I recently spent 3 weeks photographing and exploring Thailand..

What better place to start than Bangkok, this mega city offers so many places to explore and photograph,

Bangkok;

An obvious and popular place to start is the old town, temples to explore and views at the river side act for some good photos, remembering it is extremely touristy and you may only come away with typical photos from this area, but don’t let that stop you going, you may find some new perspectives and even if your only exploring as a tourist here you won’t regret it.

You also have the more modern area of Sukhumvit and lumphini, here you can find rooftops and high rise coffee shops to get views over the city.

Chinatown by day or night is a great area for photography, but note that it is an extremely crowded part of the city.

Good light can help a lot in this city for images, but there are endless amounts of local activities and subjects to photograph without feeling the need to only shoot in perfect condition.

The biggest thing to note is that photographing Bangkok is fun no matter what images you walk away with, also creating connection and small interaction with locals makes for a great reason alone to be carrying a camera around.

Chiang Mai;

If a quieter city is more your thing, you can head up to Chiang mai, I got a short flight up to this city, spending 3 days in this location. unfortunately weather was not on my side here for the most part, but I got out when I could and found the local market very close to my accommodation that served as a great spot to capture some local street shots.

The city is known for its endless amount of temples, exploring these are a great way to capture the more traditional side of Thailand and its its culture, if your lucky and patient you may get some unique subjects walking into your frame.

there is on main area in the old city area which is where a lot of the action is, but markets and local life will be found the further your willing to venture.

travel photography in Chiang mai Thailand, monks walking through temple — Chiang mai

After 3 days exploring Chiang mai, I took a flight down to the south islands of Thailand, landing in Phuket. only allowing a short stay in Phuket, I stayed in the old town where you can notice brightly painted, century-old Sino-Portuguese townhouses. these are great to see and capture a few images of.

Leaving Phuket via ferry i ventured onto the phi phi island, where I booked a private long tail to visit Maya bay at sunrise hoping to avoid the crowds. you can also head to the beach on phi phi for an incredible sunset, the colours of the sky create a picturesque scene along with endless long tail boats along the beach. a typical photographed scene, but its a must when visited this part of the world.

Maya bay is a must visit when in Thailand, and I would highly recommend the sunrise boat tour, I booked this with visa travel team.

The longtail boats, the islands, the vibrant waters, and white sands are perfect for capturing the beauty of southern Thailand.

Next on the itinerary was Ao nang beach - Krabi. white sand beaches, fireshows on the beach, and great food make up this small beach town.

The final stop in Thailand was Railay Beach, still part of Krabi, connected just south of Ao nang beach, you can only access this area via boat, so I got on a long tail boat taking around 20 minutes to reach Railay beach.

This Location is for those who want a more quiet, slower paced few days, but surrounded buy constant beauty. this location is the spot for rock climbers in Thailand which adds another subject to capture some images of along side the unique rock structures.

This location was by far my favourite, the beach is like nothing seen before, with perfect sunsets and landscapes to experience and capturing moments with your camera.

What to take;

there are many different types of photo you could capture in Thailand, the gear you take could vary on what style of images you like to take, but I would suggest a standard zoom lens and 1 or 2 of your favourite small prime lenses to make it easier and lighter for you to walk and explore without a loaded backpack.

I mostly used a 28-70, a 55mm prime and also a 35mm f.2.

I would only take a small sling bag which would limit the amount I would carry each day. allowing focus on the images themselves not constantly changing between lenses or carrying un needed gear through the day.

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3 weeks of photography in Thailand