Suphan Buri province (Thailand), water being pumped out of river

This set of images of Thailand was acquired by the American Geographical Society from Robert Larimore Pendleton (1890 -1957), soil scientist and Professor of Geography at John Hopkins University. The pictures were taken during Pendleton's research visits to Thailand from the mid 1930s to 1950s. Pendleton served as agricultural adviser to the United Nations FAO Mission to Siam [Thailand] in 1947-1948 and as the soil scientist at the US Mutual Security Agency's Special Technical and Economic Mission to Thailand in 1952-1953.An unusually long dragon bone pump (rahat) [water wheel run with a motor, popular in Thai agriculture practices] is being driven by a kerosene engine to raise water from the river. The water is for irrigating padies [paddies], the rainfall being inadequate, and canal irrigation not having reached this locality. Bang Pla Ma township, Supanburi province [Suphan Buri province], Bangkok Plain, central Thailand. November 1940.Grayscal