The filmed introduction of James Bond in 'Dr. No' in 1962 introduced Western cinema audiences to a world that stimulated their imagination and took them to exotic places that most could only dream of at the time: Jamaica, the Bahamas, Istanbul, Hong Kong and, of course, Thailand.

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Paul Theroux (°1941) is one of the writers I would like to join right away if I could draw up a guest list for an ultimate dinner. Okay, he's arrogant and know-it-all, but what a writing style that man has…!

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On this blog I have regularly discussed Western writers of all stripes who, for one reason or another, have or had a connection with the Thai capital. Many of them have meanwhile, contrary to their work, given up and are resting on their - no doubt well-deserved - laurels in the Panthenon of the Great and Not So Great Authors.

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The creation of the Thai nation is usually viewed from a Western perspective. After all, the West helped make the country what it is today. The influence of the Chinese community is often lost sight of. With the publication of 'The Crown & the Capitalists, the ethnic Chinese and the founding of the Thai nation', writer Wasana Wongsurawat sheds new light on this.

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In June of this year there was an article on this blog with a book review of the sixth part in the Graham Marquand series of thrillers by the Belgian writer Roel Thijssen.

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I am not telling you a secret when I say that the influence of the Thai army on the social and political developments in the country in the last century has been indispensable. From coup to coup, the military caste not only managed to strengthen its position but also – and this until today – to maintain its grip on the country's government. 

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Two years ago River Books in Bangkok published the chic looking book Bencharong – Chinese Porcelain for Siam. A luxuriously published book about an eminently luxurious and exclusive artisanal product. The American author Dawn Fairley Rooney, who lives in Bangkok, was not ready for her test piece. She has already published nine books, four of which are about Southeast Asian ceramics.

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It's been a while since the updated version of The Mekong-Turbulent Past, Uncertain Future' by Australian historian Milton Osborne 'rolled off the presses, but that doesn't change the fact that this book has lost any of its value.

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This book by Thongchai Winichakul describes how the memories of the massacre at Thammasat University on October 6, 1976 were experienced on a personal and national level. He tells how memories were suppressed because they were too painful and how the memories were distorted. There were no commemorations on a national level for the first twenty years.

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In early 2019 Riverhead Books – an offspring of Penguin Books – published 'Bangkok wakes to Rain', the literary debut of the mainly Brooklyn-based Thai author Pitchaya Sudbanthad.

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There are books that completely renew my view on aspects of countries, communities and events. The book by Scot Barmé mentioned above, already published in 2002, is such a work. I read it like a thriller in one breath, in a day and a half night.

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It has been several years since a female blog reader commented on an article, the subject of which I do not remember, frankly said that she had come to Thailand with her husband, but that the marriage had broken down. Whether the cause of the subsequent divorce has to do with the husband's adultery, I do not know, but it is quite conceivable in a country with so many beautiful and lovely ladies.

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A very long time ago I got to know two old-timers of the French Foreign Legion who were physically and psychologically marked by their - vain efforts - to save the smoldering remains of what was then Indochina from French colonial ambitions.

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The Jim Thompson myth

June 16, 2024

Jim Thompson's life in Thailand is almost legendary. If you have been to Thailand, then that name is known and you also know a bit about what he has done.

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“Sometimes I wonder if I was born for the accident. Is this my life now is this my destiny? I pray to Buddha that it will not be so. I don't want this life. Now I'm a country girl trying to escape the clutches of a tiger only to be swallowed by a crocodile. My whole life has been hell and the end is nowhere in sight.”

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Many books have been published written by 'farang' who reside in Thailand permanently or for part of the year. They want to share their experiences in their new country, often with a Thai person next to them, with the rest of the world. Some fade into oblivion and some stay with you. One of those books is 'Thailand behind the smile' by poet and writer Rob van Vlierden. Its smooth writing style makes it a page turner to read as quickly as possible.

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'The smile behind exciting Thailand' is the first book by Ger de Kok. Ger has, according to him, a good insight into the real Thailand. After visiting Thailand for many years, he decided to write down his opinion and his experiences with Thailand in this book.

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'Thai Love' – book review

By Editorial
Posted in Books, Book reviews, Thai books
Tags: , ,
June 5, 2024

Thai Love is Karel Poort's debut novel. The story is about a single man over fifty named Koop who is financially independent through an inheritance. During a holiday in Phuket, he meets the Thai bargirl Two who knows how to charm him in a refined way.

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The book 'Thai cuties' by Charles Schwietert is the umpteenth in the series of books about the relationships between farang and Thai ladies. The book is a representation of true events and that always gives an extra dimension to the story.

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'Thailand, soft as silk, flexible as bamboo' is perhaps the most famous book about Thailand by a Dutch author. Sjon Hauser wrote the book in 1990 after he fell under the spell of Thailand as a tourist ten years earlier.

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Jan draws attention to the book “Destination Bangkok” in which an expat in Thailand is mercilessly punished for his missteps.

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Peter takes a closer look at the book 'Retour Bangkok' and gives his opinion on Michiel Heijungs' debut novel.

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