The Angel Healers

In 2024 I traveled to Thailand to photograph the world of massage and healing. At first, I did not even know how to begin. Documenting such an intimate space felt distant and closed to me. I wanted to understand the difference between care and desire, between healing and pleasure, and to photograph both without judgment.

Early morning during alms with one of the monks. As he sings blessings for the people, Ajan Mi (The “Angle Finger” Head Teacher) stands beside him in prayer.

I arrived in Chiang Mai with no plan, and later hitchhiked to Pai. One day, walking without a phone or wallet, I found myself in a temple garden where two men were standing quietly. One of them offered me a massage for free. After the painful session, he told me it was called “Angel Hand.” That night, I learned they were healers traveling across the country, offering free treatment to monks and local people.

The next morning, somehow, I found myself joining them. For a month we lived in monasteries, woke before sunrise for alms with the monks, and moved from place to place with nothing but our hands. We gave what care we could, and received food, shelter, and kindness in return.

Ajan Mi in action

Left - “Ajan Mi”. Right - Teacher “Mek”.

"Phe" , Another member of the healers, is resting after a long morning of massaging.

A child monk stands before the great Buddha, his eyes fixed on its face while folding an enormous cloth inside the hall.