I went to Sanam Luang one day out of curiosity and noticed the huge diversity of people that had come from all over the country to pay their repects to the king. You can see the usual Bangkok faces mixed in with those who might be rice farmers or have Indian ancestry. I decided it would be a great idea to capture Thai people all coming together.

I use the white walls of the palace as a backdrop and simply ask people if they would stop for a photo. I pick Thai people who I think look interesting and different—I’m not looking for anything in particular, just as much diversity as possible.

I just want to focus on the character and expressions on their face. There’s no need for any more information. The photos are all in greyscale because I don't want any distractions—there’s enough diversity in the portraits themselves. I like to think of it as a Thai greyscale rainbow.

It’s hard to pick just one. Overall, the portraits tie together in a very subtle way. These may seem like ordinary portraits but look closely and you will notice there are often small, or big, references to the King, whether they have a pin or a necklace or a photograph. That’s the glue that ties it all together.

Being a foreigner has definitely helped me keep things raw. Thai photographers might lean towards capturing people praying or mourning or crying, to express that message of loss. And understandably so. For me, I just wanted to capture the rawness of the people on the scene, and let the message speak for itself. 

Sometimes when living in Bangkok you can forget what the rest of Thailand looks like. You get used to the same style of faces you see on the BTS or in EmQuartier. This is the true representation of Thailand—and this is who the king aimed to support: everyone.

Wise is currently working on compiling the photographs into a book. For now, you can follow the ongoing project via his Instagram account: lifecwphotographer.