08 FEBRUARY 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Chinese opera performers wait to go on stage for a Chinese New Year performance at Seacon Square in Bangkok. Chinese opera is popular in Thailand and is usually performed in the Teochew language. The weeks surrounding Chinese New Year are important for retailers in Thailand and many malls put on special promotions and events honoring Chinese culture, like Lion Dances or Chinese Opera. Thailand has a large Thai-Chinese population. Millions of Chinese emigrated to Thailand (then Siam) in the 18th and 19th centuries and brought their cultural practices with them.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
{}