Favourite book set in thailand?

[wolf5370]

-Bangkok 8

-The Beach

-Jasmine Nights

-Bangkok Gold (actually got a bit bored of this at 1/2 way stage, but maybe you'll enjoy)

- Can't remember the name (something to do with "Neon" I think) fiction novel about Bangkok (Pattaya?) gangsters.

Some more, but can't remember the names - maybe I'll revisit this link later

[kayo]

Fictional Novels set in Thailand:

Bangkok 8

by John Burdett

Smoking Poppy

by Graham Joyce

Siam or the Woman Who Shot a Man

by Lily Tuck

Kingdom of Make-believe

by Dean Barrett

The Beach

by Alex Garland

Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior

By Dean Barrett

Skytrain to Murder

by Dean Barrett

Spiritland

by Nava Renek

The Emerald Buddha Conspiracy

by Benjamin Izell

Cold Hit

by Christopher G Moore

The Solitary Man

by Stephen Leather

Minor Wife

by Christopher G. Moore

A Killing Smile

by Christopher G. Moore

Spirit House

(Free eBook) by Christopher G Moore

Private Dancer

by Stephen Leather

by Thai authors:

Crow, The: Temple of NIght

by S P. Somtow

The Eternal One

At our human limits, when we've gone as for as flesh and imagination can take us, we meet the Eternal One.

The Sergeant's Garland and Other Stories

(Oxford in Asia Paperbacks)

by David Smyth, Manat Chitakasem

Rice without Rain

by Minfong Ho

Thai Tales: Folktales of Thailand

by Supaporn Vathanaprida, Margaret Read MacDonald

A selection of available fictional novels from this Source

[The Gentleman Scamp]

High Society by Ben Elton had a couple of Thai courtroom scenes.

I once tried to read Yawn by Colin Piprell but I couldn't as it lived up to it's name too much.

I'll be mortified if he's a member of this forum.

[chonabot]

High Society by Ben Elton had a couple of Thai courtroom scenes.

I once tried to read Yawn by Colin Piprell but I couldn't as it lived up to it's name too much.

I'll be mortified if he's a member of this forum. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry you didn't like my effort GS.

[The Gentleman Scamp]

High Society by Ben Elton had a couple of Thai courtroom scenes.

I once tried to read Yawn by Colin Piprell but I couldn't as it lived up to it's name too much.

I'll be mortified if he's a member of this forum. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry you didn't like my effort GS.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stick with the guitar.

[HarryHacker]

I read a lovely book ages ago called "A boy from the North East".  Written through the eyes of a young boy. 

Anything by Pira Sudham (I hope that's his name) is also good.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The name is correct, another book he wrote is called Monsoon Country, should be regarded as a classic. IMO.

[HarryHacker]

High Society by Ben Elton had a couple of Thai courtroom scenes.

I once tried to read Yawn by Colin Piprell but I couldn't as it lived up to it's name too much.

I'll be mortified if he's a member of this forum. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I quite like Colin Piprells couple of books, oh well different strokes an all that.

[davethailand]

Actually, I enjoyed ' The Beach'  pity about the film, although it might of actually been a decent film with anyone but De Capitation in it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The film was an absolute load of bo**ocks was'nt it.

I read 3 pages of private dancer and stopped, again absolute crap as well as any Duncan Stern and the like thailand BG books.

Edited June 29, 2005 by davethailand

[Tyree D.]

you all realise this is an old thread right? I brought Private Dancer. I didn't like all the first person insight and how the BG suddenly beacme fluent in English for her's.

Anyone read Lady of Isan? what an idiot.

[daleyboy]

Letters from Thailand is an excellent book about a young chinese immigrant to Thailand, the book takes the form of letters written to his home about his life in Thailand just after the second world war ended

The book was originally in thai written by someone called botan and later translated by Susan Fulop Kepner.

A truly great read and it was awarded with the seato award for Thai litreture when it was first releaed in 1969

Edited July 1, 2005 by daleyboy

[Tyree D.]

I was looking for the cover of "Lady of Isan" and this was all I could find. I went to the village she was from and met her family. Her nickname really is Iuu. In the last chapter, she goes back to Michael and is pregnant with twins as of June 2004. THAT IS NOT TRUE!!! She is still living in Pattaya with another man and a Thai guy in a 300,000 baht home.

what an idiot.

