Books on Thailand - some favourite authors

www.stickmanbangkok.com/book.html (http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/book.html)

is always worth a look.



MY TOP TEN WRITERS



Sudham Pira, www.pirasudham.com/ (http://www.pirasudham.com/)

Monsoon Country, Tales of Thailand, People of Esarn, The Force of Karma

Magnificent heart wrending tales of Thai life from abject poverty to immense riches. Semi autobiographical

staff from this Nobel nominated writer. So few Thai writers in English are available.



Axel Aylwen, www.dcothai.com/product_i...cts_id=576 (http://www.dcothai.com/product_info.php?cPath=45&products_id=576)

The Falcon of Siam

A great epic historic novel of Thailand based on the amazingly true story of the son of a Greek fisherman who became the тАШPrime MinisterтАЩ of Thailand under King Narai in Ayuttaya. Happy back in print after a long hiatus this is a great holiday book which gives amazingly good insight into Thailand and itтАЩs history. Do not confuse with Falcon at the Court of Siam by John Hoskin which did not impress.



John Burdett, www.salon.com/books/revie...ex_np.html (http://www.salon.com/books/review/2005/06/06/burdett/index_np.html)

Bangkok 8, Bangkok Tattoo

тАЬOne of the most startling and provocative mysteries IтАЩve read in years. The characters are marvellously unique, the setting intoxicating and the plot unwinds in dark illusory strandsтАЭ Carl Hiaasen I canтАЩt improve on that but would just say that his insight into Thai culture is astonishing.



Boton translated from the Thai by Susan F Kepner

Letters from Thailand

First published in 1969 this SEATO prize winning novel i the story of a young man who leaves China to make his fortune in Thailand at the close of WWII. His letters home to his mother in China are fascinating as his Chinese heritage is eroded and his children embrace urban Thai culture. His childhood idea of wealth was тАШ to eat pork every dayтАЩ.



Carol Hollinger

Mai Pen Rai - Means Never Mind

A Hawaiian American housewifeтАЩs honest love affair with the irrepressible people of Thailand. In print for 40 years this charming slim volume is full of observation and warm wonder at living in a fascinating country and teaching at Chulalonghorn University. Hugely entertaining.



Thomas DтАЩAgnes

From Condoms to Cabbages - An authorised Biography of Mechai Viravaidya

He has lead an exciting life and lead campaigned relentlessly to end poverty in Thailand through Family planning, single handedly he coerced the Thai Government into a massive campaign to educate about HIV/AIDS which lead Thailand to become one of the few countries to early achieve a static number of infected persons - all this and much more. Mechai had a Scottish Mother and rose to be a Senator and member of the Thai Cabinet. He is still going strong/



Win Lyovarin, translated from Thai by Prisna Boonsinsukh

Democracy, Shaken & Stirred, SEA Write Award 1997. Best Novel Thailand National Book Award 1995

Tantalising, behind the scenes glimpses into all the major rebellions and coups between 1933 and 1992. Fictional and real characters in events created and documented to create a historical novel of extraordinary power and perception.



Phra Peter Pannapadipo - an English monk in Thailand

Little Angels, Good Morning Buddha

Stories of real life Thai Novice monks and an insight into Buddhism. Written with deep insight and n immensely kind heart.



Jim Newport, www.vampireofsiam.com (http://www.vampireofsiam.com)

The Vampire of Siam, Ramone, The retirn of the Vampire of Siam

The author has received nominations for the Pulitzer prize and an Emmy but not for these romps with the Vampire legend adapted to modern Bangkok - hilarious untra-realistic journey into terror.



S P Somtow

Jasmine Nights

A 12 year old Thai boy, whoтАЩs parents have dissapeared, lives in the family compound with his three aunts. тАЬIntelligent, energetic, humane, engaging, humorous, delicate and beautifulтАЭ Louis de Bernieres


</p>

Thanks wowpow! I would like to see this as a regular feature - something like what are members reading tonight? Doesn't have to be about Thailand....


</p>

thanks Wowpow for sharing this info.. I like to read and frequent Thais 4 Life bookstore and will look for some of the books listed..<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D">


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<blockquote>Quote:<hr>So few Thai writers in English are available.<hr></blockquote>



For the right royalty fee they might be.


