In October of 2016, I arrived in Bangkok as a visitor to a city in mourning. In daily life, time often moves too quickly for us to perceive, its passing going unnoticed. But following King Bhumibol’s death, time made itself known, present. I could sense moments slowing down through the collective mourning of the Thai people. Later in the evenings, time would snap back up, catching up to the non-stop nightlife that the city is known for. It was an ebb and flow of time I had never experienced before, and I hoped to capture it through my photographs.
Below is an excerpt from my personal journal:
-Bangkok, October 29, 2016
How to feel time’s presence after a king dies? Just two weeks after King Bhumibol's death, the days here seem to move in ripples. Like water curling from the wake of those who journey on a timeless river. Within the heart of Thailand, this wake is felt like tiny waves of time, coming and going, slowing down and speeding up the pace of the city.
To Bangkok: No one truly disappears and nothing is truly lost. He lives beneath the surface of that timeless river, within reach for whoever traverse it. He lives in the unspoken understanding that passes from person to person, each interaction a precious, small gift. What lies in our hands now are those gifts: grace, dignity and humanity, given to and from the hearts of the Thai people.
We cannot let ourselves be trapped in the uncertainty of what comes next. Let our hearts beat together as we feel the boundlessness of “now.” Together we feel time’s presence.
Below is an excerpt from my personal journal:
-Bangkok, October 29, 2016
How to feel time’s presence after a king dies? Just two weeks after King Bhumibol's death, the days here seem to move in ripples. Like water curling from the wake of those who journey on a timeless river. Within the heart of Thailand, this wake is felt like tiny waves of time, coming and going, slowing down and speeding up the pace of the city.
To Bangkok: No one truly disappears and nothing is truly lost. He lives beneath the surface of that timeless river, within reach for whoever traverse it. He lives in the unspoken understanding that passes from person to person, each interaction a precious, small gift. What lies in our hands now are those gifts: grace, dignity and humanity, given to and from the hearts of the Thai people.
We cannot let ourselves be trapped in the uncertainty of what comes next. Let our hearts beat together as we feel the boundlessness of “now.” Together we feel time’s presence.
Flowers at Sanam Luang
Laundry Worker Cleaning Black Clothes
Bangkok After an October Rain
Coins of The King and Queen
Interior of a Memorial Shrine
Behind the Hair of a Cart Bike Driver
King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit
Street Oysters and Virgin Marys
Changing Displays
Light from the Bottom
A Shave Almost Complete
Ready to Provide
Reflection in a Gate
A Passenger Inside
A Bangkok Tourist Map
King Bhumibol Upheld