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  • 17 MARCH 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Women pray before presenting cooked sticky rice to monks during a "sticky rice merit making" in Lumpini Park in Bangkok. Sticky rice merit making is a merit making in the Isan / Lao style, when people present small amounts of cooked sticky rice (also known as glutinous rice) to Buddhist monks. Isan is the northeast region of Thailand.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    StickyRiceMeritMaking016.jpg
  • 20 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND:  A man fills his home water tanks with water he traveled more than a mile to find in Si Liam, Buri Ram. The man said his rice crop failed this year because of the drought and he didn't know how he was going to get through to the next planting season. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought025.jpg
  • 29 JUNE 2014 - DAN SAI, LOEI, THAILAND: People dance through the grounds of Wat Ponchai during a merit making procession on the last day of the Ghost Festival in Dan Sai. Phi Ta Khon (also spelled Pee Ta Khon) is the Ghost Festival. Over three days, the town's residents invite protection from Phra U-pakut, the spirit that lives in the Mun River, which runs through Dan Sai. People in the town and surrounding villages wear costumes made of patchwork and ornate masks and are thought be ghosts who were awoken from the dead when Vessantra Jataka (one of the Buddhas) came out of the forest. On the last day of the festival people participate in merit making ceremonies at the Wat Ponchai in Dan Sai and lead processions through town soliciting donations for the temple.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PhiTaKhon143.jpg
  • 29 JUNE 2014 - DAN SAI, LOEI, THAILAND: Women pray during a ceremony in Wat Ponchai on the last morning of the Ghost Festival. Phi Ta Khon (also spelled Pee Ta Khon) is the Ghost Festival. Over three days, the town's residents invite protection from Phra U-pakut, the spirit that lives in the Mun River, which runs through Dan Sai. People in the town and surrounding villages wear costumes made of patchwork and ornate masks and are thought be ghosts who were awoken from the dead when Vessantra Jataka (one of the Buddhas) came out of the forest. On the last day of the festival people participate in merit making ceremonies at the Wat Ponchai in Dan Sai and lead processions through town soliciting donations for the temple.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PhiTaKhon112.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Members of the crew unload a truck carrying the stage at a venue in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118003.jpg
  • 17 MARCH 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks lead a prayer during a "sticky rice merit making" in Lumpini Park in Bangkok. Sticky rice merit making is a merit making in the Isan / Lao style, when people present small amounts of cooked sticky rice (also known as glutinous rice) to Buddhist monks. Isan is the northeast region of Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    StickyRiceMeritMaking034.jpg
  • 17 MARCH 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A man makes a floral altar during a "sticky rice merit making" in Lumpini Park in Bangkok. Sticky rice merit making is a merit making in the Isan / Lao style, when people present small amounts of cooked sticky rice (also known as glutinous rice) to Buddhist monks. Isan is the northeast region of Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    StickyRiceMeritMaking005.jpg
  • 17 MARCH 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A woman pours floral water into an altar in Lumpini Park during a "sticky rice merit making" in the park in Bangkok. Sticky rice merit making is a merit making in the Isan / Lao style, when people present small amounts of cooked sticky rice (also known as glutinous rice) to Buddhist monks. Isan is the northeast region of Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    StickyRiceMeritMaking003.jpg
  • 17 MARCH 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A woman pours floral water into an altar in Lumpini Park during a "sticky rice merit making" in the park in Bangkok. Sticky rice merit making is a merit making in the Isan / Lao style, when people present small amounts of cooked sticky rice (also known as glutinous rice) to Buddhist monks. Isan is the northeast region of Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    StickyRiceMeritMaking001.jpg
  • 10 MAY 2016 - LAM NANG RONG, BURI RAM, THAILAND: A farmer spreads rice seed in his field in Buri Ram, Thailand. Many farmers in Thailand are several weeks behind schedule because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought050.jpg
  • 10 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND:    A woman reaches for a recycled soft drink bottle she filled with water from the artesian well in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The well is the most important source of drinking water for thousands of people in the communities surrounding it.  In the past many of the people had domestic water piped to their homes or from wells in their villages but those water sources have dried up because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought047.jpg
  • 10 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND:    A man at the public school in Ban Khana fills the water cisterns with water from the artesian well in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The school hasn't had running water for about one month. The well is the most important source of drinking water for thousands of people in the communities surrounding it.  In the past many of the people had domestic water piped to their homes or from wells in their villages but those water sources have dried up because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought040.jpg
  • 10 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND: A man covers his water barrels with plastic getting water from the artesian well in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The well is the most important source of drinking water for thousands of people in the communities surrounding it.  In the past many of the people had domestic water piped to their homes or from wells in their villages but those water sources have dried up because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought035.jpg
