Apart from ( of course ) the wealth of infomation on here, which travel book on Thailand if any would you consider provides a good insight of Thailand along with its vaguries which includes places of interest, where to visit customs etc etc etc ??

Any guidebook you get with be at least one maybe two years out of date I did not like the latest lonelyplanet the rough guide is better . I find it is better not to use a guidebook for Thailand for finding accommodation as soon as place gets a good write up it goes down hill fast.

The older lonely planet books were very good and usefull, but the latest one was pathetic!

The Michelin Green Guide. There isn't much on eating or hotels but its great for everything else, more and better infor that the LP guide or rough guide on things to see. I also like the Blue Guide. I check this one out from the local library before my trips and photo copy the pertnant parts. Like Michelin, not much on hotels or eats, but very good on things to see and the history of those things. For the regular travel guides I have used the Footprint Guide, which is OK.

not wanting to sound biased, but this forum is the best, forget the books written by people who don't live here

For travel guides I'd recommend Moon Guides. Lonely Planet used to have some edge to it before their authors got older and more conservative.

Not so much a travel guide but a culture guide is Culture Shock! Thailand. A good intro into the intricacies of the Thai culture.

For travel guides I'd recommend Moon Guides. Lonely Planet used to have some edge to it before their authors got older and more conservative.

Not so much a travel guide but a culture guide is Culture Shock! Thailand. A good intro into the intricacies of the Thai culture.

The best map I've come across (plus loads of info & a handy & up-to-date booklet on where to eat, shop etc) is Nancy Chandlers.....check her out at:-

http://www.nancychandler.net/

Hope you have fun

For general travel information I use Travelfish

not wanting to sound biased, but this forum is the best, forget the books written by people who don't live here

this does sound pathetic in my ears: this forum is blistered with ignorant people, who try to steer all newcomers into expensive and danger-avoiding etc. ways. NOOne seems to know or hardly use any bus, and faraway places from the tourist pathes hardly ever get mentioned. PLus an enormous bias toward American way of doing things, and general despise of bekpekkers etc, you hear the ''khee niao'' before the word has even fully written.

but to basic Q; what is BEST will depend on your own mindset, and most again easily forget that there are more and other guidebooks in languages like german, Dutch, Swedish, and no, they're not all just translations. do you ever see a japanese asking those obvious things here? They have it all covered in their own guidebooks, just learn that language!