Written in not-so-perfect English, a sign at the Bangkok Railway Station reads, “Travelling by Train is Comfort, Economical, Fast and Safe.” This nostalgic form of transport has long piqued the curiosity of Thai photographer, Watcharawit Phudork, who created his series, DELAYED, centered around the 19-hour train journey from Bangkok to his hometown of Hat Yai.
“乘火车旅行，舒适、经济、快速、安全”—— 这是曼谷火车站的一个标语。这种传统交通方式，激起了泰国摄影师Watcharawit Phudork的好奇心，将镜头对准从曼谷到他的家乡合艾共19个小时的火车旅程，创作出摄影系列《DELAYED》（晚点）。
Phudork notes that whilst other forms of transportation excel both in speed and economically, there is a still a sizable demand for Thailand’s slowest form of domestic travel. With a mind full of questions and a camera in hand, he bought the cheapest ticket available and embarked on his near day-long journey home.
Phudork注意到，虽然其它交通方式在速度和价格上都比火车有优势，但作为泰国国内最慢的交通方式，火车依然有着很大的需求。带着一堆疑问和手中的相机，他买了一张最便宜的车票，踏上时长将近一整天的归家旅程。
The subjects of DELAYED are noticeably from an older generation; commuters who likely accepted their longer journeys as the norm. The half empty, run down carriages inspired Phudork to explore the other side of railway travel; the inevitable abandonment caused by dwindling demand. His second series, Out of Service, lead him to visit Hat Yai train garage, where worn out train compartments are sent for repair or abandonment.
《DELAYED》镜头下的对象大都是上了年纪的人；他们早已习惯了如此漫长的旅途。残旧的车厢中有一半的座位都是空的，受此启发，Phudork又去探讨火车旅行的另一面——需求下降后，那些被扔弃的火车。在第二个摄影系列《Out of Service》（停止服务）中，他前往合艾火车车库，这里堆满了送来维修和废弃的火车车厢。
“Every compartment will be brought to a garage, even if they are in a completely bad condition,” he says. This includes the compartments that were near obliterated during a bombing by the South Thailand insurgency, the remains of which have been left behind alongside other trains to wither away with passing time. Today, Phudork works out of Bangkok and continues to tell stories of disappearing slices of Thai culture through his trusty lens.
“每节车厢最后都会被卖到某个车库去，即使是已经完全报废的车厢。”即使是那些在泰国南部叛乱时期被轰炸到的废车厢也不例外。随着时光推移，这些旧车厢逐渐消失。今天，Phudork生活在曼谷，依然用镜头讲述那些逐渐消逝的泰国文化的故事。
