Thai Comfort

As soon as the bus from Laos crossed the border into Thailand I felt more comfortable, sort of like I was coming home again. Laos I found was an easier place to travel and make photographs in than Cambodia but still it is not Thailand, in Thailand I feel like I belong, like a member of the Thai family.

Making portraits in Thailand is also easier, I can be understood somewhat in Laos but in Thai I am understood much better. When I was in Laos many people said I spoke Thai well (they were being polite) or asked me how long I had lived in Thailand, where I learned the language etc. I would need to spend several years in Laos to get the same level of comfort with Laotian. Much of the Lao and Thai language is similar so I was able to communicate, ask people to make pics, talk during the session etc. but it was not the the same as communicating with Thais. Compared to making photos in Cambodia Laos was quite easy, in Cambodia I only know a few words of Khmer so photographing is more difficult.

The other part of Thailand that I love is the conveniences, better roads, vehicles, stores. The prices are also probably cheaper overall in Thai. I found accommodations a bit cheaper in Laos, and transportation similar in cost but food in Laos was much more expensive, I can eat cheaper and better in Thailand.