The Kayan are an ethnic minority of Burma. Women of the various Kayan tribes identify themselves by their different form of dress. The Kayan Lahwi tribe are the most renowned as they wear ornaments known as neck rings, brass coils that are placed around the neck. The government of Burma has discouraged this practice in its efforts to modernize and ease some of the cultural restrictions placed upon women. Consequently, many women in Burma began breaking the tradition, though a few older women still wear them and in remote villages some of the younger girls as well. In Thailand, however, the practice has gained popularity in recent years because it draws tourists who bring business to the tribe.
Coils are first applied to young girls when they are around six years old. Each coil is replaced with longer coil, as the weight of the brass pushes the collar bone down and compresses the rib cage. Contrary to popular belief, the neck is not actually lengthened; the illusion of a stretched neck is created by the deformation of the clavicle.
The Daily Omnivore 
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