Page 66 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2025 THAILAND
P. 66

Long Necks - and Trunks


                                                                   The bus ferried us north into lush hill
                                                               country to a remote village inhabited by
                                                               the Karen women—better known as the
                                                               “long-necked women.” The village is
                                                               perched just above a lush waterfall that
                                                               tumbles down through the forest, creating
                                                               a setting as striking as the women who
                                                               live there. All are part of a subgroup of
                                                               the Karenni people, originally from Burma
                                                               (now Myanmar), who fled persecution and
                                                               conflict in their homeland for sanctuary in
                                                               Thailand. More than 400,000 now live in
                                                               the country, with more sheltered in
                                                               refugee camps along the Thailand-Myan-
                                                               mar border.
                                                                   Their iconic appearance comes from
                                                               the gleaming solid brass neck coils they
                                                               wear—a practice that fascinated Ron
                                                               when he flipped through old “Ripley’s Be-
                                                               lieve It or Not” books as a kid. Seeing the
                                                               women in person was unreal. Contrary to
   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71