One of the most important festivals of the year took place in our little jungle neighborhood today. A festival was held to bring good luck for the next 365 days. Luck is the single most important thing in a rural Thai’s life. Health, prosperity, living or dying is all determined by luck. Some in the west may use the word karma, which is close enough in concept to be...
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Today was an interesting day here in Nakhon Nayok. A young man who lives down the road had a traditional “Khon Juk” or the “Top Knot Cutting” Ceremony. Not many Thai young men or women have a top knot today, it is part of traditional culture that is slipping away, and Kim was the only young person I have seen here that had a top knot. His parents...
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The last camp I visited on my month long holiday in North Thailand was Elephant Nature Park, Save Elephant Foundation. I was looking forward to this part of the trip as my correspondence with Diana Edelman had been both professional and inviting. As things turned out it was good that Elephant Nature Park was the last camp I visited, as they were the most unique of all...
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The reason I write about it is because you have the power to decide their future. It is your money, your tourist dollars and donations all of these camps want and need. You will choose the fate of the elephants. If you stop supporting what you don't like, it will go away. Think of Kodak and Kodachrome for a moment. Many people loved it, but not enough purchased it to keep it on the market. A giant became extinct, for lack of support. That is the power you have my friends, use it wisely.
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So the simple fact is, that anytime you see a young elephant on the street without it's mother (as all street elephants are) it's mother and possibly it's aunts have been killed by poachers. There is always one and up to three or more elephants that die when one baby is captured. It is estimated that two thirds of all young elephants are illegally smuggled into Thailand from Burma (Myanmar). Why does this atrocity happen? That is also an easy answer. A baby elephant can be sold for a million baht or more, depending on it's training. Documents can easily be altered, bribes paid, it is all too easy. It is big business my friends, very big business. It's all about money. Your money.
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Thanksgiving in Thailand as you might guess is no big deal. Probably in Bangkok there is some recognition of the holiday, and some celebrations. To those Thai’s that do recognize it, Thanksgiving only means the start of the Christmas season, and Christmas is a big deal, with decorations already up. In Thailand Christmas has to do with Santa Claus, and selling...
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I had allot of fun making this book. I chose images that fit into the fine art category, and you won’t find in any of my other books. All of my books will be available as fine art editions through my publisher PhotoBook Maker. This is a rather long process as I personally design the layout and master each image for the books, so please be patient. A word on iBooks....
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11/11/12. The end of the rice harvest in Nakhon Nayok, Thailand will mark a year that I have been documenting the daily lives of the local people. For the farmers it will mean completing the cycle of the land. Harvesting crops the world over means two things to a farmer, income and food. Rice can be harvested a couple of different times. One can harvest early and...
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