IN THE PICTURE #75: PIERRICK

Sanctuary of Truth @ Pattaya, August 2020
The Sanctuary of Truth is an unfinished museum in Pattaya, which is a hybrid of temple and castle based on Ayutthaya period and Buddhist, Hindu beliefs. I chose this picture because for me this is the real icon of Pattaya (not the walking street…) and everytime I visit, I’m in awe with the incredible craftsmanship of the place.

The construction started in 1981 and it’s still not finished, and when you enter inside the temple, you understand why : there are thousands of sculpted wooden carvings inside so detailed this is incredible. And what’s the best moment to shoot it, at sunset of course!

Laem Had Beach @ Koh Yao Yai, February 2021
Laem Had Beach on the island Koh Yao Yai, is one of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand that nobody knows. It’s a secret gem and everytime I went there, I was the only one on the beach. For the best view from above, it’s best to come during high tide. It’s a real little paradise if you want to play Robinson Crusoe.

Bangkok. The city has everything: culture (like museums), temples, food, architecture, shopping (like shopping malls), nightlife (like sky bars), sports venues… Impossible to get bored there.

Krabi. I’ve been there like 15 years ago when I wasn’t interested by photography, so now I want to return to shoot the beautiful landscapes and islands.

Wat Pak Nam @ Bangkok, April 2021
Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen is a temple not very well known in outer Bangkok. The huge 64m Buddha took 4 years to build and was only finished recently. What’s interesting about this temple is that it’s built in one of the khlongs of Bangkok, so you can either walk there or go it by boat. All the community there lives near the river and there is no car around, so it’s very laid back and peaceful. 

Blue Pearl Bar @ Koh Mak, October 2021
Koh Mak is a small island that is well preserved between Koh Chang and Koh Kood. It is one of the rare islands where there are not many resorts and where they still prefer to preserve nature rather than get more tourists. The island is beautiful and as the photo shows, even the bars are just made with bamboo on the ocean which gives it an incomparable charm. This photo was taken above the Blue Pearl Bar, part of the beautiful Koh Mak Cococape Resort. Highly recommended if you want to stay on Koh Mak.

Pavilion of the Enlightened @ The Ancient City (Muang Boran) near Bangkok, October 2018
The Pavilion of the Enlightened is a temple inside The Ancient City, the biggest outdoor museum in the world. I took this photo at sunrise before the opening of the museum because I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to fly a drone there. The result is even better with no tourists around! I suggest all my friends visiting Thailand for the first time go to this museum, because every replica and temple there are super beautiful, and it makes a great day outdoors visiting it by bicycle. 

Sumeru Mountain @ The Ancient City (Muang Boran) near Bangkok, October 2018
According to Thai cosmology, Sumeru Mountain is considered the pillar of the world as well as the center of the universe. The mountain is the residence of spirits ranging from deities in heaven to devils in hell. It’s probably one of the most unique temple architecture I’ve seen in Thailand, and it’s part of The Ancient City, a must stop for anyone visiting Bangkok for the first time.

Chinatown @ Bangkok, June 2020
Chinatown in Bangkok is a must stop. I regularly visit Yaowarat road for its incredible street food. Some of them even have Michelin stars! It’s also one of the only place with old town where you can still see tuk tuks. They disappear more and more leaving the place to more car and motorbike taxis using mobile applications and it’s quite a shame, because tuk tuks are clearly an icon of Thailand and an attraction by themselves.

Salt farm @ Petchaburi, May 2021
I was driving on my way to Hua Hin when I saw farmers on the side of the road collecting salt. I stopped of course for a photo session, and I discovered a whole new perspective when I flew my drone. In my mind, salt waters were white or brown, but actually they are so colourful with shades of blue, green, pink and orange, it’s really a beautiful sight to see from above. And of course I bought their salt that I always use with my Wagyu beef at home. Delicious!

Wat Arun @ Bangkok, April 2019
Wat Arun is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The temple derives its name from the Hindu god Aruna, often personified as the radiations of the rising sun. This famous icon of Bangkok is often shot at sunset, but I wanted to change this and show the temple with the Bangkok skyline in the background, showing what is really Bangkok for me : a city of contrasts. I think this represents well the culture and the modernism of Bangkok in one single image. For the little story, I shot this image during the complete lockdown of Bangkok during Covid-19, so the temple was closed and completely empty at that time, which I think never happened before.

King Power Mahanakhon tower @ Bangkok, October 2019
King Power Mahanakhon, is a mixed-use skyscraper in the Silom/ Sathorn central business district of Bangkok. It’s 314m high and you get the best view of Bangkok from there. To be honest I’ve never been on the transparent skywalk. Not that I am scared, but more because I won a social media photo contest organized by Mahanakhon showing the tower, and the prize was 2 tickets to go to the observatory. Because they never wanted to offer the price (to all other winners too), I decided that I will only take pictures using my drone. The result is not so bad anyway 🙂

Canon EOS 6D, Drone Mavic Pro 2, iPhone 11

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Koh Nang Yuan @ Koh Tao, April 2020
Koh Nang Yuan is a small island just nearby Koh Tao. It’s very famous for the white sand bank linking 3 small islands, and for the snorkeling and diving spots around.

Usually this island is super crowded with Chinese tourists coming by packed boats, but I took this photo during Covid-19 and there was not one living soul on the island, bringing back the true beauty of nature.

Buddhism Memorial Park (Phuttha Utthayan Makha Bucha Anusorn) @ Nakhon Nayok, May 2020
Another hidden gem is Phuttha Utthayan Makha Bucha Anusorn in Nakhon Nayok outside Bangkok. The big Buddha is surrounded by 1,000 golden statues of praying monks and it’s a very incredible sight. I’m always fascinated by the number of incredible temples in Thailand (over 40,000) and by the diversity of the designs of each one of them.