Last Updated on May 16, 2010 by Nancie
The site I use to produce the talking photos seems to be offline, so no talking photo this week.
This shot was taken at a “cultural village” just outside of Chiang Mai. The village is home to various tribes including the “Long Necks” or Karen Tribe. Tourists pay to see the hill tribes people, and the government claims that this village provides them with a “better life”. I say that it is probably a little better than being in a zoo, but not by much.
Admission is approximately 15.00 U.S. and the best way to get there is either a shared songthaw (the red trucks), or a private taxi. The price of the songthaw will depend on the number of people sharing. A private taxi will be around 15.00 U.S.
Should you decide to go, do take some time to talk to the people that you are photographing. The girls/women are not forced to wear the rings. Most do because it is part of their culture. BTW, they also wear the rings around their arms and legs.
5 responses to “Friday’s Talking Photo #12 – Karen Long Neck”
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I wonder how they installed the rings to the neck. Is it has an opening in the back side?
Hi Dina…………….It's like one of those adjustable rings 🙂
I saw the Long Necks when I was in Thailand several years ago. It was an interesting experience. Yeah, it kind of did feel like a zoo. They were really friendly though and I got to talk to many of them and take some good photos.
Hi Steve…………….Thanks for dropping by.
They were lovely, and very interesting to talk to. What I disliked were the number of people who simply snapped photos, but never even bothered to say as much as hello.