From the jacket: “A country of intrigue and adventure, Thailand’s exotic mix of glistening temples, extraordinary annual festivals, idyllic tropical islands, and genuinely hospitable people has made it one of the world’s most popular and rewarding travel destinations. The country is home to a distinctive culture that enables old traditions to sit comfortably within a prosperous and progressive society and enrich the lives of all who visit. One of the original “Asian tiger” economies, over the past two decades Thailand has survived boom and bust, undergone recovery, experienced political upheaval, and still welcomes all travellers with a warm and gracious smile.Enchanting Thailand is a vivid and colourful introduction to all the major tourist sights and places of interest throughout the country, from the cosmopolitan metropolis of Bangkok to fascinating but little visited regions in the northeast.”

If you’ve enjoyed the series, namely “Enchanting Laos” and “Enchanting Cambodia”, watch out for the timely release of “Enchanting Myanmar” in November. There’s also a couple of others on the horizon but more on those at a later date.

The opening night of the exhibition at The Mall Gallery in London was an enjoyable evening with a full house tucking into light bites by the sponsors, Pink Lady Apples and free flow Champagne by Taittinger. Henry Dimbleby, one of the co-founders of Leon Restaurants was on-hand to present the awards in ten categories.

As with any competition the winning images caused a few raised eyebrows, and I was personally surprised to see such a quintessentially European shot scoop the top prize when there were so many intriguing and exotic images in the exhibition. Hats off to the team at Pink Lady Apples for doing such a great job with the show and to One Vision Imaging who printed up the images.

The exhibition now goes on tour around the UK and you can catch it at the BBC Good Food Show NEC Birmingham 13-17 June, at the Ludlow Food Festival 7 – 9 September and the BBC Good Food Show 28 November – 2 December. You can see the finalists on the Pink Lady website. Images are also available for sale.

The Monument of Independence is a memorial to Cambodia’s war dead and also commemorates independence from the French which was granted in 1953. The impressive structure acts as a busy traffic circle at the junction of Sihanouk and Norodom boulevards.

The recent flurry of activity of late is because I am flying off to the UK on Friday for an photography exhibition and awards night and won’t be able to post for a while. More on this later.

During the Khmer Rouge years, the brutal regime made a concerted effort to wipe out artists and craftsmen, and they almost succeeded. Many of Cambodia’s traditional arts, particularly Cambodian dance, were almost lost forever. Today, following a concerted effort to retrain young people, it is once again being acknowledged for its grace and beauty.

It is thought that 90% of Cambodia’s dancers and musicians were killed during the Khmer Rouge years. The chain of oral traditions passed down from generation to generation by masters of the arts was almost entirely broken. Organisations such as Cambodian Living Arts tracked down a few survivors and employed them to train a new generation of musicians and dancers.

Cambodia classical dance drama is based on the epic poem, Ramayana which has its origins in Indian literature.  The dance too draws on the traditions of Indian court dance and is often referred to as Apsara after the female nymphs described in Hindu mythology that were born as dancers to the gods. Images of celestial Apsara dancers dating from the 12^th century and earlier can be seen carved on the temples walls at Angkor, evidence that this highly stylized art form has been part of Cambodian culture for centuries.

A Cambodian dance troupe, dressed in glittering costumes, elaborate headwear and masks, performs with beauty and grace, their slow movements punctuated by a percussive ensemble that sits to the side of the stage. Acts of the drama are often separated by a narrative read out by one of the musicians.

Cambodia’s growing tourism industry has contributed to the revival of traditional dance. In Phnom Penh, regular performances by troupes such as the Children of Bassac can be seen.

In late March or early April, Poi Sang Long takes place in towns and villages all over Mae Hong Son province. The Buddhist ordination ceremony is part of the Shan or Tai Yai tradition and was brought to Thailand by settlers from neighbouring Myanmar.  During the event known as the Festival of Precious Gems, young boys are ordained as novices and spend time studying Buddhist doctrine. A colourful spectacle to witness, it is one of the most delightful festivals in the country. On the first day of the four day ceremony, the boys have their hair shaved off at the temple and are then bathed and anointed with consecrated waters. The following day they are dressed in brightly coloured clothes and paraded through the town as sang long— precious gems.

You can also visit the Asia Journeys’ website.

I’ve always found large gatherings of people or any so-called mass consciousness rather disturbing to be around. The herd instinct if you like. It is even more unsettling when it is a religious event.

