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Thailand: The Kayan in Limbo

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At the age of 5, Ma Nay, now 32 years old, was “dressed” with her first brass spiral which was shaped around her neck to form a series of rings. Her necklace was modified over the years until she was 20 years. It is these brass spiral necklaces that have made famous the women of the Kayan ethnic group, better known as the “Long Neck Women”.
The village of Huai Pu Kaeng was for many years a tourist hotspot in the Mae Hong Son region in northwest Thailand, but since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the flow of tourists has been reduced to a trickle. At the entrance to the village, Mu Ko, 25, waits desperately for tourists.
Using thin bamboo sticks, Mu La weaves teak leaves called “Tong Tueng”. This assembly of leaves will then be sold to Thai farmers, who use them to build their shelters in the fields. While tourism money has dried up since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, even if this activity is not very lucrative (2 baht per unit), it still does generate income.
The wrinkles of 58-year-old Mu La's skilled hands are like the lines of the teak leaves she weaves into bamboo sticks.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mu Kle, 67, does not leave her house much except for her morning walk around the village. The oldest woman in Huai Pu Kaeng, whose head seems to float above her metal rings, prefers to save her strength in case tourists come to the village.
Under her wooden house built on stilts, while a Thai B-movie is played on her phone, Lei Ka, from the Kayaw ethnic group, makes thin bamboo sticks that will be used to weave teak leaves. In Huay Pu Keng, 3 families of the Kayaw ethnic group live alongside the Kayan. Unlike the Kayan, the Kayaw women do not wear rings around their necks, but rather large silver rings in the lobes of their ears. They both come from the Kayah state in Myanmar, which they fled to escape the civil war and the bloody repression in the 1980s and 1990s. These two ethnic groups would not live together in their home country. Here in Thailand - because of their unusual appearance - the Kayaw have been settled in Huai Pu Kaeng alongside the Kayan.
“It is important to know that spirals prevent many gestures and positions. They cause injuries and burns. It would be impossible for me to play with my daughter as I do while wearing the collar”. Like most of Kayan new generation, Ma Nay’s daughter and granddaughter no longer wear the brass necklaces, which are considered too constricting and, above all, too differentiating among the Thai population.
“I don't see why I should wear this collar. It is very painful and terribly uncomfortable. It takes a long time to get used to it. At the beginning, even the simplest movements are made difficult by the collar: sleeping, eating, moving around, not to mention bathing! I used to help my family by wearing it. It was an income generator. Now that there are no more tourists, I have decided to take it off permanently. Moreover, I want to work in the city like my brothers, and I don't want to be seen as different.” says 22-year-old Christina, who removed her 15 rings two years ago.
While waiting for the tourists to return, Mu Lay, 28, when not busy with her various daily duties, spends most of her time in front of her phone scrolling videos on TikTok app.
Ma Pang, 38, is a very fashionable woman. She is always very careful about the way she dresses and wears make-up. For her, the jewel she wears around her neck is a real sign of beauty. Her favorite thing to do is to watch videos on TikTok. For this, she sits at the entrance of the village where the internet connection is the best.
Bordered by the river and the forest, the village of Huay Pu Keng appears as a territorial unit enclosed by natural barriers. Despite the massive flow of visitors for many years, its inhabitants have always lived in relative isolation.
The village of Huai Pu Kaeng was for many years a tourist hotspot in the Mae Hong Son region in northwest Thailand. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, up to 250 tourists a day could walk down the village’s single paved street. Today, at certain moments of the day, the village looks more like a ghost town.
A little way from the village, an imposing church stands in the middle of the lush vegetation. The church building is the evidence of the various waves of Catholic evangelization in the Kayan homeland over the last century. Although the size of the building would suggest that the entire village community is Catholic, there are many beliefs in the village: Buddhism, Protestantism or animism, or a bit of everything at the same time and in varying degrees.
A little way from the village, an imposing church stands in the middle of the lush vegetation. The church building is the evidence of the various waves of Catholic evangelization in the Kayan homeland over the last century. Although the size of the building would suggest that the entire village community is Catholic, there are many beliefs in the village: Buddhism, Protestantism or animism, or a bit of everything at the same time and in varying degrees.
Usually, Sundays are mass days for the Catholic community in Huai Pu Kaeng village. But since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the priest no longer comes to celebrate it. Nevertheless, every Sunday morning, some inhabitants come to read the Bible and pray in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary, which stands in front of the church.
