Visa Run

02 Apr 2014. Yangon, Myanmar. With antigovernment and pro government protestors mounting rallies in Bangkok over the coming weeks, I decided to do a visa run to Myanmar as to minimise my worries should things turn eerie.  In my three hours there, we head to the docks. An old Burmese man stood by watching men unload rice from ships. My driver told me that it is becoming increasingly rare to see people dressed with a headscarf like this in Yangon.

My thoughts exactly.

A young child presses their face against a perspex donation box at Lumpini Park. Anti-government protestors have moved the majority of their operations to the park. 

Wat Bang Phra

Wat Bang Phra is a famous temple situated just outside of Bangkok. People travel far and wide to have themselves tattooed by Buddhist monks. Once each year, the temple hosts a tattoo festival where offerings of lotus flowers are made. Many of the devoted become possessed by their animal spirit. Often this is in the shape of a tiger, bear, bird, or elephant. You'll have to excuse the colour shifts in these black and whites. It appears there is an issue with blogger.com

One of the thousands of worshipers who descended on the temple today. 

A guard's chest.

A possessed man is comforted by volunteer emergency services and guards

Devotees possessed by their spirit animal.

The Abbot blesses the crowd with holy water. Due to the masses, he uses a misted hose making the process both spiritual and efficient. 

A possessed man is comforted by volunteer emergency services and guards

Worshipers offer a wai (traditional greeting) to the temple's abbot

Scanning

So I bought myself a new scanner. Now to scan these hundreds of images I bought in Vietnam..

Exiled to Nowhere

Greg Constantine's exhibition Exiled to Nowhere opened last night in Bangkok. A series of powerful stories accompanied by haunting images displayed in an abandoned bank.

http://www.exiledtonowhere.com/ 

Airport

I've been flying a lot lately. This was on a trip from BKK to Jak. 

The Popcorn Hero

Antigovernment protestors have begun treat one of the shooters in the gun fight at Laksi as a hero. This evening I found a bobblehead doll at the Lumpini protest site.