</p>

Neils Mulder Inside Thai society. Mulder's views are somewhat challenging to many of the notions promoted by some posters in this Forum. www.dcothai.com/product_i...cts_id=181 (http://www.dcothai.com/product_info.php?products_id=181)



Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit - A History of Thailand. Pasuk Phongpaichit was gaoled for subversion when his book describing modern Thailand as a feudal society was first published. It's feudalism that gives us our place in Thai society - as patrons to our supposed boyfriends - within the Thai patronage system. www.asiapacificms.com/art..._and_wars/ (http://www.asiapacificms.com/articles/beyond_kings_and_wars/)



Sterling Seagrave (boygeenyus' favourite author) - Lords of the Rim about the Chinese diaspora in SE Asia and its economic influence. The chapter on Thailand is particularly interesting for its discussion on the origins of the wealth of the Choonhavan family. Chatichai Choonhavan is a former Thai Prime Minister and some of his family (a son at least) are members of the current Thai parliament. www.gbn.com/BookClubSelec...srv?si=150 (http://www.gbn.com/BookClubSelectionDisplayServlet.srv?si=150)



Michael Backman - Asian Eclipse which details the Asian cultural characteristics that contributed to the 1997 economic crisis (rather than the notion promoted by that old charlatan Mahathir that it was all the fault of naughty George Soros). www.meansbusiness.com/Fin...clipse.htm (http://www.meansbusiness.com/Finance-and-Profitability-Books/Asian-Eclipse.htm)



I should warn Forum members that all of those books contain occasional long words. Those who are brain-dead in Pattaya will find grappling with their concepts particularly challenging and it's probably best that you stick with Bangkok whodunnits and other pot-boilers. For light reading I can always recommend Colonel Ken's on-going series Hardship Posting - www.hardshipposting.com/hp/ (http://www.hardshipposting.com/hp/)


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"Is that a hydra?" called Hedda from the doorway. "There's no such thing", said her mother firmly. "Daddy and I were just making the beast with two backs. Go to bed." But Hedda was scarred for life - Jane Austin, Memoirs of a Loss Adjuster</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p092.ezboard.com/bsawatdeeforum.showUserPublicProfile?gid=homintern>homintern</A> at: 6/11/05 7:42 am

"Neils Mulder Inside Thai society. Mulder's views are somewhat challenging to many of the notions promoted by some posters in this Forum."



Isn't Neils Mulder the anthropologist who spent his days poking individual Thais with his anthropological stick to further his studies then complained that the same Thais wouldn't be his 'friends' when his workday was over?


</p>

We all have a cross to bear. Look at poor old Margaret Mead


__________________________________________________ ______________________

"Is that a hydra?" called Hedda from the doorway. "There's no such thing", said her mother firmly. "Daddy and I were just making the beast with two backs. Go to bed." But Hedda was scarred for life - Jane Austin, Memoirs of a Loss Adjuster</p>

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>I should warn Forum members that all of those books contain occasional long words. Those who are brain-dead in Pattaya will find grappling with their concepts particularly challenging and it's probably best that you stick with Bangkok whodunnits and other pot-boilers.<hr></blockquote>



Hence the need to cling on religiously to every word from that oracle of Thai cultural studies cum 'nightlife businessman' - Stickman Bangkok.


</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p092.ezboard.com/bsawatdeeforum.showUserPublicProfile?gid=yimsuai>Yimsuai</A> http://www.radiofreesawatdee.blogspot.com/ at: 9/11/05 10:03 pm

I think you are being overly complimentary there, Yimsuai. Stickman is a mere English teacher and, worse, a New Zealander and even worse, one who thinks that New Zealand might be a better place to live than Thailand (or indeed everywhere ... rather than the reverse). That doesn't prevent him from making keen observations about life in Thailand from time to time - that isn't totally beyond the abilities of the ex-pat Kiwi. You know my views - any New Zealander with get-up-and-go has got up and gone


__________________________________________________ ______________________

"Is that a hydra?" called Hedda from the doorway. "There's no such thing", said her mother firmly. "Daddy and I were just making the beast with two backs. Go to bed." But Hedda was scarred for life - Jane Austin, Memoirs of a Loss Adjuster</p>

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Those who are brain-dead in Pattaya will find grappling with their concepts particularly challenging and it's probably best that you stick with Bangkok whodunnits and other pot-boilers.<hr></blockquote>





and he accuses me of causing upset ! - that has to be one of the rudest remarks I've heard in ages!


