Hill Tribes at Chiang Rai

     The Hill Tribes I visited at Chiang Rai, while living in traditional villages, mostly likely have been resettled from other places.  There were five different tribes each living in their own village; Karen, Akha, Kayor, Lu Mein-Yao and Lahu.  Normally they would inhabit different areas.  It is likely that the Karen are refugees from nearby Myanmar.  The Akha are native to Thailand originally from the highlands and there are about 80,000 in the country.  They are seen in native dress in the night markets of Bangkok selling hand made items.
    It appears that the tribes I visited are on a kind of reservation.  If the Karen are refugees they are likely restricted to their village.  In the Karen village most of the women I saw are "long neck" wearing heavy brass rings around their necks.  These rings depress their collar bones when wearing is begun as adolescents making their necks appear long.  It was originally considered beautiful but the custom likely would have disappeared by now if it were not for tourist interest.
     Most of the Karen houses have a front porch on which the woman sits and weaves.  The weavings are displayed for sale and as people walk by they can purchase weavings.  The women often offer to pose for pictures.
     In each village the people are dressed in their native attire and sell their handicrafts. I visited the Karen last and was immediately struck by a difference.  In the preceding villages there was 'hard sell' as the wares were displayed in front of their houses "you buy, you buy..."  But in the Karen village the women sat on their front porch quietly weaving returning smile for smile.
     As a part of the tour with Pear's, family we visited the villages.  There was time for little shopping, so, with an unscheduled morning because my flight time was 1:45 pm I went back expressly to shop. The curmudgeonette has become addicted to silk scarves and the Karen were weaving with silk.  While the village set up feels a bit contrived at the same time buying directly from the weavers must have some positive impact on them.

The baby was more interested in me than the camera.

Karen village.

Karen home.

Sign at entrance to the villages.