  • 10 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND: A man covers his water barrels with plastic getting water from the artesian well in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The well is the most important source of drinking water for thousands of people in the communities surrounding it.  In the past many of the people had domestic water piped to their homes or from wells in their villages but those water sources have dried up because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought034.jpg
  • 10 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND:    A man fills a water tank on his truck from the artesian well in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The well is the most important source of drinking water for thousands of people in the communities surrounding it.  In the past many of the people had domestic water piped to their homes or from wells in their villages but those water sources have dried up because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought027.jpg
  • 09 MAY 2016 - SANGKHA, SURIN, THAILAND: A woman works in her rice field with her son, preparing to plant the 2016 rice crop. Normally the fields would have been prepped in April and rice planted in May but farmers are several weeks behind schedule because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought022.jpg
  • 09 MAY 2016 - SANGKHA, SURIN, THAILAND: A woman and her son pose in their rice field in Surin while the woman was hoeing the field and preparing to plant her 2016 rice crop. Normally the fields would have been prepped in April and rice planted in May but farmers are several weeks behind schedule because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought019.jpg
  • 09 MAY 2016 - BAN CHAN, SURIN, THAILAND:   A farmer prepares his rice fields for planting in Surin, Thailand. Normally the fields would have been prepped in April and rice planted in May but farmers are several weeks behind schedule because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought018.jpg
  • 09 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND:    People get water from the artesian well in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The well is the most important source of drinking water for thousands of people in the communities surrounding it. In the past many of the people had domestic water piped to their homes or from wells in their villages but those water sources have dried up because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought007.jpg
  • 09 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND:    People get water from the artesian well in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The well is the most important source of drinking water for thousands of people in the communities surrounding it. In the past many of the people had domestic water piped to their homes or from wells in their villages but those water sources have dried up because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought005.jpg
  • 09 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND:    People swim in the reservoir behind Huai Khanad Mon Dam in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The reservoir is almost out of water and is too low to water the agricultural fields around it. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought002.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2016 - BURI RAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND: People on a motorcycle duck raindrops during an unseasonal thunderstorm in Buri Ram, Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamRain004.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2016 - BURI RAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND: People on a motorcycle duck raindrops during an unseasonal thunderstorm in Buri Ram, Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamRain002.jpg
  • 21 JANUARY 2016 - NONG YA KHAO, NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND: Farmers harvest cassava in a field in Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand. Cassava, a drought resistant root vegetable, is one of the vegetables the Thai government is encouraging farmers to grow instead of rice and other more water dependent crops. Thailand is the world's leading exporter of dried cassava flakes.  The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought070.jpg
  • 21 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG PHAI, NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND: Maintenance workers repair the spillway  at Lam Takhong Dam in Nakhon Ratchasima province. The dam is only 30 percent of its capacity and farmers downstream have been told they can't draw irrigation water from the dam.  The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought047.jpg
  • 20 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND: A woman doles out water to a neighbor in Si Liam. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought032.jpg
  • 29 JUNE 2014 - DAN SAI, LOEI, THAILAND: Women pray in front of the temple during a ceremony in Wat Ponchai on the last morning of the Ghost Festival. Phi Ta Khon (also spelled Pee Ta Khon) is the Ghost Festival. Over three days, the town's residents invite protection from Phra U-pakut, the spirit that lives in the Mun River, which runs through Dan Sai. People in the town and surrounding villages wear costumes made of patchwork and ornate masks and are thought be ghosts who were awoken from the dead when Vessantra Jataka (one of the Buddhas) came out of the forest. On the last day of the festival people participate in merit making ceremonies at the Wat Ponchai in Dan Sai and lead processions through town soliciting donations for the temple.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PhiTaKhon121.jpg
  • 29 JUNE 2014 - DAN SAI, LOEI, THAILAND:  A woman lights a candle during a ceremony in Wat Ponchai on the last morning of the Ghost Festival. Phi Ta Khon (also spelled Pee Ta Khon) is the Ghost Festival. Over three days, the town's residents invite protection from Phra U-pakut, the spirit that lives in the Mun River, which runs through Dan Sai. People in the town and surrounding villages wear costumes made of patchwork and ornate masks and are thought be ghosts who were awoken from the dead when Vessantra Jataka (one of the Buddhas) came out of the forest. On the last day of the festival people participate in merit making ceremonies at the Wat Ponchai in Dan Sai and lead processions through town soliciting donations for the temple.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PhiTaKhon117.jpg
