Click to see Patti in front of sign. There are many Karen camps in Mae Hong Son province, in NW Thailand. Most are in the hills close to the border of Myanmar. The Karen are the largest ethnic minority in eastern Myanmar, and the most numerous of the different hilltribes in Thailand.

Young lady with some extra neck rings laying around just in case we needed them. They are a continuous spiral of solid metal, not a series of rings as most people would guess. The ones shown here (typical) might weigh 2 to 3 kilos!

Not sure what kind of food was being prepared. Drinking is a challenge with the neck rings because they cannot tilt their heads back much. The rings press down on their shoulders; the illusion created is that of their necks being stretched.

These folks were so friendly, and because the lady on my right spoke such good english, we were able to engage in some great conversation - even Dad!

The women of our tribe enjoyed trying on the decorative garb of their tribe in this mini fashion show. According to the woman on the left, the rings make these Karen women more beautiful. The origins of this custom are unclear, and only the Padung Karens wear the rings. (video clip 205k)

They go to quite a lot
of trouble to decorate
themselves including the
leg rings and colored cloth
around their lower legs.