The Photography of Dr. Jeff Harper

The source of the current flooding in Bangkok is too much water flowing south in the Mae Nam (river) Chao Phra Ya.

My friend, Peter van Heren, and I got up early and went down to the Pakkret pier to see if we could rent a boat for a few hours to go out on the river and take some photographs of the flooded areas near the river.

We struck a deal with a boatman (for way too much), and we were on our way.

There were many boatmen under the Rama IV Bridge where our journey began.

 Taking a boat from the Pakkret pier was the only way to access the Western shore of the river, as the roads were all flooded on the other side.

As we headed out others were coming in to the Pakkret water front.  The water looked swift, but the surface was even.

As soon as we left the pier we began to see just how high the river had risen.

This part of the river, north of Bangkok city center by about 20 miles, has many old wooden houses on the river banks. They were all swamped.

It was difficult to determine which houses had been abandoned and which were still occupied, though swamped.

Many traditional Thai houses have the kitchen, toilet, and eating area on the ground floor and live on the upper floor, knowing that flooding is an ever-present danger.

Perhaps one should abandon one's favorite fishing dock when it is a meter and a half under water.

We saw many people in old wooden boats checking on what might have been their own flooded homes.

Mine as well leave the windows open.  Ain't nobody home.

It seemed like the oldest Thai style houses were built higher up . . . in a time when flooding was more common.

Then again, some weren't.

The spirit house is high and dry.  I have a feeling there are going to be many spirit houses thrown away soon.  It is a Thai tradition to throw away a spirit house if bad luck has come to the family.

Periodically our boatman cut the chug-chug of our motor and we enjoyed the silence and splash of wooden oars.

The extent of the flooding, over such a vast area, is incomprehensible.

OK, now that I saved the television, what should I do next?  Hey!  I'll go fishing.

We went up some small canals (klongs) and saw that there were some low lying area where the water was very deep . . . up to the eves of buildings.

Although the flooding is a huge problem for the people of Bangkok, people on the klongs are living their lives as they always have.

The island of Koh Kred, a favorite place to stroll on the week-end (there are no cars or roads there), was completely flooded. Although the Koh Kred Wat was under water, they had kept the base of the famous crooked chedi dry.

The small klongs were lush and the water was deep above the banks.

The elderly seemed to take the flooding in their stride; perhaps, eschewing modernity, they are more in tune with the cycles of nature.

The old wooden Thai houses partially submerged produced very evocative images.

Interestingly, spirit houses all seemed to be perched on the correct length of stand . . . we didn't see any under water.

A beautiful house, sadly submerged.

It's nice to have a friend with a boat to pay a visit.

I am pretty sure it was NOT her idea to stay with the house.

If you know me you know I am not a dog person.  However, the light was good, the composition fair . . .

We turned off the klong under a bridge and proceded up what was once a four lane highway, now a canal of another kind. This commercial area will be under water for at least a month.

One taking an old traditional Thai wooden boat, the other two taking a plastic version of same. These happy guys were just hanging out on the highway median divider, enjoying the estrangement, as we were.

This smart guy propped his car up on some cement blocks to keep it dry . . . but how did he know how high the water was going to get?

These guys came out to sit and watch the boats going up and down the highway.  Nothing else to do, I guess.

These boys have a look of mixed emotions: it's fun to take a boat down familiar streets that have become so strange.  It's disconcerting to see such familiar streets as so suddenly unfamiliar.

There were several gated, luxury housing developments along the highway that were fighting a losing battle with the flood waters.  This very responsible security guard at one of them was watching the pumps.  He radioed in that a boat with two western guys went by.

Use what you have handy.  This guy was novice Styrofoam blockman, er, boatman.

We returned to the Pakkret pier via some flooded country roads. Families were taking trips to the store for provisions.

It was busy out on the flooded country lanes.

A farm family setting out for the daily chores.

A motorcycle raft.

Nice hat, don't you think?

We returned o the Chao Phraya River where we saw many ferry boats tied up and out of service because the docks they use were all under water.

A timeless scene: a rice barge and fisherwoman.

We returned under the Rama IV Bridge, which was closed because the western end was submerged, nevertheless, it was covered with parked cars to keep them dry.

Back under the bridge and back to where we started; along with many others.

The wonder of a boy at the flood. I shared his view.