Yesterday I was watching this interesting documentary film. It was about long neck females living in Thailand. Originally these women are from Burma, due to civil war most families fled accross the border to Thailand.
These women wear heavy thick golden rings around their necks starting at age four, which slowly causes their shoulders to press down under the pressure therefor gives them long necks. They have become quite a tourist attraction around the region and are making money through their marketing (tourist making photos and buying soveniers.)
Most of them don’t want to give up this profitable income source and are doing the same to their daughters, apart of being it in their culure, its also considered beautiful.
If this ring is taken away these women will die, coz their neck muscles have weakend extraordinary. These females are not able to move freely and have to wear this last all their LIFE LONG.
Considering all this, the thai goverment is not stopping them from their rituals and are even making money from tourists.
These women are quite amazing to watch, now after knowing all this, if by chance you are in Thailand. would you as tourist pay money (about 9 euro) to see the long neck women? Is it moral to do so?
I read about this custom years ago. What I found really disturbing was that the artcle I read also reported that often these females are killed by (by family) removing the neck rings. Then their bodies are not able to support their necks and they naturally break and ....
Interesting I’m part Burmese (Burma) and I wasn’t aware of such a custom, I’ll have to ask my mom more about it, anyway I don’t think could watch such a documentary, or any of those in which the people have loads of piercing, but its a part of their culture which may seem peculiar to us but than again they may see some Paksitani cutoms as being strange too.
sambrialian yeah I’ve heard that too, really disturbing that’s why I did not mention it here.
belle I never said this was strange to me, customs are customes and in many parts of the world people still pratice some very old rituals and customs, just because their ancestors did the same thing, without being it healthy and usefull for the folks. But Still the documentary was interesting to watch.
**H.Roshan ** I hope the moderators won’t mind if I post a tiny winy photo here.
I saw the documentary several years ago. Since then I have seen some very different cultures/practices across the globe. As a tourist, the purpose of you travelling is often to experience and see different cultures and ways of life. In the process money is spent. I dont think I would have to pay viewing money in order to have a glimpse of these womens lives. I myself wouldnt take a trip specifically to see them, there are other things I'd like to see and experience. smile
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