The accompanying photos were taken in two of northeast Thailand's provinces, Sakon Nakhon and Surin. This area, known as "Isan" (pronounced ee-sahn) is largely agricultural and has approximately half of Thailand's population. Poor by international standards, the people of Isan are hard working and creative. They live a simple life, mainly in farm villages, although several cities are found throughout the region. Despite their low standard of living, Isan folk are happy and friendly, always welcoming and willing to share whatever they have with visitors. The photos reflect not only individuals, but a patchwork of life in Isan. The people in these photos are farmers, shop keepers, office workers, manual laborers, housekeepers, clerics, craftspeople, or those in the service sector.
All photos are copyrighted by the author, © 2014 and 2015. It is illegal to use any of the images without permission. All images are available for sale, either as prints or by electronic transfer for one time or multiple use. Please contact John Stiles at stilesphoto@yahoo.com or jsscience@yahoo.com for information.
