Elephant • An elephant growing out of the wall at Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai.

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Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai

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Pots • Pots on sale at a Sunday market in Chiang Mai.

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Bags • Bags on sale at a Sunday market in Chiang Mai.

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Wat Bupparam • Flags hang outside Wat Bupparam in Chiang Mai.

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Statues • Statues at Wat Bupparam in Chiang Mai.

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Statues • Statues at Wat Bupparam in Chiang Mai.

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Ceiling • The ceiling at Wat Bupparam in Chiang Mai.

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Jade Buddha • A jade statue at Wat Bupparam in Chiang Mai.

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Ceiling • The wood-panelled ceiling at Wat Bupparam in Chiang Mai.

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Gardening • A monk waters his plants at Wat Bupparam in Chiang Mai.

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Dragons • A dragon statue at Wat Bupparam in Chiang Mai.

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Boat • A passenger boat on the river at Chiang Mai.

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Tuk tuk • Girls wave from their Tuk tuk outside a Chiang Mai tour agency. They saw me photographing them and the building behind them and turned and waved.

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Cookery school • One of the teachers preparing curry at the Chiang Mai Cookery School. The teachers at the school, which I attended for two days, gave demonstrations in a classroom with raked seating, and a mirror at a 45° angle over their workbench so that we could see exactly what they were doing. This photo is taken in that mirror. After the demonstrations we would go out to practise.

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Cookery school • One of the teachers preparing a Thai salad at the Chiang Mai Cookery School. The teachers at the school, which I attended for two days, gave demonstrations in a classroom with raked seating, and a mirror at a 45° angle over their workbench so that we could see exactly what they were doing. This photo is taken in that mirror. After the demonstrations we would go out to practise.

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Curry pastes • Curry pastes on sale in the market at Chiang Mai. We were given a tour of the market, examining ingredients, on my second day at the Chiang Mai Cookery School.

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Chillies • Semi-dried chillies on sale at the market in Chiang Mai. We were given a tour of the market, examining ingredients, on my second day at the Chiang Mai Cookery School.

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Vegetables • Vegetables on sale at the market in Chiang Mai. We were given a tour of the market, examining ingredients, on my second day at the Chiang Mai Cookery School.

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Vegetables • Vegetables on sale at the market in Chiang Mai. We were given a tour of the market, examining ingredients, on my second day at the Chiang Mai Cookery School.

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Garlic • Garlic on sale at the market in Chiang Mai. We were given a tour of the market, examining ingredients, on my second day at the Chiang Mai Cookery School.

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Beans • Various dried beans on sale at the market in Chiang Mai. We were given a tour of the market, examining ingredients, on my second day at the Chiang Mai Cookery School.

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Fruit-sellers • A couple of fruit-sellers at the market in Chiang Mai. We were given a tour of the market, examining ingredients, on my second day at the Chiang Mai Cookery School. Behind the two men you can see a poster advertising one of the political parties; I was in Thailand in March 2006, during the campaign for the extraordinary General Election called by the Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra after he had been the subject of much dissatisfaction in Thailand. He won the election, but it was declared invalid by the Thai courts. Thaksin was thrown out of office by a military coup on 19th September, 2006.

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Sompon Nabnian • Sompon Nabnian, the founder and owner of the Chiang Mai Cookery School, gave us a lesson on my second day (of two) at the school.

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Sompon Nabnian • Sompon Nabnian, the founder and owner of the Chiang Mai Cookery School, gave us a lesson on my second day (of two) at the school.

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Chicken with vegetables • My own efforts at Thai cooking. I didn’t reduce the liquid quite enough here.

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Green curry • My own efforts at Thai cooking.

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Night market • A stall selling clothes at the Chiang Mai night market.

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Cushions and Lamps • Some tourists examine lamps on sale at Chiang Mai night market.

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Lamps • Lamps, variously made of paper and fabric, on sale at Chiang Mai night market.

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Sukhothai • Sukhothai was the capital of Thailand 1238–1438.

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Watering the trees • I couldn’d understand why they were watering the trees when I arrived at the Sukhothai Historical Park: there were glowering clouds overhead and the air was thick with humidity. Sure enough, that afternoon I was caught in forty-five minutes of very heavy rain.

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Sukhothai Historical Park • Remnants of structures which formed the old Thai capital of Sukhothai in the 13th–15th Centuries.

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Sukhothai Historical Park

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Sukhothai Historical Park

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Sukhothai Historical Park • Ruins at Sukhothai Historical Park.

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Buddha • A large stone Buddha in Sukhothai Historical Park. Although the surroundings are ruins, the authorities evidently see fit to keep the Buddha’s golden paint fresh.

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Sukhothai Historical Park • The heavy clouds overhead were about to open.

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Sukhothai Historical Park • A lake in Sukhothai Historical Park.

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Rain • Heavy rain at Sukhothai Historical Park. Fortunately I was able to shelter under a roof, which I had spied out beforehand since I was certain the rain would come.

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Rain • Heavy rain at Sukhothai Historical Park. Fortunately I was able to shelter under a roof, which I had spied out beforehand since I was certain the rain would come.

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Rain • This coconut was forced off the tree during the forty-five minutes of heavy rain at Sukhothai Historical Park. Fortunately I was able to shelter under a roof, which I had spied out beforehand since I was certain the rain would come.

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Dog • A very wet dog runs past during the heavy rain at Sukhothai Historical Park. Fortunately I was able to shelter under a roof, which I had spied out beforehand since I was certain the rain would come.

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After the rain • The heavy rain at Sukhothai Historical Park passed, leaving a great deal of surface water on the ground.

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After the rain • The heavy rain at Sukhothai Historical Park passed, leaving a great deal of surface water on the ground.

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Motorcycle • A motorocycle parked by its owner after the heavy rain at Sukhothai Historical Park.

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Bell • A bell at Sukhothai Historical Park.

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After the rain • The clouds passed over Sukhothai Historical Park; since it was the end of the day everything was already in shadow with the sun getting ever lower in the sky.

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