Thai painter, Somboon Phoungdorkmai, has been impressed with the stillness of Hoan Kiem Lake, bustling atmosphere of Dong Xuan night market and quiet mossy bricks at “O Quan Chuong” (Quan Chuong Gate).

Twenty of her water-colours paintings of Hanoi’s old quarter were displayed at an exhibition titled “Letter from Hanoi ” at Bangkok’s Akko Art Gallery for three weeks ending August 16.

“My father worked in military and he used to tell me about the war in Vietnam. So in this exhibition, I want to introduce Thai people a peaceful country [and that] they [Hanoians] are so rich in culture,” said painter Phoungdorkmai.

At the same gallery, her French husband, Andre Lurde, also displayed his colour photos of Vietnam over the past three years. “I simply snapshot what I saw and just tried to grab the spirit of life there,” Lurde said.