Thailand Books

Handley adds light about a monarchy whose details are unmentionable throughout the regime of Thailand.

For anyone already familiar with the Thai monarchy, the holes in Handley's work are two obvious and too numerous for it to be taken seriously. It's hard to believe it passed Yale editorial.

Many of the aspects of the monarchy are spun in a ethnocentrically negative light. The same aspects seen from the typical Thai perspective are in fact oftimes positive.

The definitive Bhumibol bio has yet to be written.

Even a casual visitor to Thailand will not fail to notice the deep reverence the Thai people seem to have for their king. His Majesty's portraits are everywhere. Before a movie starts, everyone stands at attention when the royal anthem is struck and the king's face appears on the screen. Thai sportsmen dedicate their victories to the king. In some remote quarters, I have even seen offerings of incense placed before portraits of the king.

Such reverence that the Thai people hold for their king is neither incidental or accidental. From the first few years in school, Thai kids have been indoctrinated with the 3 pillars of Thai society - Nation, Religion and King. The military channels seem totally dedicated to praising the monarchy. Official publications are full of words of wisdom from the palace. Like faithful followers of any influential religion, the vast majority of Thais never question these teachings and propaganda. Even fewer would bother (or dare) to discuss the more down-to-earth aspects of the "heavenly kings" who once ruled their great kingdom. Apart from laws that forbid anyone from showing disrespect to the king by criticising the institution, many Thais and even some well-educated, thinking foreigners who have seen the rest of the world seem to hold complete faith in the image of a perfect Dhammaraja.

Paul M Handley proposes in his book The King Never Smiles, that dhammarajas are made and not born. And this dhammaraja was made by a large number of shrewd princes and military propagandists, not just to preserve Thailand's monarchy per se, but also to reserve for themselves, a huge slice of Thailand's power pie.

The book begins at the beginning. The king's childhood in the US and Europe, his return to Thailand, Ananda's death, Phibun's thinly disguised plot to make a republic out of Thailand and Sarit's aggressive campaign to revive the divinity of the monarchy, turning everyone into obedient servants once more. The threat of communism, the Vietnam War, countless military coups to replace elected civilian governments, the great massacres of 1973, 1976 until the great Suchinda drama of 1992.

In the official version of history, the king's influence is often left out in the daily running of the country. This is important. Unlike elected office bearers who are constantly under scrutiny to reveal warts and all, the perfect dhammaraja must only appear in the limelight at critical moments and his actions must put a period to any tense face-off. A flawless, living Buddha must only be seen performing acts of charity in a people-centred, apolitical way. Everything must be embellished and orchestrated to the finest detail. The exact opposite of reality TV. The act is imperfect, but it's enough to fool a basically monolingual population without a global outlook.

In this book, Paul Handley attempts to put matters in perspective. Putting the king himself under scrutiny, he skillfully adds a critical piece to the whole seemingly senseless puzzle of Thailand's recent history and political developments. Even though Handley had no hidden camera installed in the palace, his profound observations, analysis and conjectures on the king's obvious intervention, lack of intervention and even participation in various less than glorifying happenings are absolutely plausible.

With all the events in Thailand's recent history neatly woven together, Handley adds the important element of motive to all the massacres and abuse of human rights for which the military is often blamed. This makes the book a really engaging and sometimes shocking read. In spite of the tonnes of facts, figures and dates, it's really quite absorbing.

However, apart from the more serious "news" that are reported in depth, there is quite a bit of "tabloid" info in the book. I feel that Handley shouldn't have devoted so much of the book to chapters like Family Headches and Annus Horibilis.

When I first saw this book at the stores in Singapore a couple of years ago, I was instantly convinced that it would be banned in Thailand. True enough, the issue is still too sensitive in Thailand. Too many people worship the monarchy as if the king were a demi-god. Too many powerful people depend on this faith to secure their place in the kingdom. The peaceful situation in Thailand today rests a lot on ignorance. To many Thais, this book would seem like pure blasphemy, but I think anyone who wants to write a review on this book should first read it well and understand it as just another point of view. Nobody who has any involement in politics is perfect. There is nothing wrong with loving a king who isn't perfect.

