Baan Tong Luang
Baan Tong Luang
3.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.5
211 reviews
Excellent
55
Very good
80
Average
43
Poor
15
Terrible
18
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Divisa65
Creteil, France845 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
Village (reconstituted) mainly with "giraffe women". The entrance fee (500 bath/pers) allows them to live but we had the Impression of being in a human zoo. It is not really a village but a shopping street. Young girls and women look very pretty with their floral headdresses and colorful costumes. Some weave fabrics. All women have brass rings around their necks, some around their calves. Older ladies have very high rings around their necks. Their heads look tiny. Little girls start wearing them at the age of 5. As they grow, rings are added. They're very heavy. They would wear them for embellishment and cultural identity. The entrance fee allows to take as many photos as desired. They are very smiling and a little too "prepared". This place is too "artificial". We were not comfortable at all. We only hope that the entry fee, which is very high for the country, will be paid in full to enable them to live. We bought a small pink cloth elephant (not sure it was made locally).
Automatically translated
Written July 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PriscillaF
Perth, Australia2,156 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
My son and I hired a private driver for the day to see the long neck tribe and head to the butterfly farm. Entry is quite rich at $1000 Bhat for two people. The same cost as our hire car for the day! We found out that the long neck women start wearing rings at aged 5. The also wear rings on their legs. They sleep with the rings on. There are about 7-8 tribes here with long necks being one of the tribes. Would I recommend it- not really however I saw no other way to see the long neck tribes for a pic!
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fun2come
Thailand43 contributions
Oct 2013
When visiting Baan Thong Luang 2 things should be considered....
1*This saves you effort and a lot of motion sickness and provides time clinched travellers with a fair overview of the hill tribes and their lifestyles.
2* It is not the real deal it is a simulation for your convenience - take it at face value. A photo opportunity and a well meant kind of educational tool.
If you have high moral standards and more time and money available...Do the real thing!
Otherwise enjoy - take a few pics, dress up, buy a slightly expensive souvenir or two and move on.
1*This saves you effort and a lot of motion sickness and provides time clinched travellers with a fair overview of the hill tribes and their lifestyles.
2* It is not the real deal it is a simulation for your convenience - take it at face value. A photo opportunity and a well meant kind of educational tool.
If you have high moral standards and more time and money available...Do the real thing!
Otherwise enjoy - take a few pics, dress up, buy a slightly expensive souvenir or two and move on.
Written September 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
andesitao
Denpasar, Indonesia236 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
It’s an eco Village, where some of the Karen hill tribe are living. You have to pay for 500THB to get inside. You can see the traditional houses with its people wearing their traditional clothes. You’ll see 7 different tribes living in this place. They’re selling souvenirs or their traditional clothes or accessories. At the end of the tour, you can take a rest at the restaurant while overlooking the rice paddy field.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hauser Döme László
10 contributions
Jan 2020
We buffaloed around a village that consisted of small bamboo houses. It was a strange sight to see the satellite dish on a 10-12 square foot cottage.
Bivalykordén "utaztunk" körbe egy falut, amely kis bambusz házakból állt. Furcsa látvány volt a parabola antenna egy 10-12 négyzetméteres házikón.
Bivalykordén "utaztunk" körbe egy falut, amely kis bambusz házakból állt. Furcsa látvány volt a parabola antenna egy 10-12 négyzetméteres házikón.
Written April 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fabianfred
Fang14 contributions
Feb 2014 • Solo
For all you tourists complaining about the cost of entry. Sure this is a village set-up especially for tourists...all in one place. You could hire transport and spend a week trying to go to all these hill-tribes in their own villages and it would be ten time the cost of this...and most hill-tribes villages have been improved their standard of living so they mostly do not live in bamboo and thatch huts anymore and also rarely wear their traditional costumes apart from when they have a festival.
If you want to see the tribes in their old style settings and still very poor then you need to go to Laos or Burma and go to villages far from the road...days of trekking.
I am fortunate to be able to speak Thai since I have lived here for more than 20 years and enjoy chatting with the people here. They are people...not just exhibits. The village is for the convenience of tourists who do not have the time or are too old to go trekking for days to reach villages. It is a taste of their cultures which are fast disappearing.
The entry fee goes to the organisers of the village...not the people in it. That is why they sell arts and crafts and their own weavings to make some money to live on.
I enjoy visiting hill-tribes whenever I can but still enjoy this village and other similar ones near my home in Fang. Take along some treats for the kids too and try to go at weekends when they are home from school.
If you want to see the tribes in their old style settings and still very poor then you need to go to Laos or Burma and go to villages far from the road...days of trekking.
I am fortunate to be able to speak Thai since I have lived here for more than 20 years and enjoy chatting with the people here. They are people...not just exhibits. The village is for the convenience of tourists who do not have the time or are too old to go trekking for days to reach villages. It is a taste of their cultures which are fast disappearing.
