Lanna (or Lan Na), translating to "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields," is a historic civilization and cultural region in northern Thailand, cantered around Chiang Mai, which flourished from the 13th to the 18th century. While it was absorbed into the Siamese state (now Thailand) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Lanna retains a distinct identity in architecture, art, cuisine, and language. Founded by King Mangrai in 1292, the capital was established in Chiang Mai in 1296. The kingd...

There comes a time when you stop searching and just stop. Stop and listen to yourself and not the world humming around you. This is all it takes to find yourself, God and your intuition. These poems are thoughts from the eternal universe meant to act somewhat like Zen Koans and make you not think. I often reference the God in every atom.

I am slowly learning to say something profound with a photograph. At my age that is not a good thing but better than nothing. I cannot jump on a jet anytime and go off and shoot what's on my mind. So, as a compromise, every couple of years I add some words to my photos to do just that. The words relate to the following picture so I hope you can read the words and imagine what the picture will be.I have been a photographer all my life and are only now realizing the joy of images and...

There is no obvious reason why humans are so willful, greedy, and stupid. We are happy to destroy the planet and blame it on other people. These pictures show how many people in Asia, of all ages, are happy to ride a bicycle or motorcycle to go shopping or for work. They save money, on the purchase of an expensive car and on fuel. You can often see a family of four on one motorbike happily going to the market to shop or a group of students going to school. This reduces pollution and consum...

Spirituality refers to us being souls that coexist on earth and in heaven, both of which are spiritual realms. When the outside world becomes grossly materialistic and 'nonspiritual' like now in 2024, we all need to connect to our souls and our spiritual energies. This means disconnecting from the world of the internet, politics, race, and religion so we can then focus on the only truth, our inner selves. This can be through yoga, meditation, gardening, walking, art, and any activity that ...

Children are the fresh light of the universe shining on the Earth. They have the joy, creativity, love, and wisdom that comes directly from heaven which helps the older generations who are tired, materially wanting and somewhat battered in every way to remember where they came from. I have no doubt that children are smarter, more loving, and creative than 'adults' who all make the same mistake thinking they are not because they have such small bodies. NASA has recently done research on chi...

Nature often goes and never comes back. The planet is in a poor state now. More and more people spend more time inside a screen than they do in nature. The common human drive to be rich and powerful is destroying life as we know it. The outcome, end of the world, is what we deserve. This book of photographs is about honoring and reminding people of nature and its important contribution to our survival and happiness: The planet is not something we play with, it is more important than all of...

There is a wonderful openness in the East that celebrates community, family and shared destiny. In the West street photographers have to work hard to capture people who are openly expressing themselves in public. In the East this is the opposite. Some examples are: people going to the market early in the morning in their pajamas. Complete families going shopping together on one motorbike. Front doors open to the street exposing or showing off their living room. There is a humbleness that c...

A collection of street photographs of rural Thailand by photographer Roditch. I have been a photographer for over 50 years. In this collection my aim is to promote Thailand as a place of great religion, industry and culture. That Thailand has much to offer the world on how to live more happily and sustainability.

Inspiring art and artists from Thailand. Thailand has a long history craftsmanship and art that you can see in the temples and palace. This tradition continues today. Many artists in Thailand are highly skilled and can create masterpieces, especially those depicitng Buddha and nature. This book is a salute to the skill and dedication of all the artists in Thailand practicing either traditionl or modern art. I hope that when you visit Thailand the art will equally inspire you as the do the ...

Family is everything. We often live out our self-created faiths, first, within the family. All going well we will have a strong foundation for the rest of our lives: a combination of what we learned as children and ongoing support. It is good to honor our parents and grandparents, this is thinking positively, sometimes it is impossible if our destinies appear to clash. My father taught me many good things which I ignored, unfortunately. Now he is gone I reflect on all his wise teachings th...

We can choose to stay inside, safe and secure from the world, the beehive of humanity, or we can step out of the shadows into the light and participate in the 'Great Play'. Wearing yourself on your sleeve and willingly being part of the collective. As a street photographer I like to get to know people better and in a moment capture their honest and vulnerable self which definitely enriches my soul in the making of a connection. Like any art can I guess. These streets are in the East and of...