Travelers' Tales Thailand: True Stories

Wondering into Thai culture, or, Thai whys, and otherwise

Siam Smiles Secrets of the Thais

Confessions of a Bangkok Private Eye: True stories from the case files of Warren Olson

Thai Girl

"Hello My Big Big Honey!" Love Letters to Bangkok Bar Girls and Their Revealing Interviews

This book is scholarly and engaging; I have to believe that Handley was barred from entering the Kingdom as persona non-grata after publishing it. I gave it 4 stars only because it takes a lot of coffee to get through the minutia. But without that level of detail, the author would be at risk of being ridiculed for trying to do a hatchet job on Thailand's Royal Family. The reality is, the King is a product of his time, working in a country beset by ignorance and self-serving "influential families." Most Thais would be horrified to read this book, and will probably reject it out of hand. But their school system and indoctrination will never allow them to read this dispassionately. Having lived in Thailand, I understand why Thai's who have reviewed this book are horrified by it, but as a Westerner, I just view it as a solid piece of historical inquiry. I enjoy life in the Kingdom and the unique Thai conviviality and sense of fun; this book just gives me a better perspective on the reasons for Thailand being the way it is today.

When I first saw this book on the shelf, I had to go borrow money from my wife to buy it. I was immediately transfixed on this book and saw in it the makings of a well-written, and well-needed epoxy for the fragments of knowledge of the Thai King possessed by the average Westerner. That being said (and after reading the book in its' entirety), I can't help but question the motives behind the tenor set for this work.

Though I agree that our common knowledge of the Thai Monarchy here in the West is sketchy at best, I take serious issue to the need for the author to "intimate" his so-called "revelations" regarding the falability and the humanity of the Thai King (both as a person and as an institution). If one looks at the total sum of King Rama IX's body of works with respect to the general Thai populace (even taken into account a probable healthy dose of dramatic inflation on the part of loyalists), there seems to arise no justification for this "attack of truth" that could have no other motive than to either try to damage the integrity of the Thai Monarchy, or (even less palatable) simply serve as a vehicle on which the author seeks some measure of notoriety and monetary benefit.

There is a curious and institution-damaging notion in the West (one which the traveller possessing a modest degree of knowledge of non-Wester cultures will instantly spot as a weakness) that the general populace in a given society would be better served to be in the possession of "the whole truth and nothing but the truth" (as the saying goes) in all matters of personal, private, and even governmental matters. Somehow the state of transparency of all interactions has become (in many minds) a God-given right, a commodity that is owed to the general public. This curiously western view does not hold to all cultures, and (in my humble opinion) is one of the reasons I think Western Civilization will soon (historically speaking) see its demise.

The general Thai person neither perceives the need or the desire for such information regarding governmental and Monarchical matters. This is one of the strengths of the Thai (and indeed South, and South-east Asian country's) cultures, and here one must not make the common mistake of equating a strong culture with a prosperous one. They don't spend the majority of their time trying to understand whether or not their leaders are justified in their actions, and I believe they are a much stronger society for it.

That being said, there is some good historical and Monarchical information in this book as long as the reader is willing to wind their way through the mine-field of "attack the ideal of the Thai Monarchy" droppings that polute the literary grounds of this book.

The introduction of this book says its intent was to be like going to a dinner party with a mix of guests who have lived and extensively traveled thoughout Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. At then end of the dinner, you leave with pockets full of tips, advice, and stories.

That is exactly how I would describe this book. It is full of experienced and varied travelers who tell stories about their favorite noodle stand in Bangkok or their favorite secret shopping area in Vietnam or how to best take coffee in Cambodia. It is most definitely not a lonely plant guide book, but it is an excellent read before your trip. Not only giving you valuable insider advice, but also gives you a glimpse at the love that so many others share for this area.