The entry fee goes to the organisers of the village...not the people in it. That is why they sell arts and crafts and their own weavings to make some money to live on.
I enjoy visiting hill-tribes whenever I can but still enjoy this village and other similar ones near my home in Fang. Take along some treats for the kids too and try to go at weekends when they are home from school.
Written February 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robyn H
United States155 contributions
May 2015 • Friends
So I have read a lot of reviews on TripAdvisor calling this place a human zoo. I was in Chiang Mai for 2 months and one of our local Thai friends said the village is a good thing for the hill tribes and not a human zoo as some tourists have been calling it.
On this recommendation, we took a motorbike and went there on our own to check it out. We had a different impression. We went early and got there around 10am before the tour buses arrived. The first thing I noticed when we walked in was how friendly everyone was. Each hill tribe greeted us warmly, and they were happy to show us what they were making, and also invited us in to see their home. One hill tribe even shared their cherries and other fruit with us.
We met Sek from Karen Hill Tribe and he was happy to talk with us at length about the tribes. He said, like him, some of the Karen Hill Tribe also came to this location to be near the city. It’s better for medicine if someone gets sick. If they get sick in the mountains, they rely on herbs to help them get better. Another main attraction to move here is all the children of the hill tribes go to school and get an education. All of the other Hill Tribes that are here also came on their own accord for a better life for their children.
When asked about the 500 baht entrance fee, Sek did say the fee we paid to get in did not go directly to the tribes. Before I could get in an uproar about it, he let me know that all the tribes live on the land rent-free and all the goods they sell is their money to keep. The compound also provides transportation for the children to get to and from school, free of cost, which is 15km away.
The tribes hand make the items they sell. They are weavers, painters, wood carvers, and sewers. All the items they produce are very beautiful. Again, anything you purchase from them goes directly into their pocket.
So human zoo? If you go there, solely to take pictures and stare, without interacting with them. Then yes, I could see how some would call it that. But, if you take the time to stop, say hello, play with the children and ask what they do, you’ll look at it a bit differently.
On this recommendation, we took a motorbike and went there on our own to check it out. We had a different impression. We went early and got there around 10am before the tour buses arrived. The first thing I noticed when we walked in was how friendly everyone was. Each hill tribe greeted us warmly, and they were happy to show us what they were making, and also invited us in to see their home. One hill tribe even shared their cherries and other fruit with us.
We met Sek from Karen Hill Tribe and he was happy to talk with us at length about the tribes. He said, like him, some of the Karen Hill Tribe also came to this location to be near the city. It’s better for medicine if someone gets sick. If they get sick in the mountains, they rely on herbs to help them get better. Another main attraction to move here is all the children of the hill tribes go to school and get an education. All of the other Hill Tribes that are here also came on their own accord for a better life for their children.
When asked about the 500 baht entrance fee, Sek did say the fee we paid to get in did not go directly to the tribes. Before I could get in an uproar about it, he let me know that all the tribes live on the land rent-free and all the goods they sell is their money to keep. The compound also provides transportation for the children to get to and from school, free of cost, which is 15km away.
The tribes hand make the items they sell. They are weavers, painters, wood carvers, and sewers. All the items they produce are very beautiful. Again, anything you purchase from them goes directly into their pocket.
So human zoo? If you go there, solely to take pictures and stare, without interacting with them. Then yes, I could see how some would call it that. But, if you take the time to stop, say hello, play with the children and ask what they do, you’ll look at it a bit differently.
Written June 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CKY281
1,034 contributions
As this was our first visit to Chiang Mai we decided to visit this supposedly eco -agricultural hill tribes village that's home to 7 tribes.
The first shock was the entrance fee of 500B per person which is exorbitant. We were informed that the fee goes towards the education and healthcare of the tribal people (like real).
The whole village is a prop to earn tourist money.
Those people were mostly illegal refugees from Myanmar who are permitted to live here for free as the Thai government refuses to issue identification documents.Even the children must pay school fees.
Real living does not happen here as home kitchens are either non-existent nor in working order. We noted that the stacks of fire wood have been sitting for a long time.Also noted the absence of planted herbals traditionally used for their cooking.
Lots of mass produced merchandise available for sale everywhere. Handcrafted goods are the exception.
We really felt cheated for paying an exorbitant entrance fee for a photo shoot event.
The first shock was the entrance fee of 500B per person which is exorbitant. We were informed that the fee goes towards the education and healthcare of the tribal people (like real).
The whole village is a prop to earn tourist money.
Those people were mostly illegal refugees from Myanmar who are permitted to live here for free as the Thai government refuses to issue identification documents.Even the children must pay school fees.
Real living does not happen here as home kitchens are either non-existent nor in working order. We noted that the stacks of fire wood have been sitting for a long time.Also noted the absence of planted herbals traditionally used for their cooking.
Lots of mass produced merchandise available for sale everywhere. Handcrafted goods are the exception.
