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Ethical Travel: Should You Visit Thailand’s Long Neck Women Villages?

Katie Foote

For some tourists, seeing the giraffe-like, long neck women Kayans may seem like just another stop on a Thailand adventure of a lifetime.

Many tourist agencies stop by these hill villages between jeep rides through snake-infested jungles and tours of elegant temples.

Visitors pile out for a quick photo opportunity with exotic-looking women before tour guides shuttle the group to the next destination.

Who are these women?

And should you support this controversial tourism attraction?

Who Are The Kayans?

Two decades ago, an intensifying civil war between Karenni separatists and the Burmese army caused Kayar residents to flee Myanmar.

Thailand granted the Kayan temporary stay under “conflict refugee” status.

Now, the 500 or so Kayans (also known as Padaung people) live in guarded villages on the northern Thai border.

Kayan woman weaving. Photo courtesy of beggs.

The tribe has a custom where some women wearing rings to create the appearance of a long neck.

This exotic tradition inspired the creation of tourism villages in 1985.

Some Padaung moved to these artificial hill tribe residencies with work permits to make a living on tourism.

Kayan child. Photo courtesy of archer10(Dennis).

But without citizenship, Kayans have limited access to utilities such as electricity, roads, health care and schools for education.

Furthermore, Thai authorities refuse to allow Kayans to resettle outside tourist villages, claiming they are economic migrants and not real refugees.

Silent Hopes! from Zin Video on Vimeo.

The Rings

Kayan long neck women wear the rings from childhood, starting with four or five, and adding more annually as they acclimate to the increased weight.

Coils weighing up to 25 pounds depress the chest and shoulders.

This creates the illusion of disembodied head hovering over a shimmering pedestal of gold rings.

Contrary to popular belief, the coils don’t lengthen the neck itself and thus can be removed without the neck snapping.

Yet, women still wear these coils year round with few exceptions, even while sleeping.

The origin of the tradition mystifies even the Kayans.

An ancient legend claims rings protected villagers from tiger attacks since the cats attack victims at the neck.

Another theory said the rings helped ward off men from rival tribes by lessening the women’s beauty.

Today, people believe the opposite — the longer their neck, the more beautiful the woman — and Kayans wear the golden coils as an accessory.

According to the Silent Hopes documentary (shown above), some women enjoy upholding this tradition but others feel pressured to endure the painful custom to make a living.

Human rights groups claim the refugee status exploits women who can’t find other work.

Kayan woman. Photo courtesy of beggs.

Hill Tribe Tourism

An estimated 40,000 tourists per year pay between $8-16 to stop by these hill tribe villages to gaze upon the women’s unusual appearance and take pictures.

Unfortunately, the entry fee is rarely dispensed to the villagers directly. Instead, neck-ring-wearing-women sell trinkets, crafts, and photo-ops, essentially working in a live-in gift shop.

Residents receive an allowance of food and toiletries and profit from handicraft sales, and women wearing brass rings earn an extra salary.

Village owners decrease wages if women discuss their plight with visitors or use anything modern, like cell phones or computers.

While some say the villages give Kayans a paid opportunity to retain their culture, others condemn this arrangement for exploiting stateless women and children in exchange for tourist dollars.

Although the ethics of this arrangement makes some travelers uncomfortable, each day, vanloads of curious foreigners still visit long neck villages.

Many foreign-run companies discourage these trips but most Thai-based companies don’t discriminate.

Over a half-dozen hill tribes exist in North Thailand and the Chiang Mai province.

Young Kayan artist. Photo courtesy of jurvetson.

Should You Go?

Can you justify ethical travel to these villages?

Yes, if you do your research.

Most women view tourist visits as a way to make a living since their non-resident status limits employment opportunities; however, sensationalizing dress, customs, and unique traditions of these people mean nothing if they are treated inhumanly.

If you chose to visit, follow these recommendations to make it a better experience:

 

 

 

The goal of travel shouldn’t be taking pictures of exotic things to brag about back home.

Travel is about forging relationships and making connections with people from different cultures.

Create a symbiotic relationship with locals by reaching out to find common ground with the people you met, instead of treating them as spectacles to exploit.

Ethica Thailand Tours

Want to take part in tours that benefit local people? Check out Lokal Travel’s positive impact excursions in Thailand. Some suggestions include:

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Katie Foote

Katie Foote may be a physicist by trade but she spent several years travelling the world as much as possible. After four years of semi-nomadic life, she spent a couple years in Auckland, New Zealand and recently moved to Vancouver, Canada. Despite living more traditionally, she has insight on how to travel the world on a graduate student budget (cheap!), explore off-the-beaten-path destinations and authentically experiencing new places by connecting to locals. When she's not doing physics or globe-trotting, she likes kickboxing, yoga and exploring her extraordinary new backyard of British Columbia.
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