Soon after we started this project, everything came to a halt due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first trip to Thailand was from the end of 2019 to the beginning of January 2020.

As a result, all projects scheduled for spring 2020 and beyond were halted.

 

Amidst all this, the opportunity has finally come to reopen in the fall of 2022, from late September to early October.

I had the opportunity to go on a business trip to Bangkok.

That was the town where I had photographed last time.

Thinking that restarting in the same place might be fate, I looked back at the shooting data from the previous time.

And then I realized there was a missing piece.

I didn't photograph people in the slums.

Yes, I hadn't noticed this.

On this trip, I decided to photograph people in the slums of Bangkok.

 

The end of the rainy season in Bangkok.

The rain showers in this area are heavy when they start, but the sun clears up again within an hour.

I started preparing early in the morning. I thought it might rain again in the afternoon, so I brought my folding umbrella.

So I decided to walk there from the nearest station.

 

The slum was located in a slightly remote area, about a 15-minute walk from the station.

I thought I knew what was going to happen, but I was still surprised by the amount of trash and the foul smell.

Then he starts calling out to them and taking pictures.

 

Children with torn shoes.

People live in buildings that barely hold onto the appearance of a home.

As I was walking around taking photos of people in the area, a young boy popped his head out from inside a building that looked like a small wooden box.

And his expression was a little stiff and puzzled.

Few people from other places come here.

Maybe they're wary of visitors.

However, she quickly smiled and gave the camera a fierce look.

 

I thought I had taken a different approach from the last shoot, but perhaps there is no difference at the root of the smiles and various expressions.

There was a lot of happiness in this place too.