Reflection of Maehongson, Padaung Culture, and Tourism

After much research, I have come to a conclusion that my pre-research impressions do remain in the way that Maehongson is pretty rural in terms of living, surviving without technology and sophisticated facilities such as proper toilet cubicles, restaurants and shopping malls like we do over here in Singapore. It is perhaps a good sign to show how hybrid consumption has yet to taint the indigenous lifestyles of the Padaungs. Also, travellers would surely be contented with the Long-Necks and their brass coils and hand-sewn blouses that are on full display all through the Karen-Padaung village in Maehongson.

Having said that, tourists give popular feedback because they have only looked at Maehongson on its surface; they have been too excited over the superficial appreciation of the Long-Necks and have neglected analyzing its authenticity in-depth. Is what they see what it truly is? I beg to differ. I choose to think that the Padaung tourism-culture is based on a governmental threat.

While many Padaung women tried to relocate out of Thailand, they were disallowed by Thai authorities who insist that the Long-Necks stay to drive the cultural economy. The first problem here is that human rights had been stripped because Maehongson, reportedly “Thailand’s poorest province”, “depends heavily on tourism”. (Haworth, 2008) To improve the local economy, an approximate 40,000 tourists are charged an “entry fee” of $8 to ogle at the Long-Necks every year. (Haworth, 2008) However, a bare minimum is channeled back to the Padaungs – they earn only a “paltry salary of 1500 baht ($45) a month selling souvenirs and postcards”. (Meo, 2006) Authorities also make sure that their wages are docked if they complain to visitors about their predicament, and this highlights another problem – only a meager sum is channeled back to the Padaungs, who are the main tourist attractions of Maehongson (Morgan, N.D.), bringing in much tourism-related economical figures to Thailand every single year.

What irks me the most is actually how local development is not allowed in Maehongson because “tourists want primitive” (Meo, 2006) Thai authorities are well aware that Maehongson is a cultural treasure because of its antique-looking living quarters, traditional handiwork and music, rich culture, and iconic Long-Necks. They are also aware that cultural tourism is on the rise, and authenticity is the main ingredient. Putting one plus one together, they have stopped developing Maehongson in terms of infrastructural benefits to its people – just so that tourists can experience their unsophisticated ways of living and be satisfied thinking that’s what the original cultural experiences are all about.

The Karen-Padaungs’ culture is beautiful – Thai authorities should really consider how to also let tourism improve the lives of the locals instead of the host community always having to modestly serve visitors despite their disadvantages. While it is painful for me to think of how the Padaung women are exploited and controlled because of their long necks and brass coils, I still appreciate their culture deeply and can only hope that the future starts to get better for them as national authorities such as those in “Finland and New Zealand” step in. (Meo, 2006)