Searching for the Huay Pu Keng long-necked tribe on the Myanmar border.

WHERE IS HUAY PU KENG LONG-NECKED VILLAGE LOCATED?

Huay Pu Keng is a village located more than 30 km from Mae Hong Son town in Thailand. It is home to the Kayan long-necked tribe, originally from Myanmar, who migrated here decades ago. The villagers live a self-sufficient lifestyle, cultivating crops and fishing. Since tourism has developed in the village, the women have started souvenir shops.

THE ROAD TO HUAY PU KENG LONG-NECKED VILLAGE

I arrived in Huay Pu Keng on a scorching midday. Looking at my watch, it was 12 o'clock. It had been a long, long day, with the journey from Ban Rak Thai. The April weather in Thailand was depressing for tourists. The smell of the sun lingered along the entire route. The forests here had also been burned to the ground. Traveling along the border felt like there were raging fires right before my eyes, a desolate, tiring journey with not a soul in sight. I just followed the directions on Google Maps, not knowing anything about the area. Then I saw a sign directing me to the long-necked village. Inside, I saw only motorbikes. Across the Pai River was the long-necked village of Huay Pu Keng.

To get to the village, you have to take a boat, buying a ticket for 20 Baht. But the season I visited was the dry season, and the locals had already built a bamboo bridge, so I just walked across. As soon as I arrived, someone appeared selling tickets. To enter the village, tourists have to pay 200 Baht; I heard this money is for supporting the education and livelihoods of the villagers. I bought a ticket and continued walking into the village.

Long-necked women beside a simple house.

The legendary long-necked people also appeared. I saw an old woman who looked like a true indigenous person. Her hands, feet, and neck were adorned with rings. She had four silver rings on each hand and ten gold rings on each foot. Most remarkably, she wore twenty gold rings around her neck, making it seem as if her neck had grown longer. She wore a headscarf and a silver hairpin. She was dressed in the traditional clothing of her people.

She couldn't speak English. She couldn't speak Thai either. She only spoke her native language. We communicated through body language. Her stall sold a lot of things: necklaces, silver bracelets, wax figurines of long-necked people, and even small pencils. She invited me to buy something, and I bought some pencils from her to give to friends back in Vietnam.

I continued walking. Simple houses built of bamboo gradually appeared. The houses here are divided into two parts. On the ground floor, people hang hammocks, and at noon they lie in them and browse their phones. The upper floor is used for living. I only walked on the ground floor and didn't go upstairs, because I was afraid they wouldn't like it.

The scenery inside the village was also very romantic. They planted many bougainvillea flowers, and wherever I went, women with long necks would come and offer their wares. The children in the village scattered in all directions when they saw me; I only managed to take a few silly photos of the little ones running.

As I walked along, I saw an old woman weaving. She looked very familiar, and then I suddenly remembered that she had appeared in a video I'd seen on YouTube. Back then, she was weaving, and she was wearing a stack of necklaces; perhaps she was one of the women with the longest necks in the village. When I arrived, she was no longer wearing them; she had taken them all off. I pointed to the stack of necklaces on the table, and she took my hand and touched a scratch on her neck. I understood the situation: Perhaps, because she wore so many necklaces, her neck had been torn, and she had to take them off to protect her health.

She wove very carefully, her stitches incredibly delicate. She wove slowly, occasionally smiling at me. I was also diligent, taking pictures of her while she worked. Finally, I bought her a scarf for 100 baht. She also wore some pretty little bracelets on her wrists, gesturing for me to buy them. But I couldn't buy any because they didn't seem to suit me very well.

SCHOOL ON THE HILLTOP

At the end of the main road, a school appeared. This was also the only school in the village. Calling it a school sounds grand, but inside there were only a few desks and a small blackboard. On the walls hung many math problems. In another room was the teacher's room. There was also a reading room with a quote that impressed me: "Read today, be a leader tomorrow."

I visited the long-necked village of Huay Pu Keng for a relatively short time, but I felt the poverty of this area. The villagers are truly facing many hardships. Most souvenirs are sold for only 100 Baht. If you ever find yourself lost somewhere on your journey exploring Mae Hong Son, don't miss Huay Pu Keng village. And buy a few things from the locals!

SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

There are two ways to get to the village:

• Rent a boat from Mae Hong Son town: Most tourists will take this route, as it is both fast and offers many scenic views along the Pai River.
• Motorbikes: On their journey exploring the Mae Hong Son Loop, young people often travel by motorbike, visiting Huay Pu Keng village before returning to Mae Hong Son town. The route is easy, but very deserted. It's only for those who love adventure and thrill-seeking.
• Accommodation: There are virtually no places to stay in the village. Most tourists visit the village and then return to Mae Hong Son town to sleep.
• Safety: The village is located on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, but it is extremely safe and peaceful. If you are an adventurous person, you can even travel here alone. The villagers are very friendly and are used to the presence of tourists, so they welcome visitors warmly. The only drawback is that the locals are not very good at English; they mainly use body language to communicate.

Xu Kien