After photographing Apple and having a meal I decided to walk a bit before heading back to my hotel. On the walk I passed two men sleeping on the sidewalk. Cars were buzzing by on nearby Sukhumvit road but they were oblivious to it all. Initially I walked past them but returned to make a few photos.
As I started taking their picture the younger of the men woke up and looked at me. I knelt down and started to talk to him in Thai. The man (later found out his name was Lek) was very drunk and did not understand me, I had to repeat things 3 or 4 times and speak louder to be understood. His older friend Dang who was 63, 65, 67 ( his age kept changing) also woke up and spoke to me for a while. Later on a motorcycle taxi driver named Ai (33) joined in as did a freelance street sex worker girl named Ning, Turns out everyone knew everyone and were friends.
I ended up photographing Khun Lek as he spoke an danced on the street, And Khun Dang as he yelled incoherently in Thai. Gave them each 200 baht (they might use on food, more likely on booze). I will try to return to them later, make more pics and give them some blankets. It is quite cold in Bangkok now at night. They need blankets to stay warm.
Ai the motorcycle driver took me home on his old motorbike, he asked for 150 baht, ended up giving him 200. Ai lived with sick mother and was unmarried.
Will probably meet up with all these people again, later on this trip.
As I started taking their picture the younger of the men woke up and looked at me. I knelt down and started to talk to him in Thai. The man (later found out his name was Lek) was very drunk and did not understand me, I had to repeat things 3 or 4 times and speak louder to be understood. His older friend Dang who was 63, 65, 67 ( his age kept changing) also woke up and spoke to me for a while. Later on a motorcycle taxi driver named Ai (33) joined in as did a freelance street sex worker girl named Ning, Turns out everyone knew everyone and were friends.
I ended up photographing Khun Lek as he spoke an danced on the street, And Khun Dang as he yelled incoherently in Thai. Gave them each 200 baht (they might use on food, more likely on booze). I will try to return to them later, make more pics and give them some blankets. It is quite cold in Bangkok now at night. They need blankets to stay warm.
Ai the motorcycle driver took me home on his old motorbike, he asked for 150 baht, ended up giving him 200. Ai lived with sick mother and was unmarried.
Will probably meet up with all these people again, later on this trip.
