The following pictures were taken along the Thailand-Cambodia border in
December of 2003. My second trip to Cambodia began with a 5 hour car ride
from Bangkok to the border town of Sa Kaew. We arrived at Sa Kaew around six
in the morning. After meeting up with a guide there, we went to the Rong
Kluae Market for breakfast. The market mainly sells used clothing, much of it
donated from countries around the world. There was not much activity because
it was so early, but some vendors and buyers started to gather..
While eating breakfast, some monks started to come to the Market to get
offerings of food. According to Buddhist doctrine, monks will go out before
sunrise to receive offerings.
In Thailand it is common for them only to get offerings in
the morning but many monks from Cambodia will make multiple trips across the
border during the day. It is not by choice but simply because the monasteries
do not have the donations that the Thai monasteries have.
After breakfast we were dropped off at the immigration checkpoints. The
border in the morning is a sea of people. Carts with all manner of goods are
pulled in both directions. Casino workers, tourists, monks, children, and
beggers flood the area. The Thai checkpoint was filled with men and women in
uniform who work at the casinos just across the border in Poipet, Cambodia.
After making it through the lines, another wait was encountered while the
Cambodian officials issued my visa for entry into the country.
After my passport was given back to me, we gathered up our packs, walked
across the border and were off to explore Cambodia.
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