Books on Thailand - some favourite authors

Certainly I am rude - you are merely offensive


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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>

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.


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[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

A Nail Through the Heart

Isn'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.