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Home / Travel

The truth behind Chiang Mai's pigeon photo op

NZ Herald
18 Sep, 2019 04:20 AM2 mins to read

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Tourists love a good photo op.

They prop up Pisa's Leaning Tower and climb Wanaka's Roy's Peak to pose Caspar David Friedrich-esque over a sea of clouds.

If you search any landmark, or location on the image sharing app you'll be met by a grid of hundreds of people taking variations on a similar theme.

There is a certain satisfaction to be gained when travelling from being "that tourist," taking "that photo," in "that place."

This photo doesn't occur naturally. Photo / Supplied, Instagram.com
This photo doesn't occur naturally. Photo / Supplied, Instagram.com
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The latest landmark to join the queue is Chiang Mai's Tha Pae Gate. The medieval, red brick walls of the city in northern Thailand are a must do photo op for backpackers and Instagram tourists.

Here the favourite is a particularly dynamic pose behind an elegant flock of rock doves. But this doesn't occur naturally.

Having grown fat and tame from feeding, the tame pigeons don't take flight without a little encouragement. One enterprising local has decided to make a career out of helping out with bird-themed photography.

Holding a white flag, the woman is paid to herd flocks of photogenic birds into their photos.

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Chiang Mai's Tha Pae Gate is now a photo op for tourists. Photo / Supplied, Instagram.com
Chiang Mai's Tha Pae Gate is now a photo op for tourists. Photo / Supplied, Instagram.com

Twitter user @Siravariety shared a short clip of the woman in action, saying "Because people want beautiful pictures, a new job has emerged at Tha Phae Gate."

Local reporters, inspired by the 'Bird woman' tracked her down for local news outlet Khaosod.

Noon, a 30-year-old local, took to bird spooking after she left employment as a maid.

Foreign tourists chasing pictures will pay Noon between 20 and 30 bhat ($1-$1.5) to fling birds in their direction.

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555555555555555555 😂😂😂
เมื่ออยากได้ภาพสวยๆ
เลยเกิดอาชีพใหม่ที่ประตูท่าแพ pic.twitter.com/oP955eCRDu

— Siravariety (@siravariety) August 20, 2019

She says she makes about $16 a day and her services are especially popular with Chinese visitors.

Speaking to reporters for Khaosod, she says it is putting her daughter through school.

We thought those seemingly spontaneous pigeon photos were too good to be true.

Tourists pay the woman to herd flocks of photogenic birds into their photos. Photo / Supplied, Instagram.com
Tourists pay the woman to herd flocks of photogenic birds into their photos. Photo / Supplied, Instagram.com

Recently a tourist complained of feeling "catfished" by another south east Asian landmark.

In July Polina Marinova posted a picture from Bali's Gates of Heaven showing a fabulously symmetrical infinity pool was "actually a piece of glass under an iPhone."

Proof that Instagram influencers have ruined everything👇

My hopes & dreams were shattered when I found out the “water” at the Gates of Heaven is actually just a piece of glass under an iPhone 😭 pic.twitter.com/oiahI5VCIo

— Polina Marinova Pompliano (@polina_marinova) July 4, 2019
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