This month, in the August 2016 issue of Thai Airways inflight magazine, Sawasdee, appears a 10 page photo story I shot on Thai Buddhist temple murals.

Following below is the article’s opening paragraph and the 12 photos that were published with the piece:

Visit any Buddhist Thai temple in Thailand to appreciate an almost forgotten visual art form which preserves Thailand’s history, literature and cultural way of life through elaborate mural paintings.

ABWTP01
Locals buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the floating market – © Marc Schultz 2016
 

ABWTP02
Villagers are seen presenting food offerings to the monks as a merit making gesture as the monks pass through the village collecting their daily morning alms – © Marc Schultz 2016
 

ABWTP03
The Lord Buddha, still a young prince at the time, is seen leading his majestic horse through the grounds of the palace – © Marc Schultz 2016
 

ABWTP04
A group of young villagers in a festive mood are seen dancing and enjoying life in rural Thailand – © Marc Schultz 2016
 

ABWTP05
Pictured are villagers arriving by boat to a temple where they make merit to the Buddhist monks seated inside the temple grounds – © Marc Schultz 2016
 

ABWTP06
A festival takes place on the banks of the river while a boat procession gets underway to mark the start of the rice harvesting season – © Marc Schultz 2016
 

ABWTP07
Three men perform a Brahmin ceremony on the Giant Swing located on Rattanakosin Island in front of Suthat Temple. They attempt to reach the top of the swing and recover a bag of gold coins which rests hidden at the top of one of the swing’s pillars – © Marc Schultz 2016
 

ABWTP08
Thai women seated on the deck of a stilted, Thai wooden home play traditional Thai musical instruments to entertain themselves. From left to right is the Saw Sam Sai (three-stringed fiddle), a Subu (northern Thai three-stringed guitar), and a Glong Yao (long drum) – © Marc Schultz 2016
 

ABWTP09
A historic battle scene between the Burmese and Siamese army – © Marc Schultz 2016
 

ABWTP10
A young couple leads a song and dance procession around their village to celebrate their union – © Marc Schultz 2016
 

ABWTP11
A temple ceremony where laymen come to pay their respects to Buddhist monks in the temple while a woman prepares to serve bowls of rice porridge from a large cauldron to the monks – © Marc Schultz 2016
 

ABWTP12
A young group of women carry bamboo fans, and Bai Sri (conical offerings usually made from folded banana leaves and tropical flowers), make their way to the temple grounds to present them to a statue of The Lord Buddha – © Marc Schultz 2016

If you happen to be on a Thai Airways flight during the month of August, I hope you enjoy reading Sawasdee Magazine. Also, a copy of the article itself (from the magazine) can be downloaded here in PDF.