KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — Temples, tom yum, beaches and beer are some things that spring to mind when someone mentions Thailand.

But tour guide Hommeang Mongkorn, 56, deemed those to be a cover-up for the "real” Thailand.

He pulls out his DSLR camera and shows us the faces of his country — hill tribespeople, slum residents and the homeless.

His photographs, which show the struggle, the beauty and lives of the Thai people, are mostly shot in Chiang Mai.

"You think the bars and beaches are what Thailand is all about? You got it wrong.

"These are the people who should get recognition,” he told Malay Mail.

"I love my country, but it is so sad to see how people fight for survival deep inside the jungles and in the slums.”

Tour guide and amateur photographer Hommeang Mongkorn busy doing what he does best. — Picture by Chris Mohan

Love for the lens

Mongkorn, known as Pat to his peers, worked as a tuk-tuk driver before taking a three-month tour guide course in 2013.

Upon completion, he felt "cheated” as he claimed some of the trainers and senior tour guides did not support the locals or in his words, "the real people of Thailand”.

"During the course, they always preached about the beaches and temples, but never about the people.”

A Karen hill tribe woman and a child is seen at a village in Thailand. The Karen tribe is one of the largest hill tribes in Southeast Asia and its total population is unknown. — Picture by Hommeang Mongkorn

Wanting to showcase other aspects of Thailand, he started a tour to the village of the Karen hill tribe — something that is now available on Airbnb Experiences.

It was during this time he found a love for photography.

"I was taking a Dutch lady for a two-week tour into several villages and I just observed how she shot her pictures and set up her film camera.

"One day I shot a picture using her camera and she was impressed when she saw the shot I took through the film roll.

"I told her I was learning from the way she took her pictures — the angles, lighting and everything else involved in it.”

This is the first ever photograph Hommeang took with his DSLR. — Picture by Hommeang Mongkorn

That moment made him fall in love with photography and years later he saved up enough to purchase a professional DSLR.

"What made me fall in love with it is the feel behind it, and also I wanted to take pictures of the tribe villages and show my friends the hard lives of the people there.”

These days, he still does not know much about aperture, ISO, or white balance but says he can "feel” how much is needed to give a photograph its desired effect.

"Every week I go on trips to improve my skills. If you come with me, I can teach you a bit of technique, but it is really hard for me to explain it.

"Every picture has a mood, and an emotion. If I get a bad shot, there are always software available to beautify the picture.”

Mongkorn, a native of Hang Dong district in Chiang Mai, prefers portrait shots and his Instagram account (@redmongkorn) displays some of his best shots over the years.

Hommeang's passion to photograph the Karen hill tribe is truly one of a kind. — Picture by Hommeang Mongkorn

Karen village day-trip

Mongkorn sat in the passenger seat as his driver took us on an hour-long drive to a Karen tribe in Baan Lan Kham jungle.

It was a 40-minute drive from Chiang Mai city centre.  

The Karen tribe is one of the largest hill tribes in Southeast Asia and its total population is unknown, though it is assumed to range between seven million and 14 million people across a few countries.

In Thailand alone, there are about 320,000 of them. Their primary source of income comes from harvesting rice and selling honey, vegetables and other natural resources available to them in the jungle.

The women of the Karen tribe greeted us with warm smiles. We smiled back and bowed as a sign of respect.

Women of the Karen tribe wear neck rings (brass coils) to to create an appearance of a stretched neck. — Picture by Hommeang Mongkorn

They are instantly recognisable for their brass neck rings.

There was no sign of luxury in the village, let alone modern day living comforts.

They took us into their bamboo stilt homes.

There was only a small old mattress, some clothes scattered about and a candle that was dying out.

In the kitchen, in another stilt house, was a some cottonwood to feed the stove fire.

There were also pots and pans arranged neatly in a corner.

There were no chairs or tables and their pets — dogs, chickens and pigs — were probably their source of entertainment.

"They’re used to it (the conditions they live in),” said Mongkorn.

He then brought us for a short trek before we visited a farm with animals.

"Don’t worry. You won’t bump into many tourists, very few tour guides trail this path.”

He was not joking.

Mongkorn is at home here, talking to villagers who welcomed him like a family member.

After 15 minutes of trekking, we were taught how to plant rice — the tribe’s main source of income.

Then, it was time for lunch.

Rice, khao bur (porridge), fried pumpkin leaves with eggs and chilli paste were all they had for lunch.

And that was considered a feast.

"They usually eat rice and egg, today is special as they knew you were coming,” he said.

Hommeang loves jazz music just as much as he loves his Canon DSLR. — Picture by Chris Mohan

His only tour into the Karen village has been enough to sustain Mongkorn over the years.

"I hardly spend and always save money whenever I can.

"I’m not rich, but I work hard to ensure I have enough to support myself.”

Today, his tour costs US$136 (RM549.50) per person on Airbnb.

There is no limit to the amount of guests and as Mongkorn puts it, "the more the merrier.”