Books set in Thailand

[inf]

And I don't mean travel guides or history books.

Has anyone read novels, thrillers, etc set in Thailand? I remember once reading a Stephen Leather thriller - don't remember which one - where they kept spelling Jomtien as 'Jomtein.' Annoying, but I think it was not the author's fault.

Here's a new thriller out on Amazon Kindle just called 'Pattaya,' by Bannon Ross. Most of the story about terrorists trying to disrupt a Taiwan-China peace treaty is set at the Sanctuary of Truth.

Read anything worth recommending in a similar vein?

https://www.amazon.com/Pattaya-Bannon-Ross-ebook/dp/B08XQH4YP3/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Bannon+Ross+Pattaya&qid=1615596676&s=books&sr=1-1

[PatOngo]

Look for Christopher G Moore or Jake Needham for a start, many novels available, good reading!

[sanuk711]

6 minutes ago, inf said:

I remember once reading a Stephen Leather thriller - don't remember which one

"Private Dancer"............  I just downloaded 2 from Vietnam...Crime novels , one got some sort of prize.

There is Bangkok Wakes to Rain - Pitchaya Sudbanthad, I can not recommend as haven't read it.

[bermondburi]

I'm probably in a minority here because everytime this question gets asked so many people recommend Private Dancer, which in my opinion, is a load of rubbish. A cheap thriller that's instantly forgettable. 

The best book I've ever read set in Thailand is Letters from Thailand. It's about a Chinese immigrant who moves to Thailand in the period following the 2nd world war. Written in 1969 it won the SEATO prize for Thai literature. It also sh**s all over Private Dancer. ????????????????

Child of Isaan or LookIsaan is also good at offering a glimpse of rural life in the past. 

[Epidemiologist Dave]

Thailand Trilogy by David Spencer

[Surelynot]

On 3/13/2021 at 1:09 AM, sanuk711 said:

"Private Dancer"............  I just downloaded 2 from Vietnam...Crime novels , one got some sort of prize.

There is Bangkok Wakes to Rain - Pitchaya Sudbanthad, I can not recommend as haven't read it.

Just finished Private Dancer.....not bad.....real life in many ways.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Surelynot

[Upnotover]

I enjoyed John Burdett's Sonchai Jitpleecheep books;

- Bangkok 8

- Bangkok Tattoo

- Bangkok Haunts

- The Godfather of Kathmandu

- Vulture Peak

- The Bangkok Asset

[Upnotover]

On 3/13/2021 at 12:58 AM, inf said:

I remember once reading a Stephen Leather thriller

Live Fire

[thaibeachlovers]

On 3/13/2021 at 1:58 PM, inf said:

I remember once reading a Stephen Leather thriller - don't remember which one - where they kept spelling Jomtien as 'Jomtein.' Annoying, but I think it was not the author's fault.

55555555555555555555555

There is no direct equivalent between Thai and English, so IMO any spelling is acceptable provided the meaning is clear. The word in question is also sometimes spelled as Jomptien.

Edited March 17, 2021 by thaibeachlovers

[inf]

Thanks everybody for the suggestions of interesting books set in Thailand.

SInce it's such a vast and colorful country, I've always expected it to feature more as scenery in international thrillers than it actually does.

The famous thriller writers - Lee Child, Daniel Silva - always seem to fall back on European and Mediterranean countries like France, Italy and Turkey. That's also what you get in movies.

[Peterw42]

Most movies set in Thailand come from an original book, you can always chase up and read the original book that the movie is based on.

Unfortunately, most books set in Thailand are set in the fictitious, stereotype, cliched version of Thailand. read one of the books and you have read most of them.

[1FinickyOne]

The original classic was "Lady of Bangkok" set in the 1950s...

[OneMoreFarang]

One of my favorites. A good part of the story is in Bangkok.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

On 3/14/2021 at 5:07 PM, bermondburi said:

I'm probably in a minority here because everytime this question gets asked so many people recommend Private Dancer, which in my opinion, is a load of rubbish. A cheap thriller that's instantly forgettable. 

The best book I've ever read set in Thailand is Letters from Thailand. It's about a Chinese immigrant who moves to Thailand in the period following the 2nd world war. Written in 1969 it won the SEATO prize for Thai literature. It also sh**s all over Private Dancer. ????????????????

Child of Isaan or LookIsaan is also good at offering a glimpse of rural life in the past. 

I don't think Stephen Leather and his Private Dancer fans (me included) are interested in some literature price.

[OneMoreFarang]

3 hours ago, inf said:

Thanks everybody for the suggestions of interesting books set in Thailand.

SInce it's such a vast and colorful country, I've always expected it to feature more as scenery in international thrillers than it actually does.

The famous thriller writers - Lee Child, Daniel Silva - always seem to fall back on European and Mediterranean countries like France, Italy and Turkey. That's also what you get in movies.