On Sunday I went to photograph the final day of a series of large scale alms giving ceremonies that have been carried out around Thailand to celebrate the 2,600th anniversary of the Lord Buddha’s enlightenment. Each event has seen 30,000 monks (one million in all) and thousands of followers gather for prayers. Much of the food collected has also been donated to Buddhists in the south, an area experiencing increasingly violent separatist unrest by Muslims. The final gathering was held near Wongwian Yai in Bangkok.

Although you cannot deny the visual impact of the gathering (as a photographer that is of course why I was there, I found the whole thing distinctly creepy. The fact Wat Phra Dhammakaya, a Bangkok temple known for aggressive fundraising, was the main organiser didn’t help. Like all religions, the Buddhist institution is riddled with corruption and cultism.

The ceremony started at 6 a.m. and lasted just over two hours. Of course the prayers were interspersed with plenty of requests to part with your money. The underlying theme seemed to be ‘Practice non-attachment, particularly to your money, land and property – it’s ok, we’ll take care of it for you’. Alas, the call for money is all too frequently heard at Buddhist temples these days .

What Buddha would have thought of it, we can only guess.

The photo above shows some followers at the event being greeted by monks. The ladies were seemingly oblivious to the backdrop. The writing says ‘Nude Resort’.

A few weeks ago, on my last day in Yangon, I spent an hour or so wandering around Scott Market in Yangon, also known as Bogyoke Aung San Market. It’s a popular haunt for tourists looking to pick up last minute gifts such jewelry, textiles, and lacquerware. There are also plenty of gold shops and blackmarket money changers, the latter of which are feeling the pinch since Myanmar banks recently opened official currency exchanges and offer a better rate than on the street.

While I was in the market, I captured this image of a young Buddhist nun waiting patiently in front of a gold shop for an offering.  Unfortuantely she left empty handed.

The above shot was taken in a temple on Inle Lake in the Shan State, Myanmar. Once the sun became too bright to photograph on the lake I retreated into a temple where the light is often atmospheric.

One of the great things about Ngapali Beach at the moment is that it’s still a working beach. Fishing boats anchor off the shoreline throughout the day, heading out to sea at around 5 pm and returning at daybreak.

The catch is mostly tiny fish which are laid out on sheets of bright blue netting to dry in the sun. A few mackerel, barracuda, and squid are also landed. I’m not usually a big fan of beach break, preferring instead to head for the hills on a dirt bike when I need to unwind, but at this moment in time I love Ngapali. That could soon change though as it is about to experience a huge boom in development and tourist arrivals. I fear the fishermen and their families who live here will be booted off to make way for resorts and sun loungers will replace the daily catch. Despite the fact that I’d hate to see the beach lined with resorts, the possible silver lining is that some of the teenagers will be able to find employment within the tourism industry.

The fisherman already say they are experiencing reduced catches and cannot make enough money to sustain themselves throughout the year.

The Penang World Music Festival returns after a hiatus of three years. It will be held from 30^th March to 1^st April 2012 at the Quarry Garden within the beautiful Botanic Gardens, not far from the heart Georgetown.

When it comes to life music, Malaysia is way ahead of its neighbours, and the return of the Penang World Music Festival is a another welcome addition to the annual events calendar that includes Borneo Jazz in May, the fabulous Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Sarawak during July, and the Penang Island Jazz Festival in late November/December.

Huun Huur Tu performing at the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak a few years ago.

The 3^rd Penang World Music Festival will feature renowned musicians from Malaysia as well as a great line-up of international artists. They’ll be 18 bands in all, performing and conducting workshops, including Maite Hontele from Colombia, Beoga from Ireland, the Tori Ensemble from South Korea, Phong Nguyen Ensemble from Vietnam, Loyko from Russia, and the band I am really looking forward to seeing most of all, Altan Urag from Mongolia. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing several Mongolian and Tuvan bands and am always enthralled by them. I actually discovered the sound years ago through my love of the music of Frank Zappa after seeing a film of him at home having a ‘musicial soiree’ with members of Huun Huur Tu, a band I was lucky enough to interview and see perform a few years back at Rainforest World Music Festival.

You can find out more about the line-up at the 3^rd Penang World Music Festival website. The event is organized by the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism & Culture and the official sponsoring hotel for the event is Hard Rock Hotel.

I really enjoy the challenge of photographing live music and am looking forward to capturing images of the performers. And of course there’ll also be the chance to explore the delightful UNESCO World Heritage town of Georgetown and other attractions in Penang. For flights to Penang from Bangkok and other regional destinations, check-out the no-frills, no service, and plenty of bad attitude, Air Asia or for a little extra enjoy the service and quality of Malaysia Airlines.