I've been doing random portraits around SE Asia since the late nineties. A huge amount in 2002-2005, my first few years in Luang Namtha, because it is an effective way to slowly gain trust in a small community, photograph the children on your first visit, come back and give them prints on your second visit. Always return the images to the community, and gradually you may get better entry and be able to photograph other aspects of life, too.
The past few years, a lot of our travel and my photography have centred on religious ceremonies and on food http://www.foodfromnorthernlaos.com/ but I'd like to get back to some portraiture again soon....