We really felt cheated for paying an exorbitant entrance fee for a photo shoot event.
Written October 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barry L
Sydney, Australia216 contributions
Nov 2013 • Friends
We were fortunate to visit here with a local who explained the village purpose and had a great experience. It is misunderstood by most reviewers. This village is a replica of a traditional hill village. In fact the hill tribes live some 2-3 hours from here. It was built by the government as somewhere where the hill tribes could come to so they can earn money from tourism. There are not 5 tribes living here permanently, there are a number of tribes who spend a month or so at a time here and then return to their own villages. So the entrance fee is helping support the tribes. The range of handicrafts seemed genuine and reasonably priced with the money going directly to the villagers.
In terms of photos with the long neck ladies, it is expected that a small payment is appropriate. We gave 20 Baht to one lady for a photo which she gratefully accepted (and refused another 20 Baht that we offered).
All in all I thought it was a very interesting experience.
In terms of photos with the long neck ladies, it is expected that a small payment is appropriate. We gave 20 Baht to one lady for a photo which she gratefully accepted (and refused another 20 Baht that we offered).
All in all I thought it was a very interesting experience.
Written December 9, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Waypoint
Louisville, KY194 contributions
Dec 2014 • Couples
This goes way beyond a “tourist trap”. The weight of the coils on the women and young girls place pressure on the clavicles and cause deformities to create an impression of a longer neck. Supporting this place supports the torture of young girls who have rings put on their necks to attract tourists. Nothing seemed authentic about the “village”. We had a guide for the day, and while I stressed I did not want to see the Long Neck Karen tribe, he told me the hill tribe people were all in the same area. I did not understand that there would be an admission fee that 100% supports the Long Neck Karen tribe. From the looks of the place, it appears that they go buy goods in town to sell as their own. It was explained to us, that the other tribal people do not benefit from the admission fee, but hope to make sales from the tourist traffic that the Long Neck Karens generate. I travel experience I truly regret.
Written January 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How much time do we usually spend in this place? Is there somewhere to have lunch?
Written January 7, 2019
What is the best way to get to this location? How much is the transfer? Would this place have a parking lot? What would be the cost?
Written January 7, 2019
I'm visiting Chiang Mai early next year and would love to visit Baan Tong Luang village. Could you tell me if there is a way of getting there by public transport please. Pete
Written December 13, 2017
I did not see any signs of public transport in the immediate area of this village. We hired a driver in an air conditioned van to take us. A tuk tuk would also take you there. Transportation is not too costly in Chiang Mai area. For instance, our driver would drive us wherever we wanted to go for the whole day for 1500 baht. We were easily able to visit 4 different sites in a day and could have likely done more if needed.
Written December 15, 2017
oi, vc tem o contato desta guia de Chiang mai? obrigada
Written October 29, 2017
Many reviewers mentioned "their guide". Are there guides there to take us around and share information if we come on our own or are these guides from a tour company that brought people?
Written February 4, 2017
I have been there many times by myself and has never been offered guide's services, so I assume that guides are from tour companies.
Some of the younger people in the village speak English and all speak Thai. There are also explanation boards in English.
Written February 6, 2017
How do you get from Chiang Mai to the Baan Ton Luang? Can you take a taxi? Do they have taxis there at the village to take you back to Chiang Mai?
Thanks.
Written January 28, 2017

Michael O
Adelaide, Australia
1,013 contributions
Your best option would be by private car, or tuk tuk from Chiang Mai & have your driver wait for you. Neither one of these options are expensive. This is in the Mae Rim area & there are many things to do there, zip line, Bungy jump, shooting, ATV's, elephant rides, tigers, monkey shows, snake shows, a really good insect museum & much more. Probably best to plan a full day of activities out there & choose your mode of transport. I have used both. A private car is more comfortable, but a tuk tuk is a lot cheaper & a bit more fun.
Written January 28, 2017
If I go here without a chartered vehicle, could I hail some type of transportation to go back to Chiang Mai? I plan to go here after a half day visit to the elephant sanctuary.
Written June 14, 2016
It is a little way off a main road but if you dont mind the walk then I think it would be relatively easy to hail a tuk tuk or songthaew ( red pick up truck) or even a local bus. We hired a songthaew for the whole day and we went to the Tiger Kingdom, Elephant Camp, Wat Doi Suthep,and Baan Tong Luang and it cost us 800baht. Hope this helps.
Written June 14, 2016
We will be carrying our backpacks, do they have lockers or somewhere to leave them? Thanks
Written March 15, 2016
I didn't see lockers but there is an office building at the entrance where the admission ticket is purchased. It was a building, not a booth so there may be room there if you inquire.
The terrain is largely level except for the slight incline leading up to the old church so from a exertion standpoint, carrying the backpacks wouldn't require more effort than walking in town with them. Good luck, and enjoy. The Maesa elephant camp is quite nearby and worth a visit, too.
Written March 16, 2016
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