Behind the Siamese Smile

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Thailand | Tuesday, October 5, 2010 | 4 photos

These photos were taken at the Elephant Nature Park in northern Thailand,an elephant sanctuary founded by a Thai woman named Lek to help the elephants she rescued recover from their past trauma.Most of them were tortured when they were young and suffered from poor living conditions while working in tourism.Actually,Asian elephants are the national symbol of Thailand and one of the key attractions in its booming tourist trade.However,their population is fast diminishing due to the increasing amount of abuse caused by their keepers or mahouts.In some remote areas in Thailand,baby elephants are separated from their mother and locked up in a small cage when they turn three years old.With nails and other sharp objects,they are beaten into submission,while deprived of food, water and sleep.After a week of fear and torture,they will be taught how to perform various tricks and entertain visitors in tourist camps across Thailand,including painting, dancing and playing musical instruments.At the sanctuary,however,the rescued elephants can roam freely without chains and do not have to work for food.Volunteers from around the world are welcome to help take care of these giants,whether it would be bathing them or feeding them,before returning to their home country and spreading the message rarely received by the global public.Personally,photography is my hobby and passion,as it allows me to capture special moments and tell a story from my own point of view and experience.I love photographing wildlife and capture their natural beauty.At the same time,I love exploring different cultures and capture their unique characters through the lens.The internship in Bhutan will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience,a chance for me to improve my photography skills while photographing what I love.