Amanda Mustard

Photojournalist and Filmmaker

www.amandamustard.com

Travel

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A motorbike driver enters smoke...eld fire along the Samoeng Loop

A motorbike driver enters smoke from a field fire along the Samoeng Loop

A crofterï¿½s cottage in the Highlands.

The monks of Wat Chedi Ai Khai ...adapuvadol (navaon.s@gmail.com)

The monks of Wat Chedi Ai Khai eat lunch together on the temple grounds. At Wat Chedi Ai Khai in Sichon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, a statue of a 9 year old boy, Ai Khai (or 'Egg Boy'), has drawn hundreds of thousands of Thai visitors who hope it will bless them with prosperity and good luck. In stark contrast to the rest of the country during the pandemic, the Sichon area has seen a massive spike in tourism as a result of popularity of this wish-making temple. Visitors can perform a range of merit-making actions, including the purchase and donation of chicken statues, fireworks, children's toys and clothing, and food items said to be desired by the spirit of Ai Khai. Traditional rituals also take place at the temple that reveal fortuitous predictions or numbers to be played in the lottery. While Thailand has largely kept COVID at bay with a strict response and tight border control, the local economy has suffered with the loss of tourism revenue, which normally accounts for about 15% of Thailand's GDP. For many in Thailand, times of uncertainty and desperation can often be met with superstitious solutions. Note: Wat Chedi Ai Kai release available Local Manager – Navaon Waii Siradapuvadol (navaon.s@gmail.com)