Usually, Sundays are mass days for the Catholic community in Huai Pu Kaeng village. But since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the priest no longer comes to celebrate it. Nevertheless, every Sunday morning, some inhabitants come to read the Bible and pray in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary, which stands in front of the church.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, many women in Huai Pu Kaeng village have returned to the fields. What used to be an activity to produce an economic supplement has now become a necessity. After years being seated in front of their doors and posing for photos, the forced return to agricultural activities is not easy, especially for the Long Neck Women. Here, under a blazing sun, in the few scattered fields around the village, Mu Tae harvests beans and bananas.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, many women in Huai Pu Kaeng village have returned to the fields. What used to be an activity to produce an economic supplement has now become a necessity. After years being seated in front of their doors and posing for photos, the forced return to agricultural activities is not easy, especially for the Long Neck Women. Here, under a blazing sun, in the few scattered fields around the village, Mu Tae harvests beans and bananas.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, many women in Huai Pu Kaeng village have returned to the fields. What used to be an activity to produce an economic supplement has now become a necessity. After years being seated in front of their doors and posing for photos, the forced return to agricultural activities is not easy, especially for the Long Neck Women. Here, under a blazing sun, in the few scattered fields around the village, Mu Tae harvests beans and bananas.
In addition to their work in the fields, the women of Huai Pu Kaeng collect different leaves, herbs and plants rich in vitamins to supplement their diet by incorporating them as a condiment in soups or salads for example.
In addition to their work in the fields, the women of Huai Pu Kaeng collect different leaves, herbs and plants rich in vitamins to supplement their diet by incorporating them as a condiment in soups or salads for example.
After her morning leaves collect in the surrounding forest, Ma Nay returns to the village. Her head having become very heavy because of the brass rings around her neck, the spirals she wears around her ankles and knees allow her to weigh down the base of her body and thus keep her balance better.
Fishing river shells. With the help of a mask, Mu Tae and Mu Toe look for the shells under the stones at the bottom of the water.
Fishing river shells. With the help of a mask, Mu Tae and Mu Toe look for the shells under the stones at the bottom of the water.
Fishing river shells. With the help of a mask, Mu Tae and Mu Toe look for the shells under the stones at the bottom of the water.
In the morning mist of the Pai River, before pulling up his fishing nets, So Prang drops Rosa and Christina off at the edge of the forest for their daily picking activities.
Even if the tourists no longer come to Huai Pu Kaeng, the Kayan have not lost their habit of getting up at dawn. The whole village is awake as early as 5 am. Before starting her daily tasks, Mu Tae likes to check her phone because this is the time when the network is the best.
Although the fishing is not very fruitful in this season, every morning, So Prang comes to take up his fishing nets left the evening before.
Although the fishing is not very fruitful in this season, every morning, So Prang comes to take up his fishing nets left the evening before.
Although the fishing is not very fruitful in this season, every morning, So Prang comes to take up his fishing nets left the evening before.
Although the fishing is not very fruitful in this season, every morning, So Prang comes to take up his fishing nets left the evening before.
Back in the village, So Prang eviscerates the fish caught in his nets. The small booty will be eaten by his family and relatives during the day.
When he is not hunting, So Mon goes to the forest to collect wood.
While since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, most of the men have left Huay Pu Keng to work in the surrounding villages as farmers, those who have stayed, when they are not fishing, hunting, or collecting wood, spend their days chewing betel nuts, a stimulating and mildly euphoric nut commonly consumed in their native country: Myanmar.
The images of the Kayan women and their metal ornaments around their necks have been seen around the world and have become icons of Northern Thailand tourism. Here, the teacher of the village’s only school, which was close due to Coronavirus restrictions, looks after his son in front of the iconic photo of his deceased mother.
As the only school in Huai Pu Kaeng has been closed due to Coronavirus restrictions, Mu La’s granddaughter spends her days with her grandmother. While Mu La weaves the leaves of ‘Tong Tueng’, the little girl watches videos on her father’s mobile phone.
Mu Kay, 26, her cheeks covered in “Tanaka”, a plant that leaves a white make-up and acts as sun protection, is speaking over the phone with her husband. Since the beginning of the pandemic, like most of the men of the village, her husband went to work as a farmer about 50 kilometers from Huai Pu Kaeng.
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, while the majority of the men went to work in the surrounding villages as agricultural workers, the women of Huai Pu Kaeng must also take care of the children and grandchildren, as well as all the daily work and household tasks. Today, as in the past, they are the ones who carry the community at arm’s length.