Stephen Leather first published Private Dancer on his website in pdf format for free download. Why? Because his UK published didn't want to publish it. Here is the original text from the original pdf:

I’m quite happy for you to download, copy and distribute this electronic version of Private
Dancer, but all copies must be distributed unaltered and complete. You must not add or delete
anything, or modify the content in any way. (It’s just fine as it is, thanks.)

You are licensed to copy and distribute this electronic version of Private Dancer, but you must
not benefit commercially from the distribution. (I don’t make any money from Private Dancer,
so I don’t see why anyone else should.)
All downloads and distributed copies remain copyrighted © 1990-2002 Stephen Leather. (Oh
yes they do. Really.)
My publisher, Hodder and Stoughton, is reluctant to publish Private
Dancer as it’s so different from the thrillers that I normally write.
If you enjoyed it and would like to see it in print, please send a
postcard to the company’s managing director – he’s Jamie Hodder-
Williams, at Hodder and Stoughton, 338 Euston Road, London
NW1 3BH, United Kingdom. If he gets enough postcards, maybe
he’ll publish it!
Please don’t e-mail him because that would clutter up his mailbox,
and please don’t send a letter as he’s a really nice guy and will feel
duty-bound to write back to you. I don’t want to annoy him, I just
want to show him how much support there is for the book out there.
So please pop a postcard into the post to him - the prettier the
postcard, the better!

You can see more of my work at www.stephenleather.com
The Tunnel Rats and The Solitary Man are set in Thailand, The
Vets, Hungry Ghost and The Fireman are set in Hong Kong. The
Chinaman, despite the title, is an IRA story and the hero is
Vietnamese.

Edited March 17, 2021 by OneMoreFarang

[billsmart]

Try this author, Robert Smith.

He's a Brit living in Thailand. He's written many books, and some of them are set in Thailand, Most of those, however, are novels based on historical events.

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Smith/e/B00KHPMXD0

[allanos]

I think "disappointed" describes my feelings about "Private Dancer", full, as it is, of all of the cliches endlessly repeated about Thai bar girls, in particular.  I found the novel, to use the eloquent expression often used by "Mr Wonderful", Canadian Kevin O'Leary, a nothing-burger!

More to my liking was "Bangkok  8", as mentioned earlier. I found it much more realistic and entertaining, with a reasonable plot and story-line.

[khunpeer]

I'm reading one now, good plot!

[bermondburi]

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I don't think Stephen Leather and his Private Dancer fans (me included) are interested in some literature price.

If you never try, you'll never know.

It's actually a really engaging story, detailing an immigrants experience coming into Thailand over the course of many years, his mixing with and opinions of the Thai people, dealings with government officials etc. 

Not entirely irrelevant to many longnoses living, working, marrying here today. ????????

Or you have private dancer which is fairly one dimensional really..... 

[ubeturazz]

Jake Needham... 

[Aforek]

There are many sorts of "litterature", "Private dancer " is one of them  ; rural stories of Thailand are interesting , too 

you know the books of Monseigneur Pallegoix, written in 1854 ( Royaume du Siam ) ? ; here is real Thailand

 "Private dancers " reminds me of somebody , just a side of Thailand , not a stereotype for me 

[oobar]

7 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

Unfortunately, most books set in Thailand are set in the fictitious, stereotype, cliched version of Thailand. read one of the books and you have read most of them.

Try this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KDTYB96

[bermondburi]

Let's not forget this classic. 

 

[Hotrats]

I would agree with the other posters above who have recommended the series of books by John Burdett. All set in Bangkok / Thailand. All well written with excellent storylines. Best to start with the first one, Bangkok 8.

[Darksidedude]

On 3/14/2021 at 2:39 PM, Upnotover said:

I enjoyed John Burdett's Sonchai Jitpleecheep books;

- Bangkok 8

- Bangkok Tattoo

- Bangkok Haunts

- The Godfather of Kathmandu

- Vulture Peak

- The Bangkok Asset

all very good didnt know about the last one ill have to get it

[Fortean1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Barrett

His books appeal to some readers.  I can't vouch for his work as I read only non-fiction.

Terry

( a few miles south of Hua Hin )

[newnative]

   There is a great crime series by Jo Nesbo with an Oslo police detective, Harry Hole, as the main character.  One of the novels, Cockroaches, is mainly set in Bangkok.  Harry is sent to Bangkok to investigate the death of Norway's ambassador to Thailand.  All of the novels in the series are excellent.  

[mwbrown]

Check Colin Devonshire on Facebook.

[ExpatOilWorker]

3 hours ago, khunpeer said:

I'm reading one now, good plot!

My copy looks different. 

 

[Bob12345]

The Big Mango by Jake Needham. He has more books set in Asia and probably also in Thailand as he lives in Bangkok. Great read, finished it in notime (unlike the book i am currently reading about the economic impact of land redistributions and American foreign policy on the Asian region after the second world war).