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IN THE PICTURE #47
In ‘In the Picture’ photographers from all over the world share their 10 most beautiful pictures of Thailand. See Thailand through the photographer’s lens, read background stories about the pictures and learn more about the beautiful Thailand!
Ploy is another super good photographer that we had been dying to show off since the beginning of our In the Picture section! And ladies and gentlemen here she is! This amazing photographer from Bangkok is one that you should really start following on Instagram. Ploy can be found under the name Gypsypianist and by the way, check out her buddy Dima as well who we have already featured under In the Picture #43.
Hello, please introduce yourself.
Hello everyone,
My name is Ploy Surakkhaka (you can call me Ploy of course) or some of you might know me from Instagram called Gypsypianist.
I was born in Bangkok but raised in Petchburi province, gateway to the south of Thailand. I currently live in Nonthaburi with my family.
My personal life is pretty much normal, working as a teacher, also teaching piano alongside.
About 4 years ago, I started getting into photography. Back then I wasn’t quite sure what type or style of photography to go for so I tried out many things and ended up with cityscape. It makes me enjoy exploring each place more.
Hope you are enjoying my submitted images for Thailand Magazine again now!
All the best from Thailand!
Ploy
#1
I got lucky for this shot. It was during Loy Krathong 2020 (last year) and I remember driving back from Pattaya straight to Nakhon Pathom just for this! By the way, this is the Phra Pathom Chedi you see here.
#2
This shot was taken with my phone. I was waiting for a long time for a monk to pass by but then I got this cool lady carrying a chair walking right in front of me instead. The temple where this photo was taken is called the Loh Prasat (Wat Ratchanadda) and is located in Bangkok.
What is your favorite destination in Thailand?
There are so many destinations in Thailand on my list that I really wanna revisit such as Chiang Mai, Kanchanaburi and Krabi because of their unique charm and also because they are located in different parts of Thailand. Food and culture of each place are always interesting to see.
Which place / destination in Thailand is still on your wish list to visit?
Ubon ratchathani, Ratchburi, Petchabun, Trang, and the southern part of Thailand.
#3
This place was the place where I started my cityscape style and is located at the beginning of Chinatown in Bangkok.
#4
I always love the vibes of Chinatown, however it has changed from before since the pandemics started. You can see some of the neon signs weren’t lit up and that’s a shame.
Which place / destination do you recommend our readers to visit and why?
I had such a great time in Koh Chang and Railay Beach. If you can’t decide whether beach or the mountain, then these two places are the answer. These islands (Railay is a peninsula btw) have such beautiful beaches and nice vibes, especially Koh Chang.
Where do you like to eat?
It’s so hard to be specific about street stall but I would go for this Dong Mun Lek Beef Noodles (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเนื้อวัดดงมูลเหล็ก) that me and my family love to visit or order the most.
#5
Terminal 21 in Pattaya is one of my favorite shopping malls in Pattaya, of course for photography wise.
#6
I took this pic on the plane above Bangkok while heading to Singapore with my boyfriend and I really liked the landscape and the curvy shape of Chao Phraya River.
Tip us a nice coffee shop or bar where our readers can drop by.
You find the locations below in Bangkok:
Changwon Express – Korean fusion craft beer place. The owner of this place is so friendly and the place itself is lovely.
Trok Silom – A nice mini rooftop bar with the view of Silom and of course over the BTS track.
Sky Train Jazz Bar – Cozy with the view of Victory Monument. (Google Maps says it is closed permanently closed but I’m not sure – maybe after Covid-19 it will reopen).
What is your favorite Thai dish?
I love noodles and something simple like Krapow. No reason, just love it :)
#7
I personally love capturing trains so you might find that so many shots on my IG feed have trains in it.
#8
Patience is one of the things I’ve learned from photography, especially when I captured this shot. We went to this spot twice as the first time there was no train in operation on that day so we had to go back again. But it was fun!
What is your favorite accommodation in Thailand?
In Bangkok if you have a chance to stay in Chinatown, I would recommend Shanghai Mansion Bangkok, just to compliment the vibes of Chinatown with the Chinese style of decoration from this place.
Do you have a (travel) tip that might come in handy in Thailand?
Be open-minded and be ready for something new. Learn a few words or sentences to make your life easy when exploring Thailand.
Is there a Thai phrase or word our readers need to learn?
Arai Kor Dai – Whatever
Khob Khun Ka (for women) Krub (for men) – Thank you / Thanks
Jai Yen Yen – It means calm down but we often use this to tell the other person to relax.
#9
Been watching the progress of this Buddha statue from our balcony. So very impressive! In case you are curious about the name of this place in Bangkok, it is the Wat Paknam Phais Charoen and Klong tours in Bangkok go by it regularly.
#10
I know many of you know about this place in Bangkok, the Wat Pho temple. I chose this pic because It was a nice and peaceful afternoon that me and my boyfriend had. We decided to explore around this area and of course we didn’t forget to capture this iconic reclining Buddha statue.
What type / brand of camera do you use?
My main cameras are Olympus OMD EM10 M2 and Canon 5D or my phone Huawei
Where can our readers find your work / photos?
I mostly post my photos on Instagram that’s linked to my FB page as well and started to post more on Twitter. Here is my social media channels.
Instagram – @Gypsypianist
Facebook – @Gypsypianist | Queen of Vacation
Twitter – @polypolybz
Last question, who should we also ask our ‘In the Picture’ feature?
I would recommend Don Amatayakul. He has such a fantastic collection of photos of Thailand.
#11
It was my first time visiting this temple (Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram) and unfortunately it was closed due to Covid-19. It wasn’t easy taking this shot but with the right company, we managed to get some pics eventually
#12
When in Bangkok I think it’s fun to visit sky bars / rooftop bars that have a nice view of Bangkok like this place. We had a great time and got a lot of photos from this marvelous rooftop bar called, Vertigo and Moon Bar located on top of the Banyan Tree Bangkok. Make sure you put this place on a list next time you visit Bangkok.
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