Hill Tribe - Padaung

...previous (Hill Tribes in Northern Thai)

On the first 2 days in Chiang Mai, I did not have a chance to visit any hill tribe, except a quick one to Lisu Village, which is part of the Safari tour.



Seeing the Padaung (always known as Long Neck Karen) was one of the many TO-DOs of the trip. Therefore, I tried my best to get it done when I was in Chiang Rai. I visited 3 hill tribes as part of the day trip, and had an enjoyable photo-taking session during the visit.

The Padaung females have elongated neck. From the age of 5, they start wearing heavy metal ring necklaces.

Most of us know about the Karen people as the "long-neck" or "giraffe" tribe. Nonetheless, the women who wear these brass rings on their neck belong to a sub-group of the Karen hill tribe, known as the Padaung.


The Paduang attracts numerous visitors on account of their long-necked women. A tradition of beautifying women by adding brass rings to their necks has been preserved largely for tourism purposes.

Although the neck appears to be cruelly elongated, it is the collarbone which has been displaced. The brass rings do not actually stretch their necks. A woman generally has about twenty or more rings around her neck. The neck ring adornment is started when the females are around 5 years old.

Years after, the neck will lose its muscle tone. Therefore, if the necklace is taken off, the neck might break!

The coils would be polished daily so that they have a high sheen. The number of coils will be added whenever the females can afford it. The average weight of a coil on an adult woman's neck is about 3-5kg.


There are many different accounts of why the Padaung bizzare practice this custom. Their own mythology explains that it is done to prevent tigers from biting them. Some others reported that it is done to make the women unattractive so they are less likely to be captured by slave traders.

The most common explanation, though, is the opposite of this - that an extra-long neck is considered a sign of great beauty and wealth and that it will attract a better husband.

Most women are skilled weavers.

Adultery is said to be punished by removal of the rings. In this case, since the neck muscles will have been severely weakened by years of not supporting the neck, a woman must spend the rest of her life lying down.

In addition, the female Padaung wear blue puttees on their calves (see this image), underneath brass rings. They also wear brass rings around their arms and usually have a colored scarf.

A little girl with puttees on her calves.

The rings on the arms and legs are not as prominent as those on the neck. However, these rings are just as important. The rings on the arms are worn on the forearm from the wrist to the elbow. Those on the legs are worn from the ankles to the knees, and cloth coverings are kept over most of these rings, from the shins down to the ankles.

The Padaung wears woven v-neck tunics of various natural colours and turbans.

She was very cool. I wondered if she was unhappy?

There were something else on her wrists.

This is the interior part of where the Padaung villagers stay.

Simple. Nothing's complicated!

You know she's very young via the number of brass rings on her neck.

A senior Padaung lady. What's conveyed via her eyes and facial emotion?

Selling their handicrafts...

Another pretty girl.

Although the Padaung have migrated to Thailand much later compared to the other Karen groups, they have become the most famous hill tribe attraction for tourists.

The hill tribe trip was interesting, but these excursions are never truly authentic. If a tourist can get there easily and safely, then it's not going to be a real tribal experience.

For more photos, click here.

Next... (Akha Hill Tribe)