I'm disapointed with this book. The information provided is interesting but the way the book is structured is very strange. I can't see any logic there. It would make sense if a chapter (each chapter has a theme) had a section for each of the countries. But no. Eg. you go to chapter on shopping and you have one page of info about Thailand, than a page about Laos, Thailand again, Cambodia, Laos again etc. Very weird.... It makes the book difficult for me to read and stick to....

Imagine lush, evergreen forests with waving palm trees under the warm, humid tropical weather. Imagine a hutted village with friendly locals and curious children with perpetual shy smiles and sparkling eyes devoid of the mundane dim of city-life; old ladies lingering on the streets with their handmade wares. Imagine yourself sitting cross-legged on a rattan mat enjoying a full meal of spicy South East Asian delicacy that cost less than half a cheeseburger; or lying on a white sanded beach surrounded by crystal-clear sea that seems to be frozen in time.

Yes, imagine. That is the operative word that To Asia With Love begins with.

Spanning Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, author Kim Fay, an avid traveler herself, collected anecdotes and travel tips from Asia-lovers and skillfully compiled these snippets into a very readable book, helped much by seductive and poignant photographs. This book tells you where to get the best chow, see the most attractive sights, buy the most impressive souvenirs, and even how to get a holiday from your holiday, in case you decided to become an expatriate. For those inclined as such, even where to visit the most historical sites. Because they were written by different individuals; young and old; from loaded to clam-less, the information is extremely varied and colorful.

What makes To Asia With Love stand out, compared to run-of-the-mill backpackers' experiences strewn about the internet is that the articles were actually written by veteran travelers; most of them bestseller authors in their own right. They provide interesting insights which are both informative and humorous.

For example, suppose the delicious dumplings you tasted at a nondescript stall in Phnom Penh turns out to be disappointing the following week, it is because the ownership has changed and will likely change again based on the rotating fortunes at the local gambling dens. Aside from the local loan sharks, I don't think anyone else would know these behind-the-scene goings-on; except maybe the foolhardy expatriate dumpling-hunter in the person of Nami Nelson.

Of course, beneath the fantastic tales are the nitty-gritty details. What is the best way to travel? How to book tickets? What are the regional time differences? What are the languages spoken? These questions and more that one could hardly pump up in the excitement of `go first, think later' mode, are explored by those who have done it all.

Western travelers respond differently to what are seemingly destitute socio-economic conditions in these countries. The feelings generated could span a spectrum from utter indifference to the `guilt syndrome'. And if one stays in a place long enough, the urge to respond becomes increasingly stronger. In this, To Asia With Love proves to be more than just a fanciful title in the chapter `Paying It Forward.' Littered with touching anecdotes, it advises travelers on how to give back to the countries they enjoy; be it helping out in a foundation or eating at a charity-linked restaurant.

Be warned. This book is not about going to Asia. It is about going to there again and again, and perhaps even staying there for good. A beautiful collage of travelogues with a seductive theme and convincing pleasures, I think I am going to book the first flight to South East Asia.

Oh wait a minute; I am from South East Asia.

When I read this book, I felt like someone was whispering secrets in my ear. Sure, you should bring along the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide to give you directions to the closest bank, but is that trip to the bank the experience you will most fervently remember about your travels in Asia? I doubt it. You're likely to remember, however, "clambering over a dam" in Cambodia to find the lonely temple Ta Nei, or sitting at a table made from a tree trunk in Northern Laos eating "phar nam" (watercress salad) made by the daughter of the last king's personal chef. This book is for people anxious to go beyond the run-of-the-mill guidebook information. It's for people in search of the special experiences that make these countries so extraordinary. If you're that kind of traveler (or armchair traveler who simply likes good writing), then you should buy this book.

...although I happen to be packing it around with me on a 6-month trip. As I move from country to country, I discard my Lonely Planet or Rough Guide at the border, but even when my bag is bursting at the seams, I hold onto this book for the practical, personal recommendations and high caliber of writing, and for inspiration. Written by 50 different people who have lived or traveled extensively in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos, the passion and enthusiasm they share for this fascinating region is contagious.

