The Kayan are a group of the Karenni people, a Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority of Myanmar. They are also known as Padaung. In the 1990's, due to conflict with the military regime in Burma, many Kayan tribes people fled into neighbouring Thailand. There they live with an uncertain legal status in the border area, in villages set up to display them to tourists willing to pay to admire their particular body modification, which consists of coiling lengths of brass around the necks of the women. There are around 7,000 members of the Kayan tribe.

Women of the tribe wear ornaments known as neck rings, brass coils that are placed around the neck. These coils are first applied to young girls when they are about five years old. Each coil is replaced with longer coils as the weight of the brass pushes down the collar bone and compresses the rib cage. As more rings are added, the neck begins to lengthen.

Many ideas regarding why the coils are worn have been suggested, often formed by visiting anthropologists. Some believe the coils protect from tiger bites, while others think they protected women from becoming slaves by making them less attractive to other tribes. It has also been suggested that the coils give the women resemblance to a dragon, an important figure in Kayan folklore.

The origin of the tradition is not known. Kayan women, when asked, acknowledge these ideas, but usually say their purpose for wearing the rings is for cultural identity (one associated with beauty). The rings, once on, are seldom removed, as it is somewhat a lengthy procedure. Contrary to popular belief, the women do not suffocate if the rings are removed. Many women have removed the rings for medical examinations. Most women prefer to wear the rings once their necks are elongated, as their necks and collar bones are often bruised and discoloured from being hidden behind brass for so long, and of course also because the collar after ten years or more of continuous wear, feels like an integral part of the body.

The government of Burma began discouraging this tradition as it struggled to appear more modern to the developed world. Consequently, many women began breaking the tradition. However, the practice has gained popularity in recent years because it draws tourists who bring business to the tribe.