Karen Hill Tribe Refugees

Golden Triangle, Northern Thailand

Tourism in these desperately poor environments is inevitably controversial.

On the edge of Chiang Mai, we also visited a Karen tribal community of refugees from oppression by the Myanmar military government.

Karen women are well known for their neck ornaments.

Portrait by Lukas Kroulik. (With the consent of the sitter and the community leader.)

But are these a form of mutilation?

Portrait by Lukas Kroulik. (With the consent of the sitter and the community leader.)

And is paying to visit and look at these women akin to visiting a zoo?

Portrait by Lukas Kroulik. (With the consent of the sitter and the community leader.)

Through our interpreter I was lucky enough to be able to explore their own views, and what came across more than anything else was that they wanted to continue being allowed to celebrate their beauty.

Lukas Kroulik discussing the arts and crafts of the Karen tribe people.