Winter Smiles (part 2: Sangkhlaburi and points south)

Sam Roi Yod Beach, Prachuap Khiri Khan province

Here's some more friendly encounters in Thailand from this winter to add to my series of Thai smiles. After spending a little time in Sangkhlaburi with my students (I volunteer teach English) in beautiful Kanchanaburi province, I headed south of Bangkok to Prachuap Khiri Khan, another of my favorite provinces, where I spent a few amazingly relaxed days at Blue Beach Resort on the outskirts of Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park.

Hanging on the school bus

 

Students preparing dinner

Bus ride to school

 

Scooter gang

At my favorite coffee stand in Bangkok

Market outside the park

More coffee at the market

Sam Roi Yod Beach

Beachside entrepreneur 

And the Smiles Keep Coming (Prachuap Khiri Khan edition)

Chef, Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park

As I noted before, Thailand is renowned for its friendly citizens. Here's some more shots of people I met on my latest visit. These photos are all from Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Just a few hours south of Bangkok, the province includes the popular tourist beach destination of Hua Hin and less visited sites such as Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park and the city of Prachuap Khiri Khan. It's one of my favorite places in Thailand, easily accessible from Bangkok, with beautiful beaches and relative quiet (if you stay out of Hua Hin, which I do).

I was later told
that those were probably
fighting roosters.

Street fair vendor

Parade watcher

Security guard

Tuktuk passenger

Chinese tourists
(So they're not Thai,
they still have great
smiles!)

Celebrating Buddhist Lent

A Journey of 1000 Smiles...

Chief of security and proprietor, Bangkok cafe

Thailand easily lives up to its reputation as "the land of 1000 smiles." A tourist who smiles will most likely be warmly rewarded in kind, as I alluded to in a previous post. It'd be difficult to capture the spontaneous smiles I've received, so here's a few shots taken immediately after encountering the subjects for the first time.

Ban Pu, Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park

Vegetable vendor, Prachuap Khiri Khan

Honey vendors, Prachuap Khiri Khan

Students, Prachuap Khiri Khan

Prachuap Khiri Khan

Ok, so I'm not sure if that last guy is smiling, but he seemed happy...