Thailand: Long-necked tribe women live as pets to entertain tourists

Long-necked Kayan tribe girls from Myanmar come to Thailand and live in tourist villages like pets in a zoo to entertain visitors.

Long-necked women of the Kayan tribe in western Myanmar brought to Thailandhas long been a tourist attraction.However, some of them began to have the desire to return to their homeland.

76-year-old Monu currently lives in Kayah, Myanmar.

Wearing copper coils is a symbol of beauty in the Kayan tribe. Mu Par, one of the long-necked girls who came to Thailand to work as a tourist, dreams of the day when all the women of the tribe can return and attract tourists to Myanmar.

It has been years since the Kayan women were pushed across the border by poverty. They were brought to live in a Thai village that is designed for tourists. Many people liken it to a human "zoo".

Many have returned to the remote Panpet region in Kayah State, Myanmar, with plans to start a tourism business. Mu Par is no exception. She returned home a few months ago with the money she had saved from 14 years of working in tourism in Thailand. She now sells long-necked dolls, scarves and even brass bracelets at a handicraft market for tourists.

Mu Par has been in Thailand for many years and has now returned to Myanmar to work as a tourist for a few months.

Mu Par hopes to attract more tourists to Myanmar, enough to support her four children, aged 4 to 15. "In Myanmar, my children can go to school and I am also very happy to live with my loved ones," said Mu Par, 33.

Myanmar is now an attractive destination chosen by many tourists. The number of visitors has doubled in the past 5 years and this number promises to continue to increase.

Many areas in Kayah state have opened their doors to foreign visitors. Authorities hope the green hills and picturesque waterways will turn the area into a top tourist destination in the country.

Mu Par and her neighbors from Panpet worked together to build the handicraft market. They split the profits from the 5,000 kyat (about $4) entrance fee charged to each visitor. “If we can attract more tourists here, we want all the Kayan girls in Thailand to go home,” she said.

Kayan girls wear bracelets from the age of 5.

Kayan girls start wearing 10 rings around their necks from the age of 5, and add another ring every year until they reach adulthood. This makes their necks look like giraffes, causing pain as the rings press down on their shoulders and collarbones. An adult woman can wear up to 25 copper rings, weighing about 5 kg. Women can have the rings removed with the help of a specialist. Their shoulders and backs can return to normal depending on their age when the rings are removed.

Dozens of Kayan women and girls have lived in Thailand for years, earning about 3,000 baht ($80) a month in tourist villages. “Asking them to pose for photos for a fee is like treating them like animals in a zoo,” said Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, a Myanmar tourism official. “Instead, people can support them by buying the products they make, such as food, handicrafts and souvenirs.”

According to VNE