To put the book in its proper context (I'm paraphrasing here from the excellent foreword), the editor invites us to imagine attending a dinner party with a group of intrepid, experienced Asia-philes and whiling away an evening collecting their stories, insider tips, and invaluable advice. Such an invitation may not appeal to someone who is merely "doing Asia" and wants only a directory of services and costs. But readers who have lived in Asia (or would like to) will relish it, as will every traveler who dreams of having a knowledgeable friend in each of these countries. To Asia With Love is a wonderful resource and worthy travel companion, a journey to a land that unfolds itself "slowly-slowly". My only complaint is that I still want more....

In exhaustive travels to this region over the past 18 years, I find it unprecedented how much misinformation is presented in this "comic book." I would not recommend it, due to numerous misrepresentations, seedy lodging and narcotics procurement recommendations and an overall portrayal of the Thai people as deceitful and primitive. The writer obviously has great bias against this portion of the world and probably could use intense diversity training, regardless of claims to an understanding of the region. I strongly recommend ANY of the other top guide books to the region before you waste your funds on this drivel.

Thoroughly dissatisfied with our original travel guide we were lucky enough to get Joe Cumming's "travel-bible" as a present in the middle of our journey. It really made a huge difference and turned our holidays into a unique experience. The descriptions of accommodation facilities turned out to be amazingly accurate and the numerous tips regarding means of travel were extremely helpful indeed. This truly comprehensive and well written guide provided us with very useful recommendations regarding travel routes, accommodation, and sightseeing while at the same time offering a thorough insight into the country's political, socio-economic and cultural background. However, one should not mistake it for a scientific essay but take it for what it is: A practical travel guide. Going by "Tuk Tuk" in Bangkok is a great experience but take Cumming's warning seriously and beware of drivers trying to guide you to cheap "promotion outlets" since these are nothing but tourist traps! The LP is an essential guide to getting around and finding interesting spots in Thailand and leads you safely to cheap but decent accommodation in almost every part of the country.

We went to Thailand on honeymoon and were in no doubt that this would be a fantastic experience. This was made all the better having a copy of the LP guide. What a god send. We found it user friendly, a great read, thorough and useful for us as we went off the beaten track. Overall, we would recommend this to anyone who has a sense of adventure and wants to see and experience the real Thailand.

I'm a Thai who have read this guide book. I would like to inform that there is some missunderstanding on the article "The Monarchy" (page 31). His Majesty The King Rama IX has composed many pieces, including the "falling rain" of course, but he did not compose the royal anthem. The "falling rain" is NOT the royal anthem. The royal anthem was composed by someone else.

As a frequent traveler to Thailand I read the book with a certain amount of hesitation, becase many "guide books" are out-of-date. However, this manuscript really informs the traveler/tourist about a wonderful culture and society. We should not try to change or modify the Thai human spirit! We, in many instances, can learn from it. In the future writings I hope more about Nan Province can be told. A beautiful area with friendly people, beautiful mountains, no polution or automobile congestion, and a place to relax for a few days from a long flight.

McDonell's first novel "Twelve" was effective because although it wasn't beautifully written (and it did have moments of this), the book's style served its purpose well. In other words, the shallow characters and short chapters helped us understand these disillusioned characters a bit better and weirdly enriched the book. Bret Easton Ellis did this (fast pacing, shallow characters) before McDonell in both "Less Than Zero" and "The Rules of Attraction", but McDonell made his book unique and exciting.

"The Third Brother" is certainly not difficult to read. It is not a tedious piece of modern "literary" fiction. It is written in much the same style as "Twelve." The problem with this is that given the characters and action of "The Third Brother," short chapters make no sense. McDonell needs to garner the confidence to let his characters have depth and complexity. He needs to allow for longer dialogues, scenes, and chapters. There is nothing inherently wrong with short chapters and basic characterizations in fiction, but 21st-century expatriate journalists and intelligent post-adolescents, as nihilistic or hedonistic as they may be, aren't best portrayed like this.

