The glossy tour brochures will tell you that Thailand is a land of ‘glistening temples, dazzling white-sand beaches and sparkling azure seas’. That may all be true, but less obviously it is also a country where miniature figures crop up in some unlikely venues. There is no standing on ceremony in Thailand when it comes to something which is narak (cute or charming) and whether it’s a police station, a shrine or a temple, these mini statues and figures are just another part of the charm of Thailand.

Mini policeman on duty in front of police station on Ko Samet

Miniature navy guards at Shrine to the Prince of Chumphon in Bangkok

Mini monks at Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai

Spirit house outside a Chiang Mai guest-house

Tiny Thai dancers at a temple in Ayutthaya
Photos © Thaizer