Mae Taeng/Pai Region: Northwest Thailand

Mae Taeng/Pai Region: Northwest Thailand

Many of the hillpeople live in villages distant from roads and without runnning water or electricity. The villages are also some distance from the river as the river is believed to be the home of the spirits.

No, that's not opium in these women's pipes. Opium is smoked in quite a different way. These women are puffing on tobacco.
Notice that this mother is breastfeeding one child with another on her back.

Elephants are used as beasts of burden in the northwest - primarily for hauling timber through the forest to the river where it is floated downstream.
One day, while washing in the river, I was rather surprised when a large elephant suddenly appeared from around a bend.