As has been mentioned in reviews not on Amazon, McDonell's three-piece narrative is also weak and again smacks of a lack of confidence in his ability to maintain a good story.

McDonell nonetheless has a lot of talent and the potential to do well -- or at least much, much better than this second effort.

My girlfriend bought this book for me for Christmas so I felt obligated to read it. After reading it I am seriously contemplating breaking up with her.
The only positive thing about the book is that it's a quick read, mainly because it is at a 7th grade reading level. Little Johnny might like this one while his mom is driving him to soccer practice.
The story is weak and fragmented. There is no character development. You get the feeling the author is writing about situations that he has no clue about. For instance, the whole first part of the story takes place in Thailand where Mike is trying to hunt down one of his boss' old college buddies. Mike is supposed to infiltrate the backpacking, drug using scene around Thailand to find him. However, you get the feeling the author might've watched the travel channel once and thinks having a few Mountain Dew's is his idea of a wild time. Mike makes Thailand seem like Kansas in a feeble effort to spice things up. I have already wasted too much time writing about the book and I have not even said anything (much like the book). This book seems forced, Just stay away from it.

This was dribble! Thats all I can say! Loved Twelve but this was a poor effort in writing. I am sorry but for a second novel this is very much like a forced book as the editing is terrible also.

Young and passionate authors, celebrated for their raw and fiery prose, are often allowed to get away with less-than-skillful technique, hole-ridden plots, unrealistic characters and messy dialogue. Authors whose first books are published before they can legally drink are lauded (and rightly so) just for being so good at such a young age. With the publication of their subsequent works comes the questions of whether they can transcend their youthful literary style, whether their style and technique has matured, whether they have a viable literary voice, and whether their fame and recognition was solely reliant on their youth.

With the publication of his second novel, THE THIRD BROTHER, Nick McDonell faces just such a test. His debut work of fiction, TWELVE, which was hailed as "fast...relentless" and "a beautifully tragic and unsettling story," launched the then-17-year-old author headlong into a kind of literary celebrity that recalled the reception of LESS THAN ZERO by Bret Easton Ellis in 1985. In both cases, the praise of the novel was inextricably bound up in the youth and youthful voice of its author. Ellis managed to outgrow that initial swoop of fame and prove to be more than just a transient literary fad. With THE THIRD BROTHER, McDonell shows promise enough to follow in Ellis's footsteps and establish himself as something more than just a 17-year-old flash in the pan.

The novel begins with blue-blooded, Harvard-educated Mike's forays into the drug-addled hippie hangouts of Bangkok, Thailand, where he is on assignment for his internship in Hong Kong. Ostensibly there to infiltrate the scene, he also has been sent by his boss --- his father's ex-Harvard chum --- to undertake the task of tracking down an old roommate, a close friend and an ex-reporter named Christopher Dorr, whose history with Mike's father and their close-knit circle of college friends is thorny and convoluted. Dorr had gone to Bangkok to research a story and never returned, dissipating into a sultry and debauched world.

What Mike discovers in Thailand --- about his father, about Dorr, and about himself --- is enough to throw his once-stable conception of identity, of family, and of good versus evil completely off-kilter. And Mike's struggle with, and final acceptance of, the closest truth he can find is well-depicted. We see the initial Mike, a serious but coddled young man who is accustomed to easy answers, face ugly truths about human nature and human instinct. We see those truths change him, but in a way that is natural and steady, and never forced.

When we meet up again with Mike, his parents have died in a fire, the work of his always-troubled older brother Lyle. Lyle has descended into a kind of madness, and Mike has transferred to Columbia to look after him. Mike and Lyle's story begins and ends on September 11, 2001. Any writer who attempts to make use of that day in their work faces the inevitable allegations of literary manipulation --- of attempting to milk an instant so full of national pathos that the author can lazily fall back on the emotions it induces in readers and imagines there is no need to create any with his or her words.

