70 Rai by Yoonki Kim

Korean photographer Yoonki Kim's touching photos of Klongtoey slum - one of the largest slums in Thailand. Smiles and radiance despite surroundings that would make many of us want to hide in a hole.

From the introduction:

In the heart of Klong Toey, Bangkok's largest slum community, you'll find a neighborhood called "70 Rai." Just next to Bangkok's busy port, 70 Rai has an unsavory reputation, mostly to do with drugs and violence.

But you should ignore its notoriety and come visit 70 Rai yourself some day. When you do, you will see a traditional Thai neighborhood, much like rural Thai villages, with community leaders setting the tone of each neighborhood on blaring loudspeakers; families going about the business of celebrating life; and lots and lots of kids in the streets doing kid-like things. The parents here are the day laborers who carry goods to and from the port and the food vendors and scrap collectors who fill all of Bangkok's streets. Subsistence living is the norm here. Parents work mighty hard for the sake of their children and just barely get by.[...]

Most photographers look at the dark side of the slums, but Yoonki sees something different. He looks at 70 Rai through the eyes of our grandmothers and grandchildren, our teachers, our Monks, Imams and Priests, our food vendors and our noodle shop ladies: He sees 70 Rai as we do - as a vibrant family neighborhood, full of life, full of hope, full of love.[...]

View more from this series by Yoonki Kim here.