FROM BHARAT TO SIAM

An outdoor exhibition in Pahurat and Ong Ang Walking Street by Samatcha Apaisuwan explores Rajasthan and the Indian community in Bangkok

- STORY: SUWITCHA CHAIYONG

To boost Indian tourism, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has collaborated with the Phra Nakhon District Office and many partners to organise “Amazing Thailand Grand Diwali Festival 2025” on Pahurat Road and Ong Ang Walking Street until Oct 31.

Diwali is known as festival of lights, which is also celebrated by non-Hindu communities in India and other countries. Activities at Bangkok’s Little India include lighting using cutting edge technology, Thai-Indian cultural exchange performances, tasting Indian cuisine, shopping for Indian products and worshipping the deities Lakshmi and Ganesha for good fortune.

The event also presents the photography exhibition “At The Heart Of Faith: A Portrait Of Bangkok’s Indian Community”, which displays the compelling work of Samatcha Apaisuwan, an independent street photographer. Instead an art gallery, the exhibition is being showcased at four installations across the Pahurat and Klong Ong Ang areas.

“I have been interested in projects that involve communities, so I feel that this is a great opportunity. I initially planned to rent an abandoned building to showcase the collection, but the building was built with a partition wall which is not what I had in mind. I then saw posters on empty walls in communities and that inspired me to showcase my work like posters. It was an experiment and the BMA supported the idea,” explained Samatcha.

“This project allowed me to explore Pahurat which is an area that I was familiar with when I was a student at Suankularb Wittayalai School. It has changed a lot and now has many cafes and modern vibes. I felt great walking through Pahurat and experiencing new things, especially visiting the Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha [Sikh Temple].”