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At more than 4,200 kilometres in length, the Mekong River is just the 12th largest river on the planet.  Yet it’s importance in Asia is indisputable: twisting and turning its way through an incredible six countries -- China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos -- the mighty Mekong ebbs and flows, like the lives of tens of millions of people who rely on it every day.

A slow-boat journey along the winding waterway is a true cinematic experience, rich in long, picturesque expanses of quiet reflection as traditional life on the river steadily passes by like a Technicolor silent movie.  Life on the meandering Mekong seems suspended in a warp somewhere between past and present, steadily drifting to an enchanting rhythm, much like the muddy waters that envelop it.

I was fortunate enough to shoot an assignment along this splendid river early last year.  From wooden bumboats to luxury cruisers to speedboats, I spent nearly four weeks drifting on the Mekong River.  I started in southern Vietnam and floated through Cambodia and Laos before eventually ending in Thailand.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience, enjoy and photograph traditional river life on this magnificent waterway.

The July/August 2010 issue of Fah Thai, Bangkok Airways' inflight magazine, features this short photo essay of imagery I captured during my time on the Mekong in Laos.

Visit here to see more photographs I made during my month-long journey on the Mekong River in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.