Kayan Tribe Villages

Although many people have an ethical dilemma as to whether or not to visit one of the "Long Necked" Karen villages, the villages nevertheless remains one of the attractions for visitors to Mae Hong Son. Although referred to as "Long Necked Karens", the women are refugees from Karenni State, located west over the border from Mae Hong Son. In the Burmese language they are called Padaung, and in their language, they are called Kayan. The feeling that these villages are little more than "Human Zoos", is a real one, but rather than for us to condemn visits to these villages out of hand, it is better that every visitor decides for themselves. In recent years, the tremendous amount of adverse publicity appears to have had a positive effect on the distribution of entrance fees, previously largely pocketed by Thai middlemen. It is now thought that most of the ticket sales are divided between the political party that opposes Burmese control in the Karenni State, and the Thai Government, who use the money to support the ALL the Burmese refugee camps in Thailand. Others claim that all the entrance fees are retained by the village and that the Kayan girls receive 500 baht each month for wearing the rings and 1,500 baht when they reach adulthood by the camp administrators. It is one of the many imponderables of Thai life, and few know the truth of this matter. But if you bear in mind that there are more than 20,000 Burmese refugees in camps in Thailand, leading a very harsh and impoverished existence, you can see that the small number of Karens who are living in these so-called "human zoos" are much better off, and have a great deal of freedom. There is even the possibility of one-day becoming Thai citizens. Those who interview them find that they are very happy with their daily lives. They do not wish to return to war-torn Burma and have no desire to be sent to the refugee camps. But this may happen if the tourists stop visiting the villages. The choice to visit them is yours. There are three well established Kayan villages which are easily accessible from Mae Hong Son, namely: Huay Sua Tao, the most frequently visited, which is a 20-minute river trip or a 17km drive; Baan Sob Soi, which is a 25km drive, and Huay Phu Kaeng which is accessed via a 30-minute river trip. There are other villages further afield, but of the three mentioned above, Huay Sua Tao is the most visited, and Huay Phu Kaeng and Sob Soi are seeing an ever decreasing numbers of visitors. Only Huay Sua Tao charges an entrance fee, which is 250B. The village mainly consists of a street lined with vendors' stalls and shops where they sell their handicraft products - trinkets, bags, materials and, scarfs and other garments. It's actually a market, so is less invasive than in some villages where you walk amongst the private dwellings of the villagers. Here you can see the women working on looms in the shops behind the stalls, and you can even chat to some of them who have learnt a smattering of English through the years. You can pick up the rings and even put one that is cut in half around your neck to see how heavy it is. The real traditional necklaces are worn by the women almost permanently. To take these off takes hours. A polite request is all that is needed to take photos of the women. Trips to these villages can be organised through your guesthouse.