It may be a marketing slogan used by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, but there are plenty of visitors who will agree that Thailand really is the ‘Land of Smiles’. That doesn’t mean that everybody walks around with inane grins on their faces all day long, but there are certainly plenty of smiles to be seen and enjoyed when you visit Thailand. A Thai smile can have a host of meanings; happy, nervous, embarrassed, shy . . . here’s a small selection of some of my favourite Thai smiles that I’ve photographed during my stay here.
Cheeky smile
Thai youngsters at Wat Pho, Bangkok
Guarded smile
On guard duty at the Grand Palace, Bangkok
Smiling assassins
Smiling assassins with water pistols during the Songkran Water Festival
Sunny Songkran smile
Enjoying the sanuk at the Songkran New Year Water Festival
Visit Land of Smiles
Bus parked up near the Grand Palace, Bangkok
Lanna smiles
Elegant smiles at the Chiang Mai Flower Festival