  • 29 JUNE 2014 - DAN SAI, LOEI, THAILAND: A woman lights a candle during a ceremony in Wat Ponchai on the last morning of the Ghost Festival. Phi Ta Khon (also spelled Pee Ta Khon) is the Ghost Festival. Over three days, the town's residents invite protection from Phra U-pakut, the spirit that lives in the Mun River, which runs through Dan Sai. People in the town and surrounding villages wear costumes made of patchwork and ornate masks and are thought be ghosts who were awoken from the dead when Vessantra Jataka (one of the Buddhas) came out of the forest. On the last day of the festival people participate in merit making ceremonies at the Wat Ponchai in Dan Sai and lead processions through town soliciting donations for the temple.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PhiTaKhon108.jpg
  • 29 JUNE 2014 - DAN SAI, LOEI, THAILAND: Buddhist monks and novices put away a parade float after the Ghost Festival in Dan Sai. Phi Ta Khon (also spelled Pee Ta Khon) is the Ghost Festival. Over three days, the town's residents invite protection from Phra U-pakut, the spirit that lives in the Mun River, which runs through Dan Sai. People in the town and surrounding villages wear costumes made of patchwork and ornate masks and are thought be ghosts who were awoken from the dead when Vessantra Jataka (one of the Buddhas) came out of the forest. On the last day of the festival people participate in merit making ceremonies at the Wat Ponchai in Dan Sai and lead processions through town soliciting donations for the temple.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PhiTaKhon102.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Members of the audience dance in spectators' area during a mor lam show in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118080.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Performers in a mor lam show backstage in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118054.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A mor lam show in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118045.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A performer in a mor lam show backstage in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118033.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A performer in a mor lam show puts on makeup before going on stage at a mor lam show in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118026.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Members of the cast eat lunch backstage while the crew sets up the stage before a mor lam show in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118013.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A member of the crew hauls stage rigging across an under construction stage before a mor lam in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118011.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A member of the crew hauls stage rigging across an under construction stage before a mor lam in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118009.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A member of the crew sets up the stage for a mor lam  Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118005.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: The stage for the Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe (on left) in Bangkok. Sukhumvit Road and the Bangkok Sky Train (BTS) are on the right. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam122.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  The Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe performs in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam115.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  The Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe performs in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam111.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  The Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe performs in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam109.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:   Spectators dance during a Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam show in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.               PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam102.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A member of the cast of the Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe puts on her nail polish before a performance in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam092.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Performers and members of the crew of the Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe pray before a performance in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.                   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam090.jpg
  • 22 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Spectators dance during a Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam show in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam056.jpg
  • 22 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: The Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe performs in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam036.jpg
  • 22 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Performers with the Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe put on their makeup before a show in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam017.jpg
  • 22 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A performer with the Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe relaxes backstage before a show in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam008.jpg
  • 17 MARCH 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A woman prays during a "sticky rice merit making" in Lumpini Park in Bangkok. Sticky rice merit making is a merit making in the Isan / Lao style, when people present small amounts of cooked sticky rice (also known as glutinous rice) to Buddhist monks. Isan is the northeast region of Thailand.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
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  • 17 MARCH 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks lead a prayer during a "sticky rice merit making" in Lumpini Park in Bangkok. Sticky rice merit making is a merit making in the Isan / Lao style, when people present small amounts of cooked sticky rice (also known as glutinous rice) to Buddhist monks. Isan is the northeast region of Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    StickyRiceMeritMaking029.jpg
