I am sharing images of Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok. I have a large number of photos from this site, so I plan to share them in several posts. The images in this post were taken between 2008 and 2009. Please note that some of the statues, especially the Kinnari (Kinnara) figures, show considerably more wear and damage than they do today.
Although the site is always crowded with tourists, it is one of my favorite places in Thailand. Whenever I visit, I can easily spend three or four hours there. Part of the reason is that there is so much to see. However, a more accurate explanation is that I often spend a great deal of time waiting for people to move away from the subjects I want to photograph.
The reason many of the images I am posting were taken with a telephoto lens is not because I wanted a blurred background, but because I was trying to avoid having people in the frame.
That said, I have seen Wat Phra Kaew almost completely empty on one occasion. If I remember correctly, it was just before closing time. Rather than feeling comfortable, I actually found it a little strange.
