Such a tourist.

The trick is to wait until there are no tourists in the shot right?

It has certainly been my motto over the last 6 months of this blog. Frankly, they’re just not a pretty sight. They don’t represent the culture of Thailand and they usually dress funny!

Some tourists represent their stereotype so blatantly. I suppose we’ve all been there. I remember my first journey into SE Asia; Dreadlocked hair, braided bracelet, sleeveless t-shirt. A wide eyed face coupled with a defiant look of ‘I’m very well travelled you know’.

I feel an odd stigma to being a tourist. When walking with my camera I’m often asked if I want a tuk-tuk ride or a massage, I quickly reply in Thai (with the limited vocabulary I have!) to ensure they realise I am NOT A TOURIST!!  Then there are those times when I’ve been visiting a well trodden tourist site and suddenly surrounded by a bus load of tourists I cringe at the idea that I may be mistaken for one of their pack. Ridiculous concerns; as even separated from the group, and having lived here for 9 months I am still a tourist to all of the locals I meet. With my Nikon camera, My khaki shorts, a sweaty t-shirt and a backpack with water bottle in the side web.

But to be fair, the tourist has been a part of the Bangkok ‘culture’ for years! You couldn’t say they are part of tradition, but as soon as the first colonials arrived they started buying, bargaining and behaving badly and their presence has influenced the way Thai people do business, advertise and educate themselves to this day.

On June 1, 2013, Time magazine reported that Bangkok was identified as the most visited city in the world by the 2013 Global Destination Cities Index. (excerpt from wikipedia). So I guess it would be wrong for me to document my time in this city without including a few photos of the people who make up nearly 7% of the GDP.

Please let me know if you spot yourself in this lot – All photography taken with the utmost respect! 🙂