  • 17 MARCH 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks collect alms from the crowd during a "sticky rice merit making" in Lumpini Park in Bangkok. Sticky rice merit making is a merit making in the Isan / Lao style, when people present small amounts of cooked sticky rice (also known as glutinous rice) to Buddhist monks. Isan is the northeast region of Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    StickyRiceMeritMaking027.jpg
  • 17 MARCH 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A woman prays before presenting cooked sticky rice to monks during a "sticky rice merit making" in Lumpini Park in Bangkok. Sticky rice merit making is a merit making in the Isan / Lao style, when people present small amounts of cooked sticky rice (also known as glutinous rice) to Buddhist monks. Isan is the northeast region of Thailand.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    StickyRiceMeritMaking022.jpg
  • 17 MARCH 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks collect alms from the crowd during a "sticky rice merit making" in Lumpini Park in Bangkok. Sticky rice merit making is a merit making in the Isan / Lao style, when people present small amounts of cooked sticky rice (also known as glutinous rice) to Buddhist monks. Isan is the northeast region of Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    StickyRiceMeritMaking014.jpg
  • 17 MARCH 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks collect alms from the crowd during a "sticky rice merit making" in Lumpini Park in Bangkok. Sticky rice merit making is a merit making in the Isan / Lao style, when people present small amounts of cooked sticky rice (also known as glutinous rice) to Buddhist monks. Isan is the northeast region of Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    StickyRiceMeritMaking012.jpg
  • 17 MARCH 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A girl pours floral water into an altar in Lumpini Park during a "sticky rice merit making" in the park in Bangkok. Sticky rice merit making is a merit making in the Isan / Lao style, when people present small amounts of cooked sticky rice (also known as glutinous rice) to Buddhist monks. Isan is the northeast region of Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    StickyRiceMeritMaking007.jpg
  • 10 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND: A man fills recycled soft drink bottles with water from the artesian well in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The well is the most important source of drinking water for thousands of people in the communities surrounding it.  In the past many of the people had domestic water piped to their homes or from wells in their villages but those water sources have dried up because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought058.jpg
  • 10 MAY 2016 - BAN KHANA, TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND: Water buffalo walk down the main road in the village of Ban Khana, near the Cambodian border in Surin province, Thailand. Water buffalo used to be the main "beast of burden" for Thai farmers but now most Thai farmers use tractors and buffalo are kept as a source of meat.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
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  • 10 MAY 2016 - LAM NANG RONG, BURI RAM, THAILAND: A farmer spreads rice seed in his field in Buri Ram, Thailand. Many farmers in Thailand are several weeks behind schedule because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought052.jpg
  • 10 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND: People get water from the artesian well in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The well is the most important source of drinking water for thousands of people in the communities surrounding it. In the past many of the people had domestic water piped to their homes or from wells in their villages but those water sources have dried up because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought043.jpg
  • 10 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND: People get water from the artesian well in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The well is the most important source of drinking water for thousands of people in the communities surrounding it. In the past many of the people had domestic water piped to their homes or from wells in their villages but those water sources have dried up because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought042.jpg
  • 10 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND: A woman at the public school in Ban Khana fills the water cisterns with water from the artesian well in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The school hasn't had running water for about one month. The well is the most important source of drinking water for thousands of people in the communities surrounding it.  In the past many of the people had domestic water piped to their homes or from wells in their villages but those water sources have dried up because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought036.jpg
  • 09 MAY 2016 - TA TUM, SURIN, THAILAND:    People get water from the artesian well in Ta Tum, Surin, Thailand. The well is the most important source of drinking water for thousands of people in the communities surrounding it. In the past many of the people had domestic water piped to their homes or from wells in their villages but those water sources have dried up because of the drought in Thailand. Thailand is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 50 years. The government has asked farmers to delay planting their rice until the rains start, which is expected to be in June. The drought is expected to cut Thai rice production and limit exports of Thai rice. The drought, caused by a very strong El Nino weather pattern is cutting production in the world's top three rice exporting countries:  India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice prices in markets in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia are starting to creep up.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SurinDrought011.jpg
  • 21 JANUARY 2016 - NONG YA KHAO, NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND: Farmers harvest cassava in a field in Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand. Cassava, a drought resistant root vegetable, is one of the vegetables the Thai government is encouraging farmers to grow instead of rice and other more water dependent crops. Thailand is the world's leading exporter of dried cassava flakes.  The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought067.jpg
