Tag: trinn suwannapha

Posted on

Unreliable Bangkok 1: Smell

Photograph of Khlong Saen Saeb Canal, Bangkok

When I arrived in Bangkok a fortnight ago, the first thing I noticed was the smell. But before I discuss matters of odour, let me explain how I’ll bring you my traveller’s tales…

As I’ve mentioned before, I wanted to spend my time in Thailand experiencing the country, not writing. I didn’t want to see it through the viewfinder of a camera either, but directly with my own eyes. So I didn’t take notes, and my only photos are a few pimple-cam images for reference.

Now that I’m back in Sydney, I’ll write a daily essay. Each one will be a personal, even idiosyncratic reflection. I probably won’t write about tourist things. Indeed, ’Pong and I avoided most standard tourist sites. But without notes, this will be an Unreliable Bangkok memoir — hence the title.

So, smell…

Continue reading “Unreliable Bangkok 1: Smell”

Posted on

Focussed, highly focussed

Photo of Trinn Suwannapha taken on the train returning to central Bangkok from Don Mueng

Just as I’ve decided to leave my detailed travel writing about Thailand until I return to Sydney, ’Pong hasn’t posted much on his website yet — preferring to shoot many, many gigabytes of imagery to edit upon his return. But having looked at some of the raw images, you’re in for a treat.

I shot the image above using my pimple-cam last week, when we caught the train back to central Bangkok after spending six hours (!) hanging about the Don Mueang district government office sorting out his voter registration for the forthcoming Thai general election. How focussed, eh?

Other notes:

  • Don’t let your identity card expire and then leave it for 5 years before trying to renew it.
  • Do the address change and the radical hairstyle change before renewing your card and asking the staff to believe you’re the same person.
  • Even though I was the only farang in the area, ’Pong’s bleached mohawk hairstyle attracted far more attention.

We’re really going to enjoy writing about our journey!

Posted on

Trapped in a bus

Photo: self-portrait of ’Pong through a bus window

12 days to the election, 17 days to Thailand. That’s going to be one amazing transition: election day, hangover day, travel day, then right into the Loy Krathong festival.

’Pong, scouting ahead, is trapped in a broken bus (pictured).

So far he’s only posted images of his arrival in Bangkok (including that aforementioned 3-litre chilled beer dispenser) and now these of a bus journey gone wrong. Not enough bandwidth to upload more, at least not at a decent price.

This impending trip is starting to take on reality for me.

Posted on

How this ordinary aircraft will change my life

Photograph of Thai Airways International Boeing 747-400 at Sydney Airport

This Boeing 747-400, photographed at Sydney airport last Friday, belongs to Thai Airways International. If you happen to have decent eyesight, you can confirm this by the fact that it has “Thai” painted on the side. Ownership is not about paint, however.

If you paint “Thai” on my side, I do not then become the property of Thai Airways, not even if you’re employed by Thai Airways to do so. Paint is just paint, whereas ownership of property is an abstract concept. A concept which can be supported or asserted by paint or other physical signs, but still an abstract concept which can only be agreed upon by sentient beings.

But what about another concept: nationality?

Nationality is not about paint either. Paint “Thai” on my side if you like. If you use the right brush I might even enjoy it. But I won’t become even remotely Thai. However is nationality something which is just agreed upon? Or is there something essential — in the core meaning of the word, having to do with essence — which makes someone immutably Thai or Australian or Czech or Chinese?

And how does nationality relate to similar concepts, such as ethnicity or race or culture?

I usually don’t think about these categories. The variation within them outweighs the supposed differences. People of every nationality range from amiable to arsehole. However that aircraft — that specific aircraft — has brought it all into focus.

Continue reading “How this ordinary aircraft will change my life”

Posted on

Portraits of photographers in the Puritan church

Photograph of Trinn Suwannapha in Paddington Uniting Church

Last night ’Pong (pictured) and I went to the opening of In Your Face, an exhibition of photographs of photographers taken by other photographers showing until 4 November at Paddington Uniting Church.

This photo is not one of them, and ’Pong wasn’t one of the photographers. I just reckon this was a curious painting to hang in a church, and ’Pong liked it. So I took a photo with my pimple-cam.

Paddington Uniting Church intrigued me. Their motto is “Faith Inclusiveness Justice Creativity”, and out the front there’s a sign explaining their “progressive” mission.

Continue reading “Portraits of photographers in the Puritan church”