There are certain places I recommend not to visit. The main one being to see the Paduang Long Neck Karen. This is one of the worst forms of tourism in Thailand. Any tour operator who does this tour has no consideration for the culture or the Karen People. Here is the real story.
The original custom is that only a girl born on a Wednesday during a full moon could wear the rings around her neck. Now because of the large number of tourists visiting these villages all the girls are wearing the rings as it is big money. A Photograph of 1 girls is as much as 500 baht.
Not only that but the villagers are kept in a compound surrounded by high walls so no one can see in. They are not allowed out of the camp so everyone just sits around waiting for the tourists. It costs at least 250 baht to get into the village which most goes to the tour operator.
Villagers have died in these compounds. These people deserve more than this. Here is a short article from the Nation newspaper on the seriousness of the problem.
MAE HONG SON- A provincial court in Mae Hong Son yesterday opened the trial of two Thai men on charges relating to the detention and death of a
long necked ethnic Padaung women, who, along with over 30 others of the same ethnicity ,was trafficked into Thailand from Burma two years ago.
Paduang- commonly known here as the long-necked hill people because the women normally wear brass necklaces,the number of which increases over the years-has been a strong tourist attraction in Mae Hong Son.
The group of detained Padaung had been lured and trafficked from their home village in northeastern Burma into Thailand by a Thai Karen agent, who had pledged to take them to visit their relatives in Mae Hong Son.
According to the rescued Padaung, the woman, a mother of two, died of exhaustion and heartbreak as she had been long separated from her children who remained in Burma.
Please boycott any agency that wants to take you to see the Paduang Long Neck Karen.
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Alternative: A better alternative is visit a real hill tribe village. Many wonderful hill tribe villages can be accessed by vehicle or long tail boat instead of trekking. If your up for a good hike then trekking is for you.
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on Jul 22, 2005
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