  • 21 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG PHAI, NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND: Maintenance workers repair the spillway  at Lam Takhong Dam in Nakhon Ratchasima province. The dam is only 30 percent of its capacity and farmers downstream have been told they can't draw irrigation water from the dam.  The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought051.jpg
  • 20 JANUARY 2016 - KHAM THALE SO, NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND: A dried irrigation canal in Nakhon Ratchasima province. At this time of year it should be full but hasn't been used in months because of the drought in Thailand. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought044.jpg
  • 20 JANUARY 2016 - KHAM THALE SO, NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND: A woman pulls a cart of rice hay for her water buffalo back to her home in Nakhon Ratchasima province. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought043.jpg
  • 20 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND:  A woman fills water jugs from a pond more than one mile from her home in Si Liam. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought039.jpg
  • 20 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND:  A woman fills water jugs from a pond more than one mile from her home in Si Liam. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought037.jpg
  • 20 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND: A woman helps her neighbor fill his water jugs when they went looking for water. In return, she got to keep some of the water when they got back to their homes. The water was more than one mile from their homes in Si Liam. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought036.jpg
  • 20 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND: A farmer drives his tractor through Si Liam on his way to find water. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought034.jpg
  • 20 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND:  A farmer spreads irrigation water in a field on a farm in Si Liam, Buri Ram. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought021.jpg
  • 20 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND:  A farmer works on his irrigation system in a field on a farm in Si Liam, Buri Ram. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought019.jpg
  • 20 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND: A farmer spreads irrigation water in a field on a farm in Si Liam, Buri Ram. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought012.jpg
  • 20 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND: A farmer spreads irrigation water in a field on a farm in Si Liam, Buri Ram. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought010.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND: A farmer in Si Liam. He said he has lived in the community for more than 50 years and can't remember it ever being so dry. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought007.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND: The community reservoir in Si Liam, Buri Ram, is lower than it has ever been forcing residents to find an alternative source of domestic water. The reservoir, which is rain fed, is not expected to refill until the rainy season starts in May, leaving the community without water for four months. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought006.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2016 - SI LIAM, BURI RAM, THAILAND: The community reservoir in Si Liam, Buri Ram, is lower than it has ever been forcing residents to find an alternative source of domestic water. The reservoir, which is rain fed, is not expected to refill until the rainy season starts in May, leaving the community without water for four months. The drought gripping Thailand was not broken during the rainy season. Because of the Pacific El Nino weather pattern, the rainy season was lighter than usual and many communities in Thailand, especially in northeastern and central Thailand, are still in drought like conditions. Some communities, like Si Liam, in Buri Ram, are running out of water for domestic consumption and residents are traveling miles every day to get water or they buy to from water trucks that occasionally come to the community. The Thai government has told farmers that can't plant a second rice crop (Thai farmers usually get two rice crops a year from their paddies). The government is also considering diverting water from the Mekong and Salaween Rivers, on Thailand's borders to meet domestic needs but Thailand's downstream neighbors object to that because it could leave them short of water.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuriRamDrought004.jpg
  • 29 JUNE 2014 - DAN SAI, LOEI, THAILAND: A man plays a khaen (a bamboo flute from northern Thailand and Laos) while a woman dances during a merit making procession on the last day of the Ghost Festival in Dan Sai.  Phi Ta Khon (also spelled Pee Ta Khon) is the Ghost Festival. Over three days, the town's residents invite protection from Phra U-pakut, the spirit that lives in the Mun River, which runs through Dan Sai. People in the town and surrounding villages wear costumes made of patchwork and ornate masks and are thought be ghosts who were awoken from the dead when Vessantra Jataka (one of the Buddhas) came out of the forest. On the last day of the festival people participate in merit making ceremonies at the Wat Ponchai in Dan Sai and lead processions through town soliciting donations for the temple.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PhiTaKhon132.jpg
  • 29 JUNE 2014 - DAN SAI, LOEI, THAILAND: People participate in a merit making ceremony on the last morning of the Ghost Festival at Wat Ponchai in Dan Sai. Phi Ta Khon (also spelled Pee Ta Khon) is the Ghost Festival. Over three days, the town's residents invite protection from Phra U-pakut, the spirit that lives in the Mun River, which runs through Dan Sai. People in the town and surrounding villages wear costumes made of patchwork and ornate masks and are thought be ghosts who were awoken from the dead when Vessantra Jataka (one of the Buddhas) came out of the forest. On the last day of the festival people participate in merit making ceremonies at the Wat Ponchai in Dan Sai and lead processions through town soliciting donations for the temple.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PhiTaKhon128.jpg
