Thailand-Myanmar Border Barber Photo Essay | The Bamboo School Project
Ahmorthay grew up as a displaced child right here at The Bamboo School sanctuary on the volatile Thailand-Myanmar border.
After leaving the refuge to train as a professional barber, he recently returned to the school with a group of his qualified friends to volunteer their time—providing free haircuts for all the current children, as well as the older, grown-up kids who have stayed on to live, work, and help Catherine ("Momo Cat") run the sanctuary.
Bong-Ti, Kanchanaburi, Thailand — A young boy receives a free haircut inside the jungle-enclosed compound of The Bamboo School on the volatile Myanmar border. The community day was organized by former student turned professional barber Ahmorthay, who returned with his group of qualified friends to volunteer their time for the sanctuary that raised him. Photograph by Scott Ramsey.
Resilience on the Frontline: A Photographer's Perspective
As a documentary photographer, my objective with these frames was to capture the quiet grit of this community. This visual update arrives during a highly volatile week. Active fighting has unfortunately escalated near the school today, bringing a fresh influx of displaced children across the border and into the refuge looking for safety.
Yet, as these images show, the spirit inside the gates remains entirely unyielding. In a zone where lives are constantly disrupted by conflict, a simple haircut becomes a profound act of normalcy, dignity, and defiance against the chaos outside. No matter what is unfolding down the road, these children and the young adults keeping the school alive are protected, clean, and valued.
Behind the Lens: How This Work is Funded
This project highlights a core pillar of my creative business. I don’t rely on traditional charity grants or crowded crowdfunding campaigns to shoot these frontline assignments. Instead, this independent documentary work is entirely self-funded through my commercial assignments at the Scott Ramsey Photography and Videography Agency.
Every time a brand commissions me for a commercial production, corporate headshots, or an advertising campaign back home, a direct percentage of those profits goes into producing projects like The Bamboo School. When clients hire me for commercial work, they aren't just getting premium assets for their brand—they are directly keeping frontline storytelling alive.
Bong-Ti, Kanchanaburi, Thailand — Catherine Riley-Bryan (“Momo Cat”) embraces former student Ahmorthay during his emotional return to the sanctuary. After qualifying at barber college, Ahmorthay and his classmates returned to provide free haircuts for the refuge that raised him. Photograph by Scott Ramsey.
Follow the Journey: Don't Miss a Story
This dispatch is part of an ongoing documentary series. I will be sharing regular snapshots, photo essays, and real-time updates from The Bamboo School as the situation on the border unfolds.
To ensure you never miss a new story from the frontline, and to keep updated with the other independent and commercial storytelling projects I’m currently working on, click here to sign up for my newsletter.
If you are completely new to this project and want to read the full backstory, meet the sanctuary's founder Catherine ("Momo Cat"), and learn how you can support this vital work, visit the permanent project homepage: Explore The Bamboo School Project Hub