Yet McDonell evades this accusation simply by presenting Mike's life as relatively gloomy even before the first plane hits. The collapse of the towers, the chaos in downtown New York, and the panicked, nervy journey that Mike makes downtown to see his brother are all written at a kind of frantic pace. McDonell captures the breathless fear, the seeming absurdity and need for movement --- for action of any kind --- that that day invoked. As the novel propels itself to a climactic finale, the delusions of Lyle echo the madness of the world, made suddenly very real to a once-sheltered nation. And the capacity for evil that America suddenly must bear witness to echoes Mike's own revelatory experience in Thailand.

The novel is divided into three sections. The first, in Thailand, takes place over about a week. The second, in New York City, details the events of just one day. The third takes place a year later and darkly presents the consequences of the first two. All three are made up of quick --- often less than three-paged --- chapters. All are interspersed with a series of flashbacks to Mike's childhood and the events that culminate in his parents' deaths. Thus, THE THIRD BROTHER is rather technically complex --- asking the reader to travel with Mike's subconscious back and forth in time, to jump from the laconic heat of Thailand to the rapid-fire events of September 11th and beyond, and yet to still remain engaged. McDonell succeeds in holding his reader to the potentially unwieldy story with his uncanny ability to render scenes and places with simple language and direct sentences.

It is in describing a very specific scene --- a backyard in the slums of Bangkok, or the 24-hour bar of a sleazy hotel --- that McDonell proves his staying power. His skill lies in his very real ability to bring his reader into the world on the page. It is to McDonell's credit that he doesn't try to infuse his prose with flowery descriptions and complicated sentences; it bespeaks a kind of self-assurance that, for a 21-year-old, is both unsurprisingly age-appropriate and surprisingly earned. He is a talented writer who will keep getting better --- and luckily we are along for the ride.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer Krieger

The Third Brother is a strange, disparate novel. Made up of short, sharp chapters, author Nick McDonell seems intent to frame his story around a series of punchy, sensory vignettes of Mike, his young main protagonist. Mike comes from a well-to-do family on Long Island, and Mike's father uses an old network to get his son a holiday job working for a magazine in Hong Kong. Mike is intitially thrilled at the idea, especially when the editor, Elliot Analect, sends Mike with a seasoned journalist to report on backpackers and party drugs in Bangkok.

The real purpose of this expedition is to locate Christopher Dorr, a missing reporter. Analect, Dorr and Mike's father all went to college together and Mike will slowly discover the complexity of the relationship between the three men, which is convoluted as it is mysterious. Mike becomes a tourist in Bangkok's underworld where he experiences an urge to save as much as to describe. Amongst the seedy nightclubs and run down hostels of Khao San Road, Mike meets are variety of shady characters.

Mike is a pure, Harvard educated young snob, but his encounters in the back alleyways of Bancock, shape his reaction to his family, and to the world around him. He hangs out with local journalists and hippie backpackers, survives some brushes with the law, and witnesses some ugly stuff, such as drug deals, and even becomes attracted to a local prostitute.

Mike is as tangential to the hip scene around him as he is perennially inactive and indecisive. It's as though he's on a dare, to see how naughty he can really be, to see how far he can go, how much trouble a white kid from New York can actually get into, "is there a hole in the world so deep that my father can't rack me down and pull me out?"

Throughout the first half of the novel, McDonell immerses the reader in the sites, sounds, and smells of Bangkok, and sets up an interesting juxtaposition between the native Thais, the Western back packer kids eating their ecstasy pills, and the "farangs," the white men who don't know anything and yet get into trouble, and also the Thais who want to be like them - "yellow on the outside, white in the inside."

