Why should you go there and how do you do it right?

This is one of those places best thought about before visiting, not after. It's a small Kayan Lahwi settlement in Tha Sut, where women with brass neck rings sit in front of their handcrafted wares. You walk through, look around, buy something, and leave. Some travelers leave feeling they've made a genuine connection with the people. Others find the whole experience uncomfortably commercial, more like a spectacle than a real visit. Both interpretations are understandable, and which one you ultimately feel depends largely on your expectations.

If you do go, take your time. Buy directly from the women instead of dropping a slip of paper into a donation box, as this is the only way the money actually reaches the families. Dress appropriately. Ask before taking anyone's picture and accept a "no." A guide who knows the history of the Kayan people in Thailand and how these communities came to be here will teach you far more than the site itself, as there is very little information available on-site and the visit is essentially self-guided.