Like most young people in Huai Pu Kaeng, Bu Mi's daughter and son-in-law, from the Kayaw ethnic group, preferred to leave the village and go to the city in the hope of finding work and a different way of life. She is now the one who takes care the most of her granddaughter.
Only few young people, like these two young men in the middle of a hairdressing session, have remained in the village since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic. Most of the young Kayan have preferred to leave Huai Pu Kaeng to work in cities. Many of them had already made this choice before the outbreak of the pandemic. Although many Kayan had no official documents to leave their village for years, many have now received full Thai citizenship or ID cards that allow them to move and work freely within the country.
While above her is a picture of a bygone era when she was still wearing the brass spiral necklace around her neck, Christina, 22, has decided to stay in the village a little longer to help her parents but plans to go to the city and become a nurse.
Memories of a life in the depths of a time punctuated by tourist activities in which she played her role as an extra for tourists in need of exoticism, Mu Tae preciously keeps her photos which remind her of her former life where money was easy to earn while waiting for tourists.
Mu Bu checks her blood pressure before being injected with the third dose of the vaccine. After two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, the third injection of the long-awaited vaccine from the American firm Pfizer is seen as an opportunity to reopen their village to mass tourism and a return to life as it was before.
Mu Tae prepares her vaccination certificate, impatient to have the proof of her third dose with the serum of the American pharmaceutical company. After two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, the third injection of the long-awaited vaccine from the American firm Pfizer is seen as an opportunity to reopen their village to mass tourism and a return to life as it was before.
The team of nurses in charge of the vaccination campaign in the village prepares the syringes for the messenger RNA vaccine. After two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, the third injection of the long-awaited vaccine from the American firm Pfizer is seen as an opportunity to reopen their village to mass tourism and a return to life as it was before.
Mu Lay is injected with the third dose of the SARS-CoV-2 Pfizer vaccine.
Mu Kle is injected with the third dose of the SARS-CoV-2 Pfizer vaccine.
Mu Bu is injected with the third dose of the SARS-CoV-2 Pfizer vaccine.
After accompanying the medical team back to the shore, Mu Tae, her cotton ball still at the injection site of the anti-Covid vaccine, goes back to her duties.
After being vaccinated, Mu To and Mu La cannot just go home and rest. They still have to feed the pigs and take care of the various daily tasks.
Wooden statues of “Long Neck Women” in the village of Huay Pu Keng.
A Polish tourist couple, eager to see the elongated, brass-rimmed necks of the Huay Pu Keng iconic inhabitants. Since the Thai kingdom has relaxed its entry restrictions, small groups of tourists have been showing up again. However, the golden age of tourism in the village of Huai Pu Kaeng seems to be over. It is probably a necessary step for the Kayan women, who after arriving in Thailand as refugees, and after becoming the flattering stamp of a conquering tourism, will have to adapt once again to a new reality.
A group of tourists in Huay Pu Keng village. Since the Thai kingdom has relaxed its entry restrictions, small groups of tourists have been showing up again. However, the golden age of tourism in the village of Huai Pu Kaeng seems to be over. It is probably a necessary step for the Kayan women, who after arriving in Thailand as refugees, and after becoming the flattering stamp of a conquering tourism, will have to adapt once again to a new reality.
An American tourist pays Mu Ko for the souvenirs she has just bought. Since the Thai kingdom has relaxed its entry restrictions, small groups of tourists have been showing up again. However, the golden age of tourism in the village of Huai Pu Kaeng seems to be over. It is probably a necessary step for the Kayan women, who after arriving in Thailand as refugees, and after becoming the flattering stamp of a conquering tourism, will have to adapt once again to a new reality.
An American tourist taking a picture of Mu Ko in front of her souvenir shop. Since the Thai kingdom has relaxed its entry restrictions, small groups of tourists have been showing up again. However, the golden age of tourism in the village of Huai Pu Kaeng seems to be over. It is probably a necessary step for the Kayan women, who after arriving in Thailand as refugees, and after becoming the flattering stamp of a conquering tourism, will have to adapt once again to a new reality.
Mu La takes a selfie with an American tourist. What was part of her daily routine before the Covid-19 pandemic has become a rare event due to the limited number of tourists visiting the village. Since the Thai kingdom has relaxed its entry restrictions, small groups of tourists have been showing up again. However, the golden age of tourism in the village of Huai Pu Kaeng seems to be over. It is probably a necessary step for the Kayan women, who after arriving in Thailand as refugees, and after becoming the flattering stamp of a conquering tourism, will have to adapt once again to a new reality.
A Slovakian tourist couple in front of Ma Pang's souvenir shop. Since the Thai kingdom has relaxed its entry restrictions, small groups of tourists have been showing up again. However, the golden age of tourism in the village of Huai Pu Kaeng seems to be over. It is probably a necessary step for the Kayan women, who after arriving in Thailand as refugees, and after becoming the flattering stamp of a conquering tourism, will have to adapt once again to a new reality.