It's not that Mike believes in ghosts, it's that he knows you can be haunted, and when he finally returns home to New York disaster strikes, his parents have been killed in a house fire, and Lyle, his brother has become deranged, believing that the fire was caused by a "third brother." Mike ends up in Manhattan, on the day of September 11th, frantically searching for Lyle amidst the dust, dirt, and debris the World Trade Center. The chaos of the day reflects the disarray of his own family, when Mike looks at a snapshot of his family he sees the potential craziness himself, "just like it was there in all of them."

In tightly measured and articulated prose, McDonell details a young man's journey through twenty-first century angst, exploring grief, "causalities and orders and children and friendly fire all interwoven in stupefied clouds of glassy smoke late at night." The chapters are short with the novel divided into three heavily delineated sections, the prose moving effortlessly back and forth, providing a portrait of Mike's troubled psyche.

The death of Mike's parents and the madness of Lyle reopen old wounds, bringing to the surface what the protagonist so desperately wants to suppress. The challenge is to keep a story that spans two countries together, but McDonell, using his impressive prose skills wisely keeps the narrative fluid.

McDonell is also a sharp observer of human nature, and he manages to encapsulate all of Mike's youthful desires and insecurities, providing a portrait of a young man somewhat at a loss in the world, desperately searching for answers and for some kind of peace. Mike Leonard December 05.

I enjoyed this book for the most part, especially the thinly veiled speculation about the dissapearance of Jim Thompson. The only thing that really soured me from time to time is how the male characters are written. They seem like a woman's version of a man.

I found this on a recommended shelf of a bookstore I frequent. It wasn't one I would recommend, nor one I would avoid. There were stretches in the story I was really drawn in, but it never became one 'I just couldn't put down'... which I did a couple times reading something else instead, but I did come back to the novel after a while wanting to know a little more of what was going on and what had gone on.
There is a current story, and a history that is also being revealled that is the imputus of the current story, and that worked for me. I just didn't have an attachment to the main character. Other readers DID.

Run, do not walk, to your nearest bookstore and buy this book

If you like action packed adventure and an intense interplay between personalities, geography and plot then you will find this a fine book as your ride a whirlwind of story telling that involves you in systems and power structures beyond your ability to control.

A complicated, aggressive and risk-taking woman is drawn into an intricate plot that spans three continents, involves people willing to kill and a foreign culture in Thailand impenetrable by traditional western patterns.

Francine Mathews worked for the CIA and has carried some of that knowledge with her as she develops exciting, dynamic ways of imagining a world and telling us about it. I hope she has a long career of writing novels and I look forward to her next one.

The whole world is divided into two types of people: those who divide things into two groups and those who do not..

..seriously, Ms. Matthews book oscillates wildly between "chick flick" material and the obligitory, leader-of-the-pack, head-of-the class, "high lift, low-drag" (thank you, Harry Coyle) heroine and characters that occupy the pages of this spy/CIA/former OSS agent genre. The flashbacks to post World War II Siam save the book, in my humble opinion, but she could come off a little better if she softened the hardened-bitch-longing-for-a-relationship-to-restore-a-loveless-past schtick engaged in by Ms. Fogg. (a relative of that other world-traveler, Phineas?) She could also redo the character of Oliver Kane and lose some of that too-cute dialog he is always spouting at the other end of the pay phone, ducky. Entertaining at times and *definitely* better than Finder's "Extraordinary Powers" -- but then, almost every work of fiction is (he said, gratiuitously). Still there is this indulgence in brand-name-dropping and labels. Why do we need to know *every* brand of caviar, liquor, skis, etc. Is this some kind of product placement deal?

*sigh*

I have seen some of the reviews of this book, especially Newt's. It was his that made me buy it. Perhaps I am not enough of an "insider" to appreciate this story, but I found it compelling at times, boring at times and the flipping back and forth between the present and the past at the least, distracting.
So, I would say, for a paperback price it may be worth your reading.

