Talad Noi is positioned as the real Bangkok. Flocks of tourists on bicycles ply along narrow and even narrower streets there, following their tour guides; first-time-in-Asia travelers come afoot in pairs or in groups to have a nice walk in search of real experiences.
Talad Noi on Google.Maps
To entertain this crowd, graffiti were arranged on walls of Talad Noi's alleys; artifacts of the past were deliberately showcased here and there. Those, who are tired, can rest at cafes with antique and loft interiors with triple prices for coffee.
To me, these newly-designed decorations create a repulsive impression of fakeness. But not everything is so bad there, many things still remains authentic in Talad Noi, although the neighborhood has been already noticeably spoiled by the efforts of the tourism industry.
One of those real things are old mechanic workshops. There are many there. Thanks to tourism, local people are used to strangers with cameras, and, at the same time, they aren't tired with this attention since Talad Noi is only entering the Bangkok chart of the top tourist attractions.
The first thing that catches your eye in Talad Noi is those piles of vehicle spare parts. It's not just at one place, there are many such heaps outside and inside Talad Noi's workshops.
On January 6, 2024, I was having a stroll there and decided to immerse into closeup photography. I set f/8.0 and decided not to carry about ISO and noise.
As soon as I was absorbed by photography, I felt that the reportage isn't full if there are no people in the images.
And my introvert stepped away to give the steering wheel to the extrovert.
However, I didn’t need to communicate - mechanics were even greater introverts than I am.
This man noticed me but decided not to interrupt neither my stream of tranquility, nor his.
This guy slightly shuddered when noticed me out of the corner of the eyes, but then oppressed this impulse not to create an embarrassing situation.
I wanted a front view of this workshop, and I couldn't avoid being noticed so I decided to ask permission this time. I waved my hand to signal I wanted to have a communication but the men didn't want to reveal they spotted me. 😄 At last, I reached the eye contact and showed a rectangular with my finger meaning I'd like to take a picture. The guy on right smiled and nodded.
I felt they liked my attention. Maybe because they create this peculiar beauty at their workshops day after day, and they were happy that someone shares their understanding of aesthetics and appreciate their work and lifestyle.
I mean, every person lives in a movie about themselves. It's always pleasure to see that someone is truly delighted with this film.
Another thing to pay attention in Talad Noi is interiors. Thanks to the fact that all workshops are open to the eyes of passersby.
Boxes, auto parts, Buddhist altar with plenty of Buddha statues, a mini Chinese temple, fans, black walls and ceiling: probably, soot, machine oil, and mold, accumulated over many years. So atmospheric.
It is unusual to see such interiors in Thailand, where a foreigner is more accustomed to seeing hotels and restaurants, banks and offices,
but not these retro workshops replete with shades of black, rust, and oil.
As a result of this fruitful walk, I took dozens of decent images, so I am stopping here to continue talking about Talad Noi in the next post.
More images and stories from Southeast Asia are ahead! Check out the previous ones on my personal Pinmapple map.
I took the images with a Nikkor 50mm on Nikon D750 on January 6, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand.