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Mae Prae, 32, stands near the gate of Mae Rim Long Neck Village, a privately owned village in northern Thailand where women from the Red Karen hill tribe earn money from tourists eager to see their elongated, brass-ringed necks. With the pandemic, however, tourism money has dried up. (Vincenzo Floramo)

VINCENZO FLORAMO, Contributing writer

August 28, 2020 08:00 JST

MAE RIM, Thailand -- In the lush countryside of Mae Rim, a 30-minute drive north of Chiang Mai, Thailand's second-biggest city, lies a hamlet with a sign at its entrance reading "Karen Village." A second sign on a bamboo ticket booth displays an entry fee: 500 baht ($15.90) per visitor.