Although Cox's journalistic adventure narrative begins slowly, mired in pretentious descriptions and glamorized, over-dramatized, Hunter S. Thompson wannabe-gonzo bragging, it soon settles into a much more sophisticated groove, bolstered by Cox's significant grasp of Burmese history, Southeast Asian politics, and obligatory willingness to mix with the locals, dabble in a few vices, and refreshingly steer clear of "ugly American" stereotypes and boorish behavior abroad. The meandering of the book, between wandering Thailand's red-light district, sharing the quest of obsessed American POW hunters, and a good deal of astute political analysis, can lose the reader a bit at times, but by the last hundred pages one is fully engrossed, engaged, and rooting for Khun Sa and his ragtag band of drug-financed outlaw good guy rebels, while booing and hissing the bureaucratic US officials who forego supporting the Shan, valiant enemies of the odious Burmese regime, because of our hypocritical and shortsighted "war" on drugs. Sadly, since Cox published this ambitious work, Khun Sa has given up his guns and his poppy fields, betrayed by his own Shan rebels beause of his half-Chinese ancestry and perceived greed, and the old man is now doing lucrative hotel/casino business deals with the Rangoon regime. Oh well, at least Cox got in one hell of a narrative description before this "drug lord" decided to call it quits. Anyway, the relevance of the Golden Triangle to the international smack trade is now fading away, as the Afghan Taliban find that they can endure their diplomatic isolation quite nicely, thank you, by flooding world heroin markets in the name of political Islam.

After narrating myriad topographical and geographical details of the region in mostly unreadable, ostentatious prose, Cox finally finds his prey. And what does he do? He sits down and turns on his tape recorder while Khun Sa gives his boilerplate speech. Talk about a "shaggy dog story!" Talk about a waste of time!

I just finished reading Cox's book, and while I heartily agree with the criticisms of his literary style (there is a reason that Cox writes for the Boston Herald rather than the Economist or Atlantic), I found parts of it to be very engaging, with only the second-to-last chapter being a disappointment. The epilogue in particular makes up for a lot of slow going towards the end of Cox's Shan State visit. While he attempts to keep the hero worship under control, Cox does not exhibit the maturity that a seasoned writer like William Shawcross does, nor is Cox as adventurous as he seems to believe; the current king of the hill among hardbitten, well-educated nightmare-travel journalists has to be Robert Kaplan, whose penchant for jumping into open graves ought to shame Cox. Nonetheless, I learned a great deal about the history of Burma and the autonomous states within what is now dubbed 'Myanmar'. Cox appears to have assiduously researched his destination, much more than I would expect the author of a ... paperback to have done. Provided one does not demand exhaustive political analyses and policy recommendations from every travel writer on the shelf, this is a light-weight adventure tale which happens to be shelved in the non-fiction category, and should not disappoint those looking for material concerning one of the few remaining mysteries among Southeast Asian countries.

Cox takes on an ambitious journey to write about his impressions of the Golden Triangle, Khun Sa and the opium trade. While Cox does manage to provide an education regarding the region in terms of history, politics, and society, his writing style is lame. Cox writes in a manner that highlights his lofty opinion of himself; he seems to think he is really cool for taking on a journey which not a lot of others would consider. He likes to address his advertursome life of travel, danger, booze, drugs (Xanax) which seems so self-satisfying. And while his one-liners aren't as pathetic as you'll find in Rambo movies, they're not far behind. Basically, if you think the guys who write for Fielding's Dangerous Places, you may like Cox.

Wow. Talk about a peltering! Poor Chris Cox writes a good and entertaining book about his looney adventure in Thailand and Burma, and the critics go ballistic. The venom is astonishing!

Well, the fact is that Chasing The Dragon is a pretty interesting tale, and certainly offbeat considering that it begins with a private mission to find MIAs in SE Asia ... in 1994!

But its more than simply a whacky story. There's a goldmine of history on Burma and Thailand, and I think Cox is one of the few writers to have actually put recent (post-1950) Burmese politics into a coherent framework.

Along the way Cox gets his interview with Khun Sa (the crux of his journalistic mission), and that's quite a coup. But that he also has some adventures; takes Xanax to adