Bangkok/ChiangMai
December 2005
{Orders In Layers}
The city lifelines held on to its promise of bringing order to an otherwise hellish city life.
{The Honda Country}
A familiar sight of Honda manufactured taxis and private vehicles tightly packed on choked city roads. We're back!
{Artistic Bomb}
Not a single square cm of this artwork escaped the careful eyes of the sculptor.
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{Didn't the Monks Feed You?}
He sent me on a fruitless frenzy in search of anything edible. Too bad he didn't accept cash.
{The Shutter Button, Now}
My camera caught sight of yet another interesting piece of handicraft works while pondering upon the sky, and pestered me to not let this pass without snapping it to eternity.
{Layered Madness}
Multi-coloured tiles embraced each other on acres of rooftop estate above one of the thousands of temples in Bangkok.
{Sleeping Bikes}
On the temple entrance, two sleeping giants patiently awaited their masters to complete their holistic rituals.
{Can You Tell My Age?}
Peeling paintworks worked better on desaturated photos than on actual walls.
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{All That Glitter}
A statue of this magnitude would demand nothing less than a true potrayal of its glorious colours.
{Paint My Way}
At the monastery, builders were allowed the luxury of worldly indulgence only in the form of brightly-coloured doors.
{Double Madness}
The bustle of the city took on a higher level of madness on the Monorail tracks right above.
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{Seeing Red}
Clever selection of the right colour meant you will never miss your entrance again.
{Take Me Home}
Exquisite artworks begged to bring artistic touches to your modest homes.
{Beyond The Doors}
Renovation works afforded a quiet peek into the world beyond brightly-coloured doors.
{Bustle Reloaded}
Tracks criss-crossing to emphasize modernity at a busy Monorail interchange station.
''''''''
{City Life}
A Bangkok city folk hurried pass a colour-coordinated set of doors, oblivious to the fact that
he was being snappe d into perpetual existence by an eager tourist in a speeding taxi nearby.
{Where's My Sunscreen?}
The remorseless UV rays seemed more effective in keeping passengers behind the yellow lines than any security officers.
{Digital Services On Forgotten Quarters}
The New and the Old constantly contrast each other in this vibrant cityscape.
{Departs 1925}
The train ride to Chiang Mai was once in a lifetime - Once I took it, I'm not taking another one in this lifetime.
''''''''
{Tracks Mania}
Yet another shot of the city's lifeline as we struggled to stay in the shades.
{Forest In The Backyard}
At the quaint little Chiang Mai hotel, it's worth spending time venturing within for a start.
{Pavement With A View}
The resourceful seed found a nesting place far away from the maddening competition on more fertile grounds.
{Making A Wet Entrance}
The quiet drizzle on a Monday morning in ChiangMai was a welcomed change.
{Come My Way}
Even hinges on wooden doors deserved a closer inspection.
'''''''
{Working Hard In The Gym?}
Exquisites artworks were the building blocks of life in this laid back town.
{Bamboos and A Spotlight}
A resourceful workforce left no place for cheap manmade alternatives.
{Did I Hear The Shutter?}
The monk temporarily lost focus as curious tourists overstayed their welcome.
{Rising From The Plain}
The colour gold marked structural elements that had been given attention to details.
{A Cool Dog}
Chiang Mai folks carry everything under the sun on their bikes, including their beloved pets.
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{Back to the 70s}
Worn leather cushions provided the perfect compliment to age-old rattan chairs.
{Beautiful Nothings}
Peacock feathers-inspired handicraft items were darlings, but I tried in vain to find a good use for this at home.
{Full House}
Another attempt at ferrying beloved pets on bikes, make it two.
'''''''
{What You Hiding?}
Umbrellas may make wonderful gifts, but did I hear of the ancient tales of ghosts residing
beneath their covers?
{Kitchen On Water}
Traders cook food for all to see in this ancient twist of open kitchen concept.
{Paragon Parade}
Our stay timed with the opening of a glorious shopping mall right in the heart of Siam. No shopaholics with us, halleluyah.
'''''''
{A Green House}
Tiny fishes swam playfully close to the protective cover of their home.
{Check The Price}
Will dine here only if I'm on business trips.
{Still Needing My Sunscreen}
Be it artificial or natural shades, as long as their work.
{878 Hours And Counting}
I lost count of the number of animals crafted into this gigantic panel of masterpiece.
'''''''
{Buy My Ware?}
The old lady searched in vain for potential clients who would offer good price for her
sweet-smelling nangka.
'''''''
{Hectic Ride}
Maneuvering on the congested waterways of the floating market choked with eager traders
and curious tourists required the patience of Lord Buddha Himself.
{I Need To Destress}
Taking a cigarette break while waiting for the path to clear.
{Partime Traffic Police}
An exotic creature seemed to have appeared from beneath the murky water to bring further disorder to the already chaotic traffic.
{The Futile Mind Game}
The little boy sulked in vain as Nanny turned on a deaf ear, yet again, to his tenth attempt in getting his hands on the new toy he saw at the market this morning.
{When the Going Gets Tough}
Just relax and soak in the atmosphere, while sipping on coconut water and enjoying a bowl of authentic Thai noodle soup.
{Heading For Round Two}
Traffic thinned at the very end of the floating market, which was when our lady peddler made a U turn and headed back into the chaos.
'''''''
{Come Drop In}
A fresh new perspective from the overhead bridge that went across the river.
''''''''
{Make Way For The Umbrella}
Someone else forgot his/her sunscreen too.
''''''''
{Highway Man}
Making yet another round to pick up tourists eager to pay top bahts to get on water.
''''''''
{Just Fans?}
Someone please teach this trader about optimum use of space for maximum returns
on her floating stall.
{Farewell Bangkok Skies}
Cotton candy clouds reminded us to return soon as we dragged our heavy hearts back to KL. Till the next season.
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