The long neck tribes: attraction or reality?

In the extreme north of Thailand live the Karen tribes or unofficially called the Long neck tribes. Those tribes escaping from the war and violence of Burmese army's fight in Myanmar (the old Burma) in the Kayak area and migrate to Thailand around 1990 and they still there in small villages close to the border and they stayed in refugee camps at Thai -Myanmar border and now they live in small villages. For the problematic in Myanmar, they cannot leave their living well, there are many villagers leaving from the villages, women and men are leaving and entering into Thailand. The people wish to go back Myanmar when they have enough money, security and food because that place is them old village, them home. The tradition about the "long neck" still generation after generation. From the time when they are 5 to their 21st birthday, each year one ring is added to their collection. At the end, their necks get so long that these women are often called "long necks". According to Karen people, the longer the neck the more beautiful the woman who wears them is. They are not allowed to work, they are unable to receive treatment, they are unable to receive treatment at the hospital, because they are very expensive and they cannot afford treatment the cost they do not have an ID card although they had applied for it several times. They usually apply twice every year, but they never get it. Just a few numbers of the people per village have a Thai temporary ID card but most of the people living here do not have one. Every year, they (local authority) come and ask for the application, they say they will get ID card, but they do not know if they will give it or not, with the temporary ID card, they are allowed only to go Around Mae Hong Son area, they cannot go other places like Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. They can only go around Mae Hong Son with a permission of village head. However, they usually never go outside of the village alone. In Myanmar most people are suffering more because of the politics conditions and heavy government tax. Until very recently they were not allowed to go to school, or go to local doctors, or hospitals. Their situation is getting better slowly, but they are still kept in their little villages, without the permission to leave. If they want to stay in Thailand, they must stay on the land they were given. "We are happy to return to live in our villas, in our country, in our homes. We feel less here".