</p>

Certainly I am rude - you are merely offensive


__________________________________________________ ______________________

"Is that a hydra?" called Hedda from the doorway. "There's no such thing", said her mother firmly. "Daddy and I were just making the beast with two backs. Go to bed." But Hedda was scarred for life - Jane Austin, Memoirs of a Loss Adjuster</p>

S. P. Somtow also wrote a book of off-the-wall, over-the-top, weird short stories set in L.A. One, as I recall, about a rent boy...Well, I don't want to give it away.



Travanian's (latest): The Crazyladies of Pearl Street.

Not about Thailand but if you enjoy a trip down memory lane give it a try. With that title, I had to read it.



Popcorn for readers:

Signposting (Lonely Planet; $7.99)

Speaking English is not the same as communicating with it. A book of signs posted at tourist sites around the world:



"Foot Wearing Prohibited"--At a temple in Myanmar.

"Do Not Feed Elephants; It Creates Management Problems."--At a zoo in S. Africa.

"Open House Fun Day"-- On the lawn of a Florida Funeral home.

"Torture Chamber Unsuitable for Wheelchair Users."--England's Warwick Castle.

"Warning Hold-ups Ahead." (Hands-up?) London.

"Drive-thru Seating."-- At a Wisconsin Dairy Queen.

"Drive-Up Parking"--Also in Wisconsin.

"To go left make 3 right turns"--Danville, Illinois.

"Duty-Free Restroom"--Miami.

"Bottomless Pit! 65 feet deep"--Maui.

"Promised Land...CLOSED" Olympic Peninsula, Washington.

"OF CLOUSE WE SPOKE ENGLAND!" A store in Thailand.

There are about 150 more.



My favorite is still, "FRIED CRAP 85 BAHT" at a restaurant in Phuket. (Not in the book.)




</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p092.ezboard.com/bsawatdeeforum.showUserPublicProfile?gid=edith@saw atdeeforum>Edith</A> at: 10/11/05 5:07 am

I found a copy of The 20 Best Novels of Thailand, A Thai Modern Classic Anthology, compiled by Marcel Barang. It has excerpts from novels, short biographic information about the authors, and some other commentary. Not all of the novels have been translated into English yet, but the anthology provides a good overview of Thai novels. I have been able to find several of them and have enjoyed them.


</p>

[manfarang-old]

Haven't read it yet, but I thought I'd mention that this new mystery, set in Thailand, has been receiving very good reviews, usually being compared (favorably) to John Burdett's novels.

Amazon link for A Nail Through the Heart (http://www.amazon.com/Nail-Through-Heart-Timothy-Hallinan/dp/0061255807/ref=sr_1_1/002-4596735-6575229?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186932246&sr=1-1)

A Nail Through the HeartIsn't the term "nail" sometimes used as a euphemism for a dose of the clap?

I'm 3/4 through Bangkok 8 now. The expat writer tries to write in the first person, through the eyes of a Thai cop -- an utter conceit that falls flat on its face. The book is so full of obvious factual and cultural errors that I cannot enjoy it. He should have stuck to seeing Thailand through the eyes of a foreigner, and he should have gotten an editor who at least knew something about Thailand.

[Sen Yai]

Could you give us some examples of these obvious factual and cultural errors?

OK.

In one scene, a police man burns up five 1,000 baht notes that a farang kid has offered as a bribe. The King's portrait is on Thai money; there is no way it would be treated that way.

In another scene, they visit a doctor at the Crocodile Farm. Dr. Bhasra Trakit, whom the protagonist constantly refers to as "Dr. Trakit"...using her surname, when everyone knows she would be referred to as "Dr. Bhasra" in Thai. The same mistake is made many other times, referring to someone by their title plus their surname. The protagonist himself is referred to by other Thais as "Detective Jitleecheep" (his surname), when he should be referred to only as "Detective Sonchai".