[baht&sold]

The Pirates of Tarutao by Paul Adirex. I liked this book regardless of some grammatical errors. It revolves around historical timelines, when Japan invaded Malaysia/Thailand in 1941. Main plot revolves around escaped British soldiers/fugitives whom end up on the then prioson Island of Tarutao, mixed in with pirates on the high seas, all blended with historical events.

Beats the tar off any bar girl stole my wallett, brains and heart snorefest

Edited July 3, 2005 by bahtandsold

[chonabot]

Letters from Thailand is an excellent book about a young chinese immigrant to Thailand, the book takes the form of letters written to his home about his life in Thailand just after the second world war ended

The book was originally in thai written by someone called botan and later translated by Susan Fulop Kepner.

A truly great read and it was awarded with the seato award for Thai litreture when it was first releaed in 1969

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes I agree it is a fantastic book , translated in a very friendly way.

A great insight into the way Thais were happy for the Chinese to do their work for them whilst they drank and gambled.

[Jack Jones]

you all realise this is an old thread right?  I brought Private Dancer.  I didn't like all the first person insight and how the BG suddenly beacme fluent in English for her's.

Anyone read Lady of Isan?  what an idiot.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, definitly would have been better if the BG sections had been written in broken English or fluent Thai, that would have made for a good read

[WISteve]

I love all the "holier than thou" b/s flying about here!

Those falang who have NEVER associated with a thai BG are in the minority, but some of us seem to cop an attitude at some point and want to appear we are above all of that! Hipocrites~

I bought my copy of "Private Dancer" while I was in Pattaya in June and also bought a few others.

REALLY ENJOYED a novel named, "Even Thai Girls Cry". Author's name was Gump I recall? Borrowed it to a friend so I don't have it with me at the moment.

~WISteve

[kayo]

Yeah, thanks Steve. You must be the One. That one legendary angelic honest tv.commer flying about.

How´d you enjoy Private Dancer?

kayo

[sabaijai]

John Burdett has a new one out called Bangkok Tattoo. I thought Bangkok 8 was at least above average, though the plot fell apart towards the end, and there are a lot of errors of fact/language/culture as he doesn't know Thailand all that well. Still, much better than the homegrown crop of expat novels available.

Of novels partially set in Thailand, John LeCarre's The Honourable Schoolboy is one of my favourites.

[ProfessorFart]

I must admit to being a little dissapointed at how few Thai authors are named here. The usual 'expat' authors get plenty of mentions here but I hope that this is through unawareness of Thai writers than any preference.

The finest translated Thai novel in my eyes is Chart Korpjitti's Mad dogs and co. Its brilliant and well worth a read.

For a good background into Thai Literature 'Behind the Painting' by Siburapha was translated and has an introduction by David Smyth which sets the genesis of the Thai novel in a political context and is invaluable.

Harder to find but still available here and there is 'A Drop of Glass' by Sidaoruang which also has an outstanding intro by Rachel Harrison which looks at literature in the political movements of the late 1950s to the early 80s.

[sabaijai]

I must admit to being a little dissapointed at how few Thai authors are named here. The usual 'expat' authors get plenty of mentions here but I hope that this is through unawareness of Thai writers than any preference.

The finest translated Thai novel in my eyes is Chart Korpjitti's Mad dogs and co. Its brilliant and well worth a read.

For a good background into Thai Literature 'Behind the Painting' by Siburapha was translated and has an introduction by David Smyth which sets the genesis of the Thai novel in a political context and is invaluable.

Harder to find but still available here and there is 'A Drop of Glass'  by Sidaoruang which also has an outstanding intro by Rachel Harrison which looks at literature in the political movements of the late 1950s to the early 80s.

Prof, I'm disappointed you didn't mention any untranslated Thai novels, such as the works of Rong Wongsawan, the unchallenged master of the modern Thai novel.

I assumed that 'set in Thailand' inferred novels written by folks from outside the country (since all Thai novels but one, that I know of, are set in Thailand). If translated Thai novels are included, that doesn't widen the field all that much, since perhaps fewer than 20 Thai novels have been translated into English. I doubt anyone here, including Pro F, can name more than five of them off the top of their heads.

