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Thailand!   Point to pictures for more text; click for larger views.
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Faces
Fellow ferry passengers. The Thai people we met seemed confident and relaxed and had no problem posing for photos.
92k		 Young woman picknicker, Koh Samui.
97k		 Beautiful mother and child, Koh Samui.
87k
1. Happy family.   2. Best smile. 3. Bath time.
This man had ran a dilapidated soft-drink stall part-way up a long, steep trail to a Koh Samui waterfall. I was drenched with sweat on reaching his spot, so very grateful for the cokes he was selling.
85k		 One of the gracious young men who punted us in a bamboo raft down a river in the Chiang Mai region.
67k		 A cheerful student who was a participant in a large street parade in Chiang Mai called out to us in impeccable English asking us if we were enjoying ourselves.
37k
4. Soft-drink vendor. 5. Punter. 6. On parade.
A woman from a village we visited in the hilly northern Thailand. She had lived through the days when opium was the main source of income for her village; now it was tourism.
103k		 Another 'hill-tribe' woman. Because tourism was their main income these people had to endure tourists like ourselves traipsing through their village all day.
98k		 Pre-school village children. We visited the village school which was fully funded by the Thai government. Free meals were provided for all the pupils.
97k
7. Village elder. 8. Cultural mixes. 9. 'We're not sure of you!'.

Dance
Northern hill-tribe women dancing, Chiang Mai.
100k		 Male dancer in butterfly costume with movable wings, Chiang Mai
67k		 Thai classical dance is graceful and dignified. The dancers wear fingernail extensions to make the appear even more elegant. Chiang Mai.
66k
10. Women's dance. 11. Butterfly dance. 12. Classical dance.
 
The accompaniment for this dance was provided by the sounds of rice grains being shuffled and tossed in the woven trays the dancers carry. Chiang Mai.
47k		 Dance musicians with traditional Thai instruments. The main melody was carried by the man at the right who played this large xylophone. Chiang Mai. (A talented young man who here plays a mandolin like instrument also performed as a dancer and an expert drummer).
81k		 Part of a free dance performance during Chiang Mai's Loy Krothong festival.
67k
13. Rice dance. 14. Musicians. 15. For the public.
Northern hill-tribe child dancing (most preciciously) for coins, Chiang Mai.
47k		 Two dancers from a troupe of many hundreds of dancers, prior to a magnificent evening performance at a Loy Krothong festival pageant, Sukhothai.
83k		 Three dancers who had just danced major roles in the pageant.
66k
16. Dancing child. 17. Before the event. 18. After the event.

A sprinkling of Buddhas
'Giant' Buddha, Koh Samui in 'subduing Mara' position. The speck at the top of the stairs is a person. This Buddha dominates the landscape for many kilometres.
66k		 Walled in Buddha, Sukhothai, also 'subduing Mara'. This is a larger Buddha than appears here. The opening to the left is at the level of the eyes and is a normal size doorway.
45k		 An elegant Buddha image in walking/teaching position, Sukhothai.
60k
19. Giant Buddha.   20. Walled-in Buddha. 21. Buddha in nook.
A particularly beautiful, almost feminine, depicition of Buddha, Sukhothai.
59k		 The head of an enormous golden reclining Buddha, Bangkok. This photograph taken looking up towards the ceiling.
70k		 A very tall, outdoor Buddha, Bangkok. The headpiece represents an 'enlightened' Buddha.
35k     134kk
22. Elegant Buddha.   23. Reclining Buddha. 24. Enlightened Buddha.

Some temples
Royal temple complex, Bangkok. This is a vast, sprawling collection of ornate and highly decorated temples.
93k		 Royal temple complex, Bangkok.
89k		 Wat Phrathad Doi Suthep (AD 1384). This very holy temple stands high above the city of Chiang Mai and its surrounding countryside.
103k
25. Royal temple.   26. Royal temple. 27. Hilltop temple.
Wat Phrathad Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai.
87k		 Ruins of a Khmer style temple near Sukhothai.
97k     227k		 Sri Satchanalai, Sukhothai. A ruins of the first temple and palace complex in Thailand.
101k
28. Hilltop temple.   29. Temple ruins. 10. Ancient ruins.
 


Click here to find out more about traditional Thai instruments.
And here for an extensive site on Thai culture.


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This page was last updated December 28, 2003