Page 66 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2025 THAILAND

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