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Travel Pictures - THAILAND - 1992

All images © Ron Miller

          Although I have traveled to Thailand several times, my first visit in January of
     1992 was a time when most Americans knew little about this part of the world - and
     I was no exception. Although I entered the country with some trepidation, the Thai
     people made me feel comfortable almost immediately. In Thailand, I found peaceful
     people, tranquil countryside, remote hill tribes, stunning beaches and, best of all,
     savory food and delicious fruits with names I had never before heard. Thailand offers
     something for every visitor.

Long-tail boats along Thailand's stunning southwest coast; because Railay Beach is
surrounded by cliff-lined limestone peaks, it can only be reached by boat -
Railay Beach, Thailand

Departing Railay Beach on the ferry to the Phi Phi Islands -
near Railay Beach, Thailand

A picturesque vista of Phi Phi Don Island; in 1992, the island was a travelers' paradise with little in the way of commercial resorts.
However, the natural beauty soon attracted more tourists and, eventually, international resorts. As a result, the island's population
increased dramatically to about 10,000 occupants over the next decade. The island became a tourist paradise - that is - until
the devastation wrought by the December 2004 tsunami. Tragically, it is estimated that as many as 4,000 people lost their
lives from the 18 foot tall tidal wave that completely overtopped the isthmus shown in the photo -
Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

Tranquil beaches, coral reefs, and private bungalows - a travelers paradise;
looking toward the isthmus and the village of Ton Sai -
Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

This gravity-defying, karst formation was featured in the James Bond film "The Man With The Golden Gun" and, as a result,
is now commonly referred to as James Bond Island. This long-tail boat is used by the locals to haul tourists -
 Ko Tapu (a.k.a. James Bond Island), southern Thailand

The motorbike was a fantastic way to visit the rural areas in Thailand. I think it was about at this point, some
six months into my first world journey, that I felt the furthest from a 9 to 5 job and that irritating alarm clock -
northern Thailand

This young boy is a member of the Karen Tribe, the largest of Thailand's hill tribes. The Karen have an estimated population
of several hundred thousand in Thailand with several million more across the border in Burma -
northern Thailand

A British traveler with a young member of the Karen tribe; the ancestors of the Karen tribe migrated from Tibet -
northern Thailand