Visit Long Neck Village

The Kayan Long Neck tribe (Kayan Lahwi or Padaung) is a sub-group of the red Karenni group. They are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority of Myanmar mainly found in the Shan and Kayah state in Myanmar.

In the late 1980s, due to the increasing conflict between this minority group and the military regime in Myanmar, they started to flee and cross over into Mae Hong Son (northwest Thailand).

There is a belief that the longneck women wore rings to protect themselves from tigers in the jungle. This is probably just old folklore. A more accurate reason for wearing the rings is that they consider it a form of beauty. Similar to other forms of body modifications practiced by minority cultures across the world (such as foot-binding in China to give the appearance of smaller feet).

Based on Crystal Holidays Travel experience, tourists will get the most authentic experience of the long neck village by visiting Baan Huay Pu Keng village in Mae Hong Son
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This village is nearby the Thai/Myanmar border where they crossed over from their homeland. Most of the year, Baan Huay Pu Keng is only accessible by long-tail boat across the Pai River. It’s proximity to their homeland and mountains, means that it remains much more authentic than the Longneck villages further south such as in Pattaya.

If you travel with us, we will arrive there by long-tail boat on the Pai river, it’s a great way to enjoy nature and scenery on the verges of the Thailand/Myanmar border. We also offer the chance to stay overnight in the village at a Kayan Long Neck homestay (staying with a Kayan Long neck family in their traditional bamboo stilt house). This is an amazing opportunity to learn first-hand about the Kayan people and their fascinating way of life. For more information about this experience please contact us

If you can’t make it to Baan Huay Pu Keng (a 6-hour drive from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son, followed by a long tail boat trip), then the next best village to visit is Baan Tong Luang in Mae Rim, 30 minutes drive from Chiang Mai city. There are a variety of hill tribes here (Long neck, Kayaw Big Ear, Karen, Hmong, Palong, Yao/Mien Lahu and Lisu) and it offers a great glimpse into a range of hill tribe groups, and what traditional village life was once like for them. It’s an interesting and educational experience.