A book that I purchased almost immediately after its publication was “Encounters in the East – A World History” by Patrick Pasture, professor of European and world history at KU Leuven.
“Thai Girl” by Andrew Hicks is a 2006 novel about Ben, a young British tourist who falls in love with Fon, a Thai woman, during his trip to Thailand. The story explores the cultural differences, misunderstandings and challenges the couple face as they try to build a life together. The novel offers insight into Thai culture, tourism, and cross-cultural relations, and emphasizes the importance of understanding, communication, and compromise. “Thai Girl” is an engaging and educational book for readers interested in Thai culture and the dynamics of mixed relationships.
Book & Movie: “The Bridge over the River Kwai – Honour, Loyalty and Survival in the Shadow of War”
Today attention on Thailand blog for a world famous book. “The Bridge Over the River Kwai” is a novel written by French author Pierre Boulle, first published in 1952. The story is set during World War II in Thailand, where Allied prisoners of war are forced to build a bridge over the River Kwai. River Kwai for the Japanese occupation forces.
Reading material for bookworms
What are you doing now that we all have to stay indoors as much as possible? For the bookworms it might be nice to give each other some recommendations. Let's take a look in my bookcase with only about sixty Thailand related books and see what beautiful things are in between.
Today on Thailand blog attention for another real classic: “The Beach”. This book is a novel written by British author Alex Garland and was first published in 1996. The book quickly became a bestseller and won several awards.
Today on Thailand blog attention to the book “Private Dancer” from 2005, an oldie, but now a classic. It is a thrilling novel written by top British author Stephen Leather. Set in Bangkok's bustling nightlife scene, the book offers a disturbing look at Thai bar culture and the relationship between Western men and Thai women.
“Daddy's Hobby: The Story of Lek, a Bar Girl in Pattaya” is the first book in the “Behind The Smile – The Story Of Lek, A Bar Girl In Pattaya” series written by Owen Jones. The book tells the story of Lek, a young woman who works as a bargirl in Pattaya.
The book (and movie) 'Bangkok Hilton' is a true story written by Sandra Gregory and Michael Tierney. It is based on the experiences of Sandra Gregory, who was arrested in Thailand in 1987 for smuggling drugs.
Today on Thailandblog we pay attention to the book “Killing Smile”. It is an intriguing crime story set in Bangkok and written by Canadian author Christopher G. Moore.
“Bangkok 8” by John Burdett is a crime novel set in the heart of Bangkok. The book is the first installment of the Sonchai Jitpleecheep series and follows a Thai police detective who investigates the murder of a US naval officer. This story offers a glimpse into Thailand's complex social and political structure, as well as the colorful culture of Bangkok.
Thailand's most famous private investigator, Warren Olson, returns with even more mind-boggling true stories from his investigative files. From unfortunate cases related to the tsunami to the latest antique and racehorse scams, girls tricked into pornography and boys forced into vices, as well as eccentric American and European husbands and vengeful wives – “Thai Private Eye” covers it all.
The Thai National & Other Libraries
It all started in the seventh century BC with the thousands of clay tablets of King Ashurbanipal in Nineveh. A collection of texts that was systematically arranged and catalogued and it has continued in this way for twenty-eight centuries, albeit with trial and error. So the oldest library was that of good old Assurbanipal, the youngest newcomer is the internet.
Book review: The Kings of Ayutthaya
Anyone who wants to do serious historical research with regard to Siam is confronted with the same problem. When the Burmese destroyed the Siamese capital Ayutthaya in 1767, the country's archives and most important libraries also went up in flames. This makes it damn hard to correctly reconstruct, let alone interpret, the history of Siam before 1767.
Three true stories of prisoners behind Thai bars
Read the raw reality of life in Thailand's most feared prisons through the eyes of three foreigners who ended up there. Sandra Gregory's “Bangkok Hilton”, Pedro Ruijzing's “Life Sentence in Thailand” and Machiel Kuijt's “Ten Years Behind Thai Bars” provide a disturbing picture of daily life in the infamous Klong Prem Central Prison and Bang Kwang Central Prison, also known as the “ Bangkok Hilton” or “Big Tiger”. Their stories, shaped in the shadows of these dreaded walls, reveal a world far beyond most people's understanding. What do they have to say about their experiences behind bars?
McDang: Thai cooking with regal allure
Occasionally I write on this blog about literature and Thailand. Today I would like to take a moment to think about… cookbooks. For some, no literature at all, but in any case a genre that cannot be ignored because they form an important, still growing niche in the book market.
The Thai village economy in earlier times
Thai historiography is almost exclusively about the state, the rulers, the kings, their palaces and temples, and the wars they fought. The 'ordinary man and woman', the villagers, get off badly. An exception to this is an influential booklet from 1984, which portrays the history of the Thai village economy. In about 80 pages and without pompous academic jargon, Professor Chatthip Nartsupha takes us back in time.
'Bangkok Babylon' about strangers in Bangkok
Thailand and especially Bangkok sometimes seem like a melting pot of special people from all over the world. Adventurers, sailors, businessmen, but also criminals and downcasts. They seek their happiness elsewhere. The reason is guessable.