The Burmese Giraffe Neck Women

The Burmese Giraffe Neck Women have a number less of 500 women. They are from a clan by female inheritance, the Kayan Lahwi synonymLong Necked Karen by some thousand members. They are from Padaung language synonym Kayan language and this language is spoken by about 50.000 persons.

There are three Kayan villages in Mae Hong Son province in Thailand. The largest is Huay Pu Keng, on the Pai river, close to the Thai Burma border. Huai Seau Tao is a commercial village opened in 1995. Many of the residents of Nai Soi Kayan Tayar moved into the Karenni refugee camp in September 2008, but a few families remain there.

Most of the Kayan people in Mae Hong Son are formerly from nine villages in Karenni State. The majority are from Rwan Khu and Daw Kee village. The people of Huay Pu Keng are mainly from Lay Mile village.

Women of the various Kayan tribes identify themselves by their different form of dress. The Kayan Lahwi tribe are the most renowned as they wear ornaments known as neck rings, brass coils that are placed around the neck. The women wearing these coils are known as giraffe women to tourists.These coils are first applied to young girls when they are around five years old.

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