Nearly a year after the release of The Entertainers 1992–1997: Kevin Keegan’s Legacy, former Thaiger Editor-in-Chief Will Scott steps back into fiction with Cocktails in Bangkok, a sharp and darkly humorous collection of short stories that dives into Thailand’s expat underbelly.
This latest publication marks Scott’s first work of fiction since Scoop – The Truth Only Gets in the Way of a Good Story (2016). In Cocktails in Bangkok, he tackles themes of love, deceit, and crime through the lens of foreigners navigating life in Thailand, from ill-fated romances and online scams to drug smuggling and run-ins with corruption.
“There’s something in each story for readers to identify and empathise with.”
 

 

The collection features ten stories, some with characters that cross paths throughout. Fans of Scoop will spot a familiar face, a world-weary journalist chasing a gangster through Bangkok’s hectic streets.
Scott explained that the spark for Cocktails in Bangkok actually began before he moved to Thailand.
“When I lived in Shanghai, being new to Asia, I was unaware of its darker side. While spending time with some expat friends and colleagues, I heard several intriguing stories; it was a bit like an episode of Men Behaving Badly, but set in Asia. I remember thinking, I should write a book or a collection of short stories, but I never found the time.”
After moving to Bangkok and covering news at The Thaiger, he found himself surrounded by endless inspiration.
“The same themes kept cropping up. Indian men clashing with ladyboys in Pattaya, foreigners falling in love with bar girls, European women caught smuggling drugs, monks involved in scandals, and call-centre love scams. I wasn’t short of material.”
With a mix of wit and realism, Cocktails in Bangkok captures the peculiar, often absurd side of life in Thailand, a world where culture clashes, moral grey zones, and human ambition intertwine.
 

A photo of Will (left) with former Newcastle United, Tottenham, and France star David Ginola, and Ruud Gullit (far right).

 

Scott is already working on his next book, The Working Man’s Ballet.

“It’s a bit like Shameless meets Auf Wiedersehen, Pet for a pint in The Grapes.”

The story follows two best friends and their Sunday league football team, paying homage to the fading camaraderie of working-class life.

 

Cocktails in Bangkok was released on October 8 and is now available in paperback and eBook formats.

Something to read on next weeks flight to BKK or shouldn’t I?  lol