i dream of traveling the world & along the way, sharing stories of the places i visit & people i meet. | @restlessearthling

Apr 23, 2016

Places & Faces. | Chiangrai, Thailand

It all started five years back when I accompanied a church group to the northern region of Thailand — we’d go around different villages each day in hopes of providing medical support to the indigenous locals there. That very trip in 2011 was nothing short of life-changing — it allowed a young, immature boy to see firsthand issues of poverty, ethnic segregation, state intervention and lack of proper healthcare but also cultural diversity and the beauty of the world around him. The trip certainly inspired me to want to explore the world more and capture precious moments in my travels.

**Livelihood** — While the men of the hill tribe households in Thailand spend their days in the fields, the women contribute in various ways such as handicraft, taking care of the children and bringing the harvested crops to the urban areas to sell to both tourists and lowlanders alike. In this photo is an Akha lady and her child selling sweet potatoes in the city area. (Chiangrai, Thailand, 2015)

**Curiosity** — A bunch of curious village kids looking at a drone about to take flight. I shot this in Mehmon village, home to the Akha people, in Northern Thailand. (Chiangrai, Thailand, 2015)

**Home** — Thailand, like most Southeast Asian countries, is characterized by highland ethnic communities, known as hill tribes, and lowland Thais. I photographed this village known as Lao Sip which is in Chiangrai, the northern part of Thailand. Villagers here are of the Akha tribe and they build their houses and toilets using bamboo for the walls and tin for the roofs. (Chiangrai, Thailand, 2015)

**Breakfast** — “Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life.” — Confucius. A portrait of a young Akha village boy enjoying his breakfast. (Chiangrai, Thailand, 2015)

**Culture** — An Akha lady helps her daughter with her traditional headdress, made up of specially-woven embroidery. On a deeper level, after having captured this moment and upon reflection, the emotions of both individuals exemplifies cultural loss and its significance in today’s world — the young girl which represents younger generations often hold the responsibility to pass down cultural practices but as a result of modernization, there is much reluctance and increasing abandonment of such traditions. (Chiangrai, Thailand, 2015)

**Foreign** — A young Akha child looks on. I like this portrait due to the emotions that are being conveyed — a sense of apprehension but also curiosity as a stranger snaps the picture. (Chiangrai, Thailand, 2015)

**Education** — I met this boy in his village, Ban Mai, in Chiangrai two years back and chanced upon him again the next day when my team visited his school. He recognized me as I walked past and turned around, which was a perfect opportunity for the shot. His school was established by Pistorio Foundation, which is a non-profit based in Switzerland, aimed at improving the education of underprivileged children in more primitive settings. To date, it has completed 26 major projects and helped over 2000 children across northern Thailand. (Chiangrai, Thailand, 2014)

Photographed and edited by Nathaniel Soon (Nikon Coolpix L820)