There are many different Burmese refugee tribes here. Some traditionally have the neck rings (long neck karen), others have leg rings, others wear different style of hats and traditional clothing. Each tribe has its own customs.
They live in a fairly isolated region and are not permitted into the town - they have not been granted Thai citizenship. They rely on aid, local produce and what they can make from tourists buying their wares.
All are very friendly and will happily provide a photo-op.

I wanted to see the country side. Our friendly guide Noi and the driver brought us to the National Park. There we had a lovely walk with one of the local guides from the Karen village. She explained about her daily life and about the influence the Royal Projects have had on the people. It was interesting to see the agriculture and we had a very relaxing walk through the forest. (Although our legs told us the next day that it had not been too relaxing) After some local coffee we had an excellent lunch in the park restaurant. When our bellies were filled we took a short look at the top of the mountain and went to the Pagodas that were very nice and had stunning views. The stop at the market was a bit too touristic for our taste, but was nice for a short break. The waterfall was a refreshing end of the tour. I would still recommend this tour to those who would prefer a day with flexible timing and privacy with own friends/family.

This place is like a sideshow alley. The Karen Long Neck ladies are simply on display, no doubt day in day out, smiling on demand as tourists take photos. It is a set up area, lots of commercial mass produced products on sale, nothing much hand made by the women themselves. It's just another tourist trap except it costs 300 baht to enter for a look. Sadly not something I liked very much, and definitely will not be doing this again. Ever!