Best Books about Thailand

[piersbeckett]

Until recently the best books I'd read about Thailand were: non fiction - A History of Thailand by Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit and fiction - Private Dancer by Stephen Leather but I've just finished Father Henry's Pet by P. Moylan www.pmoylan.co.uk and thought it was a serious contender for fiction first place.

 

It's a confessional novel written as a biography, based on a true story and would have helped me a lot if it had been available when I first came here some sixteen years ago!

[garrya]

If you really want to see the "real" Thailand and not the usual b.llsh.t of embellished how wonderful these people and the country are, you may consider John Burdett's crime novel series.

It really shows the real Thailand. Fantastic novel books. Not only are they crime novels, but they are also explaining buddhism and other aspects of life here. Eye-opening indeed.

[mstevens]

Anything by Christopher G Moore is good. He has a depth of understanding of Thailand that few foreign authors writing about Thailand match.

 

Edited April 23, 2020 by mstevens

[Laza 45]

The Falcon of Siam by Alex Aylwen is an interesting historical novel.. a lot of early Siam history that many would not be familiar with.. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2509808.The_Falcon_of_Siam

 

Another really good read is 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North' by Australian author Richard Flanigan... about the building of the Burma Railway..   https://www.amazon.com/Narrow-Road-Deep-North/dp/0804171475

 

As mentioned above.. Christopher G Moore.. any of his many books well worth a read.. in depth knowledge of Thai culture.. beautifully written.. crime fiction for the thinking reader.. https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-G.-Moore/e/B000APFQJA%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

 

More entertaining crime fiction:  Jake Needham.. https://www.amazon.com/Jake-Needham/e/B001JWS1ZE

[Boycie]

 

https://www.amazon.com/Northeast-Award-winning-Memories-Authors-Childhood/dp/9749281586

[cmarshall]

If you want to understand Thailand, then the Baker and Pongphaichit books are the best, all of them.  Also, Tongchai Winichakul's "Siam Mapped."  Also, Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities."

 

I certainly would ignore novels written by white guys, probably none of whom can speak Thai, unless your appetite happens to be for fantasy.

[piersbeckett]

11 hours ago, cmarshall said:

If you want to understand Thailand, then the Baker and Pongphaichit books are the best, all of them.  Also, Tongchai Winichakul's "Siam Mapped."  Also, Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities."

 

I certainly would ignore novels written by white guys, probably none of whom can speak Thai, unless your appetite happens to be for fantasy.

Well said, couldn't agree more - Father Henry's Pet by P. Moylan https://www.pmoylan.co.uk is written by a mixed race (Thai & white European) girl.