They've become the unofficial symbols of Mae Hong Son Province, attracting thousands of foreigners and Thais who come to gawk, photograph and buy their souvenirs. Encouraged by their mothers, many girls accept money from tourist boat operators to become long-necked women. In time the muscles weaken so much that the neck would collapse if the coils were removed. Thus girls as young as two will wear them for the rest of their lives. The boat operators control tourist access to Huay Puu Kaeng, a settlement of thatch-roofed, bamboo shacks along the Pai River.
Visitors pay for the boat ride here.
It is not comfortable wearing these coils, even while sleeping. With her daughter's fee added in, the family can live in some comfort. Our lives are better here. Most girls begin to wear their first coils, weighing as much as three kg, at age five. More rings are later added.