Chances are you’ve seen these women before. They are known as the long neck women, the giraffe women, the Kayan Lahwi women, and the Padaung women - but they prefer to be called “Kayan”.
Some believe the rings began as a sign of beauty and wealth, others believe they served as protection, but the Kayan women simply say it is tradition.
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They are not forced to wear the rings, and many women choose not to follow the tradition, but those that do generally start at a young age.
I read that several years back there was a decline in the amount of women that chose to wear the rings, but as their tribe began to be dependent on the profits of tourism, more women chose to partake in the ring wearing to attract more tourists. This made me think about how the meaning behind this ancient cultural tradition has shifted.
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As a tourist, you have to pay to visit their village, but none of that money actually goes to the tribe - the women make their money from selling their traditional handmade crafts and posing for photos.
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I’ve read people online telling others not to go visit their village because of the corrupt practices and the exploitation, but the reality is, these women survive off of people coming to visit them. The Kayan women want to survive by selling their crafts, they want people to visit them and they enjoy sharing their traditions and culture with new people.
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Since covid has shut down Thailand’s tourist industry, these women have been forced to return back to Myanmar where there is only minimal farm work available, many taking a huge pay cut if getting paid at all. Many hope to return to Thailand once tourism opens back up, but as with the rest of the world, it will take time.
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I’m sharing their story, just to share their story, and maybe give a simple reminder to look outside of ourselves. Not in a “you could have it much worse” type of way, but more of a, “we’re all humans on this water rock doing the best we can with what we’ve been given” type of way. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes, don’t jump to conclusions, don’t judge, tell stories, widen people’s world views, and help others when you can💗
Some believe the rings began as a sign of beauty and wealth, others believe they served as protection, but the Kayan women simply say it is tradition.
.
They are not forced to wear the rings, and many women choose not to follow the tradition, but those that do generally start at a young age.
I read that several years back there was a decline in the amount of women that chose to wear the rings, but as their tribe began to be dependent on the profits of tourism, more women chose to partake in the ring wearing to attract more tourists. This made me think about how the meaning behind this ancient cultural tradition has shifted.
.
As a tourist, you have to pay to visit their village, but none of that money actually goes to the tribe - the women make their money from selling their traditional handmade crafts and posing for photos.
.
I’ve read people online telling others not to go visit their village because of the corrupt practices and the exploitation, but the reality is, these women survive off of people coming to visit them. The Kayan women want to survive by selling their crafts, they want people to visit them and they enjoy sharing their traditions and culture with new people.
.
Since covid has shut down Thailand’s tourist industry, these women have been forced to return back to Myanmar where there is only minimal farm work available, many taking a huge pay cut if getting paid at all. Many hope to return to Thailand once tourism opens back up, but as with the rest of the world, it will take time.
.
I’m sharing their story, just to share their story, and maybe give a simple reminder to look outside of ourselves. Not in a “you could have it much worse” type of way, but more of a, “we’re all humans on this water rock doing the best we can with what we’ve been given” type of way. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes, don’t jump to conclusions, don’t judge, tell stories, widen people’s world views, and help others when you can💗