A Slovak tourist takes a video of Ma Pang weaving a traditional Kayan scarf. Since the Thai kingdom has relaxed its entry restrictions, small groups of tourists have been showing up again. However, the golden age of tourism in the village of Huai Pu Kaeng seems to be over. It is probably a necessary step for the Kayan women, who after arriving in Thailand as refugees, and after becoming the flattering stamp of a conquering tourism, will have to adapt once again to a new reality.
A group of Thai tourists posing for a photo with Mu Kle. Since the Thai kingdom has relaxed its entry restrictions, small groups of tourists have been showing up again. However, the golden age of tourism in the village of Huai Pu Kaeng seems to be over. It is probably a necessary step for the Kayan women, who after arriving in Thailand as refugees, and after becoming the flattering stamp of a conquering tourism, will have to adapt once again to a new reality.
Although they enjoy strolling the aisles of Mae Hong Son’s shops, the long-necked women know that their unusual appearance does not allow them to move as freely as they would like. It is one reason why the new generations see their future awayfrom the stigma of Kayan culture.
Although they enjoy strolling the aisles of Mae Hong Son’s shops, the long-necked women know that their unusual appearance does not allow them to move as freely as they would like. It is one reason why the new generations see their future awayfrom the stigma of Kayan culture.
Although they enjoy strolling the aisles of Mae Hong Son’s shops, the long-necked women know that their unusual appearance does not allow them to move as freely as they would like. It is one reason why the new generations see their future awayfrom the stigma of Kayan culture.
Since she was forced to go back to the fields, Ma Nay has been suffering from muscle pain. She takes advantage of her trip to the city to buy painkillers at a pharmacy.
Since she was forced to go back to the fields, Ma Nay has been suffering from muscle pain. She takes advantage of her trip to the city to buy painkillers at a pharmacy.
Having for years been presented by tour operators as exotic and unusual in their so-called “ethnic” villages created especially for them, it is now difficult for the Long Neck Women to go unnoticed. It is not unusual for them to be asked to pose for a selfie.
For the 11 women of Huai Pu Kaeng who still wear the metal spiral necklaces, their life based on the picturesque appearance to attract tourists has always seemed to be an evil for a good. However, with the pandemic and tourism money drying up, Mu Bu wonders about her future and that of her people.
Contrary to Huay Pu Keng, the entrance of Huay Sua Tao, Thailand's most visited “Long Neck Village” with its two statues of “Long Neck Village”, looks more like the entrance to an amusement park than a village. It is this type of place that many organisations, including the UNHCR, have urged tourists to stop visiting,describing them as “ethnic theme parks” or “human zoos” in which Kayan people with their necks bound in brass rings are presented as human tourist attractions.
On arrival at Huay Sua Tao, Thailand’s most visited “Long Neck Village”, a touristic attraction created in 1995, visitors receive an information sheet on the difficult living conditions of its refugee inhabitants, prompting them to pay the entrance fee of 250 Bath. It is this type of place that many organisations, including the UNHCR, have urged tourists to stop visiting,describing them as “ethnic theme parks” or “human zoos” in which Kayan people with their necks bound in brass rings are presented as human tourist attractions.
Although the most visited “Long Neck Village” in Thailand, the main street of Huay Sua Tao, once crowded with tourists, remains desperately empty!
The significant losses experienced by the tourism industry in northern Thailand during the Covid-19 pandemic have forced many tour operators to close their doors for good. The pandemic has also brought about a new reality for the Thai authorities, which now aims to stimulate qualitative rather than quantitative demand, targeting higher-income tourists and offering different experiences than in the past. In Huay Sua Tao like in Huay Pu Keng, the world of the Kayan is changing. May they now find their way into a different future.
Portrait of Mu La, Mu Bu and Ma Nay.

Thailand: The Kayan in Limbo

Where: Thailand

When: 2022

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, up to 250 tourists a day could walk down the only paved street of the village of Huai Pu Kaeng, a village that became famous for the Kayan women who live there, better known as "Long Neck Women" because of their neck made very long by the brass spiral necklaces they wear.

Today, the restrictions linked to the Coronavirus that were puted in place in Thailand to reduce the spread of the virus also reduced the flow of tourists to a mere trickle.

Even if small groups of tourists have been showing up again in the last few weeks and the Thai kingdom has relaxed its entry restrictions, the golden age of tourism in the village of Huai Pu Kaeng seems to be over. It is probably a necessary step for the Kayan women, who after arriving in Thailand as refugees, and after becoming the flattering stamp of a conquering tourism, will have to adapt once again to a new reality. Without visitors for almost two years, the Kayan world has changed and left them in limbo.
May they now find their way into a different future.".


Full story, both in French and English, available on request.