the long-neck tribe

Visiting an authentic tribe in Thailand, I wasn't expecting market stalls and photo ops. Here I am trying on a fake set of neck rings and I didn't need the cornstarch whitening, being fashionably pale (in Thailand). The Karen people have fled from Burma where they were persecuted, to be hosted by Thailand at a price - they are restricted to living within these tourist attraction villages. The Thai government charges you an entry fee and what the Karens make from their handicrafts is what they must live upon. Only a handful of women don the neck rings and thus maintain their tourist attraction status which allows their people to carry on living in their allotted spaces in Thailand. (Most of the women and girls have decided not to wear the neck rings.) Noble of these last few traditionalists to take the discomfort for the well-being of their tribe.