The protagonist constantly refers to his mother by her nickname, "Nong" -- definitely not done.

Finally, he gets so many Thai words wrong that it is laughable:

Bang Khwan Prison (should be Bang Khwang)
Kaoshan Road (should be Khaosarn)
Krung Thip cigaretttes (should be Krong Thip)
Sarawang Road (should be Surawong or Suriwong)

The FBI detective's room is on the "22nd floor of the Hilton" (the old Hilton, now the Nai Lert Park, as the fertility shrine is mentioned). That hotel is a low rise, with only five floors.

[dave_tf-old]

I won't doubt the book is probably dreadful, or argue with factual errors, but romanization (English or other language spellings of Thai words) is not consistent in very many cases. Surawong, Suriwong, Surawongse are all examples I've seen in excellent guidebooks and even street signs created by Thai governments.

Krung Thips are also so dreadful I'd quit smoking if that was the only brand available.

It is true that romanization is not consistent. BUT "Krung Thip", "Kaoshan", "Bang Khwan", and "Sarawong" are simply impossible, whether based on Thai spelling or Thai pronunciation. There is no romanization scheme in existence where they would be considered correct. And, most importantly, there is no way a Thai person would ever spell them that way, knowing how they are spelling in Thai script and how they are pronounced. The protagonist is also meant to be fluent in English, so he would know that Krong Thip could not possibly be spelled with a "u", and that there must be a "g" on the end of Khwang (he got the Bang part right, so if he were consistent at all he would spell the Khwang part right as well).

It may be nitpicking, but I expect an expatriate author -- especially speaking through a Thai protagonist -- to at least do his homework at little better. As it is, this Burdett guy is an amateur at best.

[Marsilius]

When it came to police and detection procedures (and possibly also to her skills as a writer*), Agatha Christie was "an amateur at best" too. But that didn't stop her selling millions of copies of her books all around the world and making a fortune.

Most readers aren't looking for precise factual accuracy - they just want to read a good page-turning story.



* A matter of some controversy. Literary criticism school of thought #1 says that her writing is poor - superficial, vague and lacking in authentic detail. Literary criticism school of thought #2 says that she was very clever and deliberately wrote that way - so that foreign readers, unfamiliar with the English settings for her novels, could superimpose their own familiar cultural norms on the only-vaguely-delineated Christie "English" settings and scenarios.

[jimnbkk]

has written a third book in the series begun with Bangkok 8: Bangkok Haunts, published in 2007. It continues the story begun with Bangkok 8. In my humble opinion, it is a better read than Bangkok Tattoo, the second book in the series.

I'm just glad that I don't know enough about the details of Thailand to nitpick the story. It may not be factually accurate (it's a novel for pete's sake), but it does offer a reason or explaination, to my shriveled mind at least, for some of the things that we as frequent visitors have come to accept under the general heading of "TIT".

My favorite is still, "FRIED CRAP 85 BAHT" at a restaurant in Phuket.

How about "GARBAGE CAEN MOOD," spotted in Morocco?

Unfortunately, Burdett's books can't be judged on whether or not they're a "good read." He's trying to be more than just a good read; he's trying to give farangs an insight into all things Thai. Unfortunately, it looks like he himself isn't that clued in about what "all things Thai" are. Cultural and factual inaccuracies, quaint stereotypes of the "oh my Buddha type", and just plain rubbish seem to be what he specializes in. Worthless.

[Bob]

To each his own. I've read two of Burdette's books and I generally enjoyed both, especially how occasionally some events, dialogue and/or nuances would remind me of what I've experienced in Thailand. I didn't notice any major gaffes regarding "cultural errors" but, then again, I wasn't flyspecking the details (hey, it's a friggin detective novel and I was just enjoying the read, not doing my doctoral thesis!).
I can understand how you (Singapore) or any reader might not like Burdette's books but calling them "worthless" is a bit over the top. I've never heard that before from anyone else who's read it.

That is because most of the people who read the books are foreigners who like to think they are getting some insight into Thai thinking, and who ultimately don't know better. I would love to find a Thai who has read the books. I think they would find them laughable (or perhaps anger-inducing).