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Beach Matters: Candid photography series captures interactions on Thailand's Pattaya Beach

Although these photographs were taken in the Pattaya Beach resort of Thailand, they include scenes that are familiar to many of us. An inflatable unicorn, the application of suncream to vitamin D-deprived skin and sandy bottles of beer. Ahhh, the memories.

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All images courtesy of the photographer

All images courtesy of the photographer

British born photographer, Larry Hallegua, has been shooting candid colour photography for the past five years, mainly in Asia and occasionally Europe. His work has been described as 'bittersweet moments' and 'fanciful characters frozen into bizarre activities', and for this particular project, he chose Thailand as his focus.

He explains: "Pattaya Beach resort, a popular destination for foreigners in Thailand, is well known for its nighttime sex industry, but during the daytime, tourists and Thais relax together on the beach.

"The series is a colourful portrait of the characters and happenings of this resort, capturing familial relationships, leisure time and a healthy dose of sun-worshipping." Discover more at larryhallegua.com.

Swimmers and sunbathers gather on Pattaya Beach, with yellow buoys marking the swimming area and industrial structures visible across the water.
Man in yellow shirt crouching on sand at Pattaya Beach, drawing a spiral pattern with his finger
Woman in purple cardigan leans against palm tree on Pattaya Beach while man in sunglasses sits nearby with tourists and boats in turquoise water behind
Woman in blue bikini holds a beer bottle while two young boys stand beside her on Pattaya Beach, with turquoise sea and city skyline behind them
A shirtless man applies suncream to a child's back while other beachgoers relax on the sand at Pattaya Beach, Thailand
A person wearing a pink patterned hat crouches between large moss-covered rocks on sandy beach, with white plastic bags and bottles visible nearby.
Man shielding himself from the sun with white fabric on Pattaya Beach, with beachgoers and inflatable toys visible in the background
A woman in a white crop top stands surrounded by stacked colourful inflatable beach rings on Pattaya Beach, Thailand.
Person in blue gingham dress bending forward on a sandy beach with their shadow visible beside them
Rear view of a shirtless man with grey hair on a brick pathway as two black birds fly past his head, with parked cars visible in the background
Black dog leaping off a striped deckchair on Pattaya Beach, with moored boats visible in the turquoise sea behind
Children and families enjoying turquoise waters at Pattaya Beach, with a girl in a striped dress hugging another child in the foreground
Man wearing a straw hat and with blue drawings on his back holds up a smartphone to photograph two women stretching a white sun hat in the turquoise sea at Pattaya Beach, surrounded by other beachgoers
Two women on Pattaya Beach, one wearing a turquoise shirt and wide-brimmed hat, the other in a bright pink headscarf, look at something together under the sun
Person wearing a red patterned headscarf and leopard-print swimwear on an inflatable unicorn in Pattaya Beach, Thailand
Beachgoers enjoying inflatable flamingo floats in bright pink and red in the shallow turquoise waters of Pattaya Beach
Two swimmers wearing patterned wetsuits stand in turquoise water facing the beach at Pattaya, Thailand, one with a blue head covering and one with a pink head covering
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