General Advice | Photos in Remote Areas | Islands Photos | Street Photography
General advice
You will not find the exotic things near large cities. It will be necessary to account for a day of travel to reach anywhere of interest. I encourage you to consider journeys like:
or
Bangkok->Kanchanaburi->Sangkhlaburi
There are also worthwhile treks in Laos and Northern Thailand. If you’re going to Chiang Mai, you are probably aware of tours in the hilltribe areas.
“Unknown” Villages, Mountains and Landscape Photos
– Kalaw to Inle Lake trek with Rambo Singh, Myanmar. This trek is a delight. If you’re going, you should stay at the Golden Lily. If you are traveling there by bus from Bagan, I recommend sitting on top of the bus as inside the bus is crazy cramped. Go ahead, void your travel insurance. Did this trip unaccompanied, January 2012.
View Burma trip in a larger map
Sangkhlaburi is a smal town on a beautiful lake with a thin suspended walking bridge that monks walk across to the monastery. Picturesque. This area is very close to the Thai/Myanmar border west of Bangkok. You can travel onwards to to Three Pagoda Pass and spend a day in Myanmar. Hard to get to, so you need to bus/train to Kanchanaburi and hire bikes to ride the 212 km. Many places to stop along the way – don’t rush and you can easily spend 3-4 days on this trip. Did this trip for Xmas, 2007. Beautiful ride, scenic, rarely perilous on the roads and pure serenity at every stop. Worth doing on a bike for the flexibility.
View Kanchanaburi to Sangkhlaburi in a larger map
Beach Photos
If you are interested in beaches with dramatic backdrops, Krabi is a must. Three days is plenty. I’ve been three times. You can summit one of the karsts overlooking Railay Beach and view the vista from high above. Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Slacklining, Sunbaking – there are plenty of things to do here. Photo opportunities galore.
Street photography
To offer some kind of indication, elephants no longer roam the main streets of Bangkok for tourist opportunities since 2008. Bangkok is rapidly undergoing gentrification and moving commerce from the street to the shopping centres. So, to find photo opportunities requires some hunting in the early mornings and late at night.
In Bangkok, Chinatown area towards the river provides the most rich environment for exploring.
Mornings: The mornings are good times to venture into the parks where people start the day with their exercise routines.
Nights: If you are in Bangkok during Halloween, maybe Silom Soi 4 is hosting a costume extravaganza like I saw in 2008.
If you venture to Nana Plaza, or Soi Cowboy after sunset, you’ll see something, I guarantee it.