I am learning more about drugs. Today o was reading about YaBa (crazy medicine). I photographed Khun Apple smoking YABA today. I figured I better learn more as I know nothing about this gully drug stuff.
“Another method of consumption is chasing the dragon, wherein the ya ba tablet is placed on aluminium foil and heated from below, which produces vapors that are then inhaled.”
I plan on doing a series of platinum prints of the best THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY series. This project is beginning to tell important stories.
This series “under the freeway” is becoming more and more involved as I dive deeper and deeper into it. I will probably do up an exhibition set of images in platinum with hand made frames, next winter, when I will be shooting less and doing more darkroom and woodworking.
Note* Pics below from my Facebook page.
Something sad and ugly happened under the freeway today. I did not write about this on Facebook because I thought it was too personal.
I was photographing Khun Apple when she complained of being wet. Then she said she had "Men" (her period). She stood up and I could see blood all over the crotch of her dirty old shorts.
It is such a sad and ugly thing. This poor woman crawls around in the dirt, digging through the rocks, inhaling YaBa smoke. She is half out of her mind lots of times and at other coherant and soft. She might ask me about that I did that day, or about a cut on my hand, if I have eaten etc. Then she is off of some kind of wild vision, staring up into space, gesturing her hands at nothing. Her mind seemingly gone.
I never thought of a woman's period and what the woman "under the freeway" have to deal with there. No woman's products, no showers, only dirt, and waste and drugs. It was all too much.
I gave her some money 140 baht. She told me she will use it to buy some new shorts, I hope she does.
The ugliness under the freeway, is something I will never forget. I will return to a better life in Canada but Apple will die in the dirt, forgotten.
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| Khun Apple staring at nothing today |
My Tee Rauk (darling) who I buy most of my donated food from “under yhe freeway”. Today also bought my supper from her. After 4 days of trying, I finally saw her 90 year old mother today.
Editing a few photos from today from"under the freeway". I will add to the post as the pics are ready, before I go to sleep. From the series THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Khlong Toei Slum, Bangkok, Thailand 2025
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| Hot Railing Ice (Meth), THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Khlong Toei Slum, Bangkok, Thailand 2025 |
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| Khun Apple with wild hair, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Khlong Toei, Bangkok, Thailand, 2025 |
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| Khun Ann feeding her cat, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Khlong Toei Slum, Bangkok, Thailand 2025 |
Khun Ann sleeping with her cat, and Khun Apple staring up at the sky, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Khlong Toei slum, Bangkok, Thailand 2025
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| Ann sleeping with her cat |
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| Apple staring up after doing drugs |
When people under the freeway smoke drugs, they do so under a cloth, to hide from the police. The smoking is done all day long. A terrible thing on so many levels. I bought her some food and drinks and gave her some medicines, but doubt any of that will matter. Go back tomorrow to spend more time with her.
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| Khun Apple smoking drugs under a blanket. |
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| Khun Apple wrapped in the Thai flag after doing drugs, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Khlong Toei, Bangkok, Thailand 2025 |
Khun Apple making faces "under the freeway". She is such a gentle soul, but forgotten and alone now. A former bar worker, freelance and Gogo bar, in Pattaya. She had many farang (Western) boyfriends when younger. Now she is all by herself, dying slowly of addiction.
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| Version #2 dodged white background areas |
My simple Thai meal. Som Tum (papaya salad), Gai Yaung (Chicken), cabbage, meat surpise on a stick (seller said it was delicious) and Khao Nee-ow (sticky rice) plus a Coke Zero. Cost $3-4 CAD.
My friend Anapon (Moo) has died. I learned of his passing today from a lady who runs a small store near where he lived. She told me he died almost three years ago, so soon after I left Thailand in 2022. Khun Anapon was the first person I photographed “under the freeway” way back around 2010. He was such a friendly and soft-hearted man. A former Muay Thai boxer who had fought internationally in Japan and told me that “Japanese woman see very beautiful”. I will miss him. I feel sad that he is gone, we would joke and laugh together often. He only exists in the pictures now.
Here is Khun Anapon (Moo) back in the day. I learned he died today, way back in 2022. He was a good man.
Some shots from my first day. I need to get into the habit of making social doc photos again!
From my FaceBook post on the return to making social doc images.
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| Khun Ann wit the cat she loved. The cat had been attacked by dogs and she was taking care of it. |
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| Khun Apple 36, a former Pattaya bar worker |
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| Khun Dao, cleaning the streets in the slum during a heavy rain. I have known and photographed Dao since 2018. |
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| Khun Pia outside his home. A former truck driver he is 66 with failing health. He sleeps in a room with a leaky cardboard roof. I have known and photographed him since 2018. |
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| Pillars |