  • 29 JUNE 2014 - DAN SAI, LOEI, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks at a merit making ceremony at Wat Ponchai on the last morning of the ghost festival. Phi Ta Khon (also spelled Pee Ta Khon) is the Ghost Festival. Over three days, the town's residents invite protection from Phra U-pakut, the spirit that lives in the Mun River, which runs through Dan Sai. People in the town and surrounding villages wear costumes made of patchwork and ornate masks and are thought be ghosts who were awoken from the dead when Vessantra Jataka (one of the Buddhas) came out of the forest. On the last day of the festival people participate in merit making ceremonies at the Wat Ponchai in Dan Sai and lead processions through town soliciting donations for the temple.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PhiTaKhon123.jpg
  • 29 JUNE 2014 - DAN SAI, LOEI, THAILAND:  A woman sits on the balcony around Wat Ponchai during the "Ghost Festival." Phi Ta Khon (also spelled Pee Ta Khon) is the Ghost Festival. Over three days, the town's residents invite protection from Phra U-pakut, the spirit that lives in the Mun River, which runs through Dan Sai. People in the town and surrounding villages wear costumes made of patchwork and ornate masks and are thought be ghosts who were awoken from the dead when Vessantra Jataka (one of the Buddhas) came out of the forest. On the last day of the festival people participate in merit making ceremonies at the Wat Ponchai in Dan Sai and lead processions through town soliciting donations for the temple.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PhiTaKhon106.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A member of the audience takes a "selfie" with his iPhone with a performer during a mor lam show in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118061.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A man watches a mor lam show from his apartment window in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118057.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A performer in a mor lam show puts on makeup before going on stage at a mor lam show in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118040.jpg
  • 19 JANUARY 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A performer in a mor lam show puts on makeup before going on stage at a mor lam show in Khlong Tan Market in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam0118025.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A grilled meat vendor sells food to people going into a Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe show in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam120.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Thai soldiers pat down people going into a Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam show in Bangkok. Security is usually tight at the shows because drunken brawls sometimes break out towards the end of the night. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam118.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: The stage of the Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe during a performance in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam117.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  The Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe performs in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam108.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:   Spectators dance during a Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam show in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.               PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam104.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:   Spectators dance during a Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam show in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.               PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam099.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A performer with the Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe  puts on his costume before a show in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam096.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Performers with the Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe wait in the wings to go onstage during a performance in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.               PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam095.jpg
  • 23 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A member of the cast of the Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam troupe puts on her nail polish before a performance in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.              PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam091.jpg
  • 22 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Sailors with the Royal Thai Navy provide security at a Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam show in Bangkok. There is usually a lot of drinking at the shows and brawls frequently break out at the end of the night. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam074.jpg
  • 22 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A spectator at a Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam show uses her smart phone to photograph a performer.  Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam065.jpg
  • 22 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Spectators dance during a Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam show in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam063.jpg
  • 22 NOVEMBER 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Spectators dance during a Prathom Bunteung Silp mor lam show in Bangkok. Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan (northeast Thailand). It is sometimes compared to American country music, song usually revolve around unrequited love, mor lam and the complexities of rural life. Mor Lam shows are an important part of festivals and fairs in rural Thailand. Mor lam has become very popular in Isan migrant communities in Bangkok. Once performed by bands and singers, live performances are now spectacles, involving several singers, a dance troupe and comedians. The dancers (or hang khreuang) in particular often wear fancy costumes, and singers go through several costume changes in the course of a performance. Prathom Bunteung Silp is one of the best known Mor Lam troupes in Thailand with more than 250 performers and a total crew of almost 300 people. The troupe has been performing for more 55 years. It forms every August and performs through June then breaks for the rainy season.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MorLam060.jpg
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Jack Kurtz, Photojournalist & Travel Photographer

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