My favourite translated novel is Kukrit Pramoj's Red Bamboo, very nice book reminiscent of Graham Greene. Four Reigns, also by Kukrit, is supposed to be good, but I couldn't finish it. Pira Sudham's works are good, esp Monsoon Country and his most recent one, Shadowed Country. Praphatsorn Seiwikun's Time In A Bottle is another interesting read. I'm not a big fan of Chart's work, personally, though the film Ai Fak, based on a Chart Kobjitti novel, was entertaining.

A novel written in English by a Thai author who wasn't educated abroad (perhaps the only one?) that I liked was Little Things. I forget the author's name, read it a long time ago in grad school but it was one of the better novels I'd read up to that time, by a Thai author. I've not come across it since.

Rong Wongsawan

[Windy]

"The Falcon of Siam" by Alex Aylwen, Thailand in the 17th century. I have read it 3 or 4 times over the years and still enjoy it

[sabaijai]

"The Falcon of Siam" by Alex Aylwen, Thailand in the 17th century.  I have read it 3 or 4 times over the years and still enjoy it

Its sequel, The Falcon Takes Wing, is also worth reading. The writing on either isn't tremendous, but the historical research is A+ and the writing is sufficiently decent to keep one reading. I learned a lot about 18th century Thai history that I wouldn't have absorbed reading straight history texts.

Expat author John Hoskin also took a stab at a historical novel based on Phaulkon's life, Falcon At The Court Of Siam, but I didn't find it nearly as enjoyable to read. A Frenchwoman has also written a novel in French about the Falcon that many Falcon aficionados say is the best work on the subject, but it's available only in French I believe.

For some reason the French are crazy about Phaulkon - if you google the name you'll see more French links than English. There appears to be a 3rd volume by Axel Aylwen available only in French! (Le Dernier Vol du Faucon. Le Faucon du Siam, tome 3)

At least two films on the Falcon are under development at the moment, one based on the French novel, another on Axel's two volumes in English.

[ProfessorFart]

The only reason I never delved into the world of the untranslated novels is that they are not really accessible to one and all and much to my shame (and terrible laziness) I have only read modern novels in Thai by Chart Korpjitti, Khamsing Srinawk (Lao Kamhorn), Wimon Sainimnuan, Wanit Jarungkitanan, and Botan.

My liking for Chart Korpjitti came after having it rammed down my throat at university and it seemed to stick. He has a really nice style of writing. It is easy to read and written with a lot of black humour which sadly seems to translate as grim reading apart from 'Mad Dogs and co' which IMHO is the only one of his translated works which truly catches his style.

Red Bamboo is an interesting novel when placed in its political setting but it is hardly an original work. Its a direct rip off of the 1950 Italian novel 'The Little World of Don Camillo' by Giovanni Guareschi which was a thinly veiled attack on Communism. Being tuned in to the political climate of the 1950s in Thailand, Kukrit Pramoj wanted to set the tale in a Thai setting so therefore nicked the idea and wrote it. It remains very much a novel of its time in the Thai literary canon.

[sabaijai]

Red Bamboo is an interesting novel when placed in its political setting but it is hardly an original work. Its a direct rip off of the 1950 Italian novel 'The Little World of Don Camillo' by Giovanni Guareschi which was a thinly veiled attack on Communism. Being tuned in to the political climate of the 1950s in Thailand, Kukrit Pramoj wanted to set the tale in a Thai setting so therefore nicked the idea and wrote it. It remains very much a novel of its time in the Thai literary canon.

Borrowing plots and characters from other novels is a tradition as old as writing. If you read Robert McKee's Story, you'll find the argument that there are only a limited number of stories accessible to the human psyche, but that's another topic. Irrespective of Red Bamboo being a product of its time, I think it is a good piece of translated Thai literature, of which there are precious few overall.

[Guest endure]

Touch the Dragon - Karen Connolly

Mai pen rai means never mind - Carol Hollinger

A Child of the Northeast - Kampoon Boontawee

The Teachers of Mad Dog Swamp - Khamman Khonkhai

[lappami1]

I think nobody has mentioned Jesse Gump's "Even Thai Girls Cry" also known as "Tippawan - Joy of Math". I think it's worth reading although it's a kind of love story. The best thai-nightlife book I've read is "Private Dancer" and I enjoyed "Solitary Man" and "Bangkok 8" too.

Edited August 4, 2005 by lappami1