Thai Photographer Searches For Rustic Beauty of Three Mekong Countries

A woman in a rural area of Myanmar. Photo courtesy of Sutipond Somnam

Sutipond Somnam is a freelance photographer living in Sakon Nakhon Province in northeastern Thailand.

At first his interest was still photography but after several times of traveling to new lands, he started to fall in love with the nature.

In a recent trip to rural areas in Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar, he gained interesting experience and had a rustic but gorgeous photo album.

Photo courtesy of Sutipond Somnam

His photos capture simple moments of local people's lives in three Mekogn countries. Photo courtesy of Sutipond Somnam

Sutipond loves to tell others about life in Thailand through his photos. To do this, he traveled all over his country to take photos and shared them on social networks. He even sold some of his photos to pay for the trips.

Sutipond chose Bagan to embark on his first trip with his colleagues which lasted for one week in 2016.

Bagan is an ancient city recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in Myanmar.

Air balloons in the sunrise of Bagan. Photo courtesy of Sutipond Somnam

“I was impressed with the atmosphere in Bagan in the morning. I watched the sunrise and witnessed dozens of balloons hovering over the temples," Sutipond said.

Sutipond and his colleagues decided to visit new places to take photos at least once a year.

Mu Cang Chai, a town in the north of Vietnam, was Sutipond’s next stop after Bagan.

“I like this place very much. The terraces on the high mountain slopes are beautiful. The weather here is suitable for taking pictures of nature,” he said.

The mountainous district of Mu Cang Chai attracts a large number of tourists and photographers thanks to its rice paddy fields.

Terraced rice paddy fields are signature scenery of the Vietnamese northern region. Photo courtesy of Sutipond Somnam

Sutipond Somnam and his friend also shot unique footage during their trip to Mu Cang Chai.

“It took us half a day by motorbike to reach Mu Cang Chai. My friend and I then climbed to the top of a 1,000m high mountain.

“When I reached the observatory, I could only say 'WOW' to the scenery appearing in front of my eyes. This was a reward for the tough climbing trip I just went through,” he said.

Photo courtesy of Sutipond Somnam

A lotus pond in Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Sutipond Somnam

Sutipond said tourists to any place should search as much as possible about the climate of the regions they intend to visit.

“When you travel on many days, you should not bring too many clothes because you can buy them at the destinations.”

This picture captures local people in Myanmar. They used to be forest elephant catchers, but now they are working at elephant farms. Photo courtesy of Sutipond Somnam

His photos show how rustic Thai countryside is. Photo courtesy of Sutipond Somnam

This photo was taken in Surin, Thailand at a charity photo session for local elephant breeders. Photo courtesy of Sutipond Somnam

Sutipond took this photo in Nong Khai Province, Thailand. Photo courtesy of Sutipond Somnam

Sutipond has a dream of exploring the secret little-known places in the world with his camera.

He hopes that through the photos, he can find like-minded friends for his future trips.

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