The Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalaya Mountains and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People’s Republic of China. Bhutan is separated from the nearby state of Nepal to the west by the Indian state of Sikkim, and from Bangladesh to the south by West Bengal. The Bhutanese called their country which means “Land of Dragon”.

Bhutan used to be one of the most isolated countries in the world. Developments including direct international flights, the Internet, mobile phone networks, and cable television  have increasingly modernized the urban areas of the country. Bhutan balanced modernization with its ancient culture and traditions under the guiding philosophy of Gross National Happiness  (GNH). Fervent protection of the environment has been a top priority. The government takes great measures to preserve the nation’s traditional culture, identity and the environment.

Bhutan’s landscape ranges from subtropical plains in the south to the Sub-alpine Himalayan heights in the north, with some peaks exceeding 7,000 metres. The state religion is Vajrayana Buddhism, and the population of 691,141 is predominantly Buddhist, with Hinduism being the second-largest religion. The capital and largest city is Thimphu. After centuries of direct monarchic rule, the King voluntarily abdicated himself for his son and devolved power to the people. Bhutan held its first democratic elections in March 2008.

More about Bhutan on Wikipedia

Back from a three-days cruise on the lower part of the Mekong river. We navigated from the falls of Kong Papeng in Laos, near the Cambodian border, up to the city of Pakse.

Thanks to fellow photographer Jose Tan, I got the chance to capture some images of a “Rastafarian man in Bangkok” while Jose was shooting him in an abandoned petrol station in Bangkok’s outskirts.

A glimpse of one of Khao Phansa, also named Buddhist Lent, celebration that took place on 26th of July at the Erawan Museum in Samut Prakan, near Bangkok, Thailand.

The ceremony marks the beginning of the Buddhist “rain retreat” and the Buddhist Lent, or “Phansa”, during which all Buddhist monks retreat to the temples. This is also an auspicious time for Buddhist ordinations as it marks a period of spiritual renewal.