty, their daily wage is very low, lower than the minimum Thai now receives. There is a conscious search in Myanmar for the more beautiful daughters and sometimes also their mother, then put to work in Thailand in a landscaped village. My interviews with these women (who, by the way, are guarded by a Thai kind of camp guard) must be done with some care and inconspicuously. The younger girls are abused by the young Thai, there is resistance, but not aloud, wearing the rings, both the neck and the legs, can be painful. At my request, girls have bared their shoulders and there are clear marks of deep dark spots, bruising. They have a harrowing existence, but it is paid and better than people generally receive in Myanmar. Incidentally, the political situation in Myanmar has recently started to improve in general, which will benefit the population. Possibly this population group as well in the longer term.
If you go to pai a little beyond living in a camp long necks and some other refugees, hardly any foreigners come here and the last time they were there they were very friendly, and it was certainly not expensive. You just have to enter your name write a book before entering the village. So just go.
marcel
What I always find amusing here is the number of people who 'know', 'don't go', 'tourist' and more of those euformisms.
But they have all been there themselves and looked at it, and not already turned around at the entrance and left.
Perhaps unnecessarily, Thailand is and was for most Dutch people, even those who now come more often or even live there, a….tourist destination…..yes crazy isn't it
You're not going to look at the mutilation of girls / women, are you? If you call it culture or you earn money with it, then it is apparently allowed. There isn't a village where you go to see circumcised women, is there?
I've been coming to Chiang Mai for years, but I avoid female mutilation, drugged tigers and riding on elephants (with their weak backs). There are alternatives for everything, such as the Elephant Nature Park or the fun and interesting Elephant Poo Poo Park (near Tiger Kingdom).
Thanks for all the responses. Clear to us, we are definitely not going there!!
Regards, Joke
Dear Joke,
There are beautiful treks to real hill tribe villages in the north with homestay. Beautiful nature and very nice people.
Well done! If you still want to see it, check YouTube
Chaing Mai and Chinag Rai are both nice places. If you have accommodation in the old town, almost everything is within walking distance. Only the night markets are outside this area, but fun to do.
Furthermore, there are very nice wat's.
We had bicycles in Chiang Mai, very nice and you can go a bit further away, but the tuktuk will also take you everywhere.
In Chiang Rai we experienced the Sunday market, nice many people who live in the mountains come with their stuff.
I don't know if the Longnecks are being maintained for tourism, but that could well be the case. I have been there and found it impressive, and received an explanation as to why. The ames choose it themselves, they don't have to do it. Of course they make money because we come, but otherwise they wouldn't have that income.
People also go to see the elephants, we didn't do that. I understand that there are travel organizations that have removed this from their program.
Would definitely go there is part of the culture of Thailand! People are very friendly and yes watching monkeys is impressive!!
visited a few….and there are good and less good ones, but I wouldn't advise against it.And the better day trips include quite a nice visit to longnecks….(and pattaya is also artificially kept alive by the tourists…..thai culture, isn't it).I have not regretted it.
Mae Hong Son, 12 years ago we were able to discover this Burmese (Karen people) population group, there was not much tourism to be seen, the women were very busy shaping all kinds of clothing, scarves, etc. on the wooden looms, despite the limitation of the copper rings on neck and legs.
Was a pleasant discovery.
Watching monkeys ?
In Walking Street (P) you can see many more Dutch people with long necks 🙂
Hallo,
I was in Thailand in late October and November and spent 3 days in Pai, about 180 km from the Karen tribe.
The trip was worth a nice day trip but tiring. Beautiful natural landscapes along the way and the Longnecks were friendly. We were walking around alone with five. Of course it is commercial because you are expected to buy something: homemade clothing and scarves or knick-knacks. you can visit their village etc… and take pictures with them. You also pay in advance to enter their village. I thought about 500 tHB. Oh well, you see something and it's different, isn't it?
If you do Chiang Mai you should definitely do a day trip to Doi Suthep. THE EFFORT !!! I did that myself with a scooter: super cool and oh so fast !!!
Sawasdee Khap!
I don't see anywhere on the site that refers to Ban Tawai
Handicraft village located south of Chiang Mai near Hang Dong.
Well worth a visit and you can buy really nice souvenirs.
Yes Dheng there is no reference to Ban Tawai. Not because it's not nice there, but it has nothing to do with longnecks. There are so many places in Thailand that are beautiful. The question is, whether or not to the longnecks? Thailand is touristy with all the trimmings. From Temples to Mountain Peoples. From longnecks to elephants and crocodile farms. it is up to everyone to make a choice where they want to go.
However, I am of the opinion that an opinion forced upon you (not to go, for example) is not an opinion.
I made the choice to go to the longnecks. As well as the elephant parks, handicraft villages, etc. I like Thailand in all its touristic ways.
Personally, I would ignore these kinds of 'attractions', having seen on YouTube how they 'break' a baby elephant in a cramped wooden cage, hitting it in the head with hooks.
Anyway this is personal and also realize that 15 million pigs are kept in NL that are parked as meat. As long as this is an economy it will never go away.
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