Before venturing off to Thailand for the first time, I had heard various stories of the place from numerous US military service members who had travelled to the country primarily under orders, although no one had to twist their arms, to participate in bilateral/multilateral training excercises. Word of this exciting Asian location led me to do a little research online. Of course, there are many images of children begging in the streets as well as the active night life that can be found almost anywhere you look. However, taking the time to make the treck was a rewarding experience, one that allowed me to take in some of the sights, sounds and smells for myself. I couldn't wait to get back home and share just a few of my pictures with others.You won't see examples of the aforementioned children or night life images in my posting, instead the intent is to shed some light on what I found to be interesting aspects to life in Southeast Asia. To be fair, perhaps I should rephrase that to say life on a long strip of just one section of a major city in Southeast Asia. Surely there is more to Thailand, even more to Bangkok than this photo grouping reveals. Still, I have included a few my favorites from that trip.
I was surprised to see so many vendors selling all sorts of items along Bangkok's busy streets. Items are available for purchase at all hours of the day or night -- even live puppies and rabbits! This guy saw me taking a few shots and decided to pose for me.
This, like the opening image, was taken at a corner shrine. Apparently as part of the worship, people can purchase caged birds and set them free. I'm not sure how much that service costs but just as I was about to leave, I saw this guy making his purchase. I found a good spot and waited for him to open the cage.
I decided walk back to the hotel one night and found this security guard knocked out. I'm pretty sure he was merely asleep but you never know... I took several pictures of him, from different angles but this one is probably the best. Notice that he had his shoes and hat off, with his hands behind his back. It made for a photo opportunity that I couldn't resist.
The "skytrain" was my main mode of transportation during the 2 week stay in Bangkok. The guards were there to ensure that no one got out of hand or crossed the yellow line before the train arrived. More to come...
