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This is one of the two members of the tribes that I saw holding a baby.  They are happy to go about their lives just as they always have.  Like any culture in the world there are outside influences as evidenced by her T-Shirt.  Any non-married woman must wear the traditional white buttoned shirt but once a Karen Padauang woman gets married they can wear other shirts.
This was one of the women from the big ear tribe.  These tribes are refugees from Burma which is a couple hundred kilometers from where this picture was taken.  Much of the art and the looks of the women - particularly women of the big ear tribe - reminds me of Native American looks and artwork.
This woman was more than happy to put a little hat on her super cute baby.  I was happy that I got a shot of the little guy smiling for the camera.  This woman looks like she could be the child's grandmother but as with all the women in the tribes she looks much older than she really is.  That is her child.
This was the first girl from the long neck tribe that I came across this day.  What surprised me was how pretty she is.  In fact, the younger women in the tribes are all quite beautiful.  Age is not very kind to the hill tribe women as you will see later.
You can see the results of the bark the hill tribes people chew to keep their teeth strong.  The bark ends up permanently staining their teeth black.  This woman is a part of the tribe the wears the distinct headdresses.
This was the first hill tribes woman that I came across this day.  This particular tribe (one of the three tribes that occupy the village) is known for wearing distinctive head dresses.  It is obvious that she has posed for a camera before.  In fact, all of the women I came across gave me much the same pose.
This photo looks interesting in black and white in my opinion.
The hill tribe members had set up what some of us referred to as their mall.  All of these thatched roofs covered a little place where they sell their wares.  It isn't clear (to me) where they live exactly, but it is clear that they don't live in these huts.
After visiting the hill tribes of northern Thailand, we visited a temple on a hill.  This shot of the two offerings in the distance contrasted with the single offering at the foot of the Buddha statue jumped out at me.
This is one of the two members of the tribes that I saw holding a baby. They are happy to go about their lives just as they always have. Like any culture in the world there are outside influences as evidenced by her T-Shirt. Any non-married woman must wear the traditional white buttoned shirt but once a Karen Padauang woman gets married they can wear other shirts.
This is one of the two members of the tribes that I saw holding a baby.  They are happy to go about their lives just as they always have.  Like any culture in the world there are outside influences as evidenced by her T-Shirt.  Any non-married woman must wear the traditional white buttoned shirt but once a Karen Padauang woman gets married they can wear other shirts.
This is one of the two members of the tribes that I saw holding a baby. They are happy to go about their lives just as they always have. Like any culture in the world there are outside influences as evidenced by her T-Shirt. Any non-married woman must wear the traditional white buttoned shirt but once a Karen Padauang woman gets married they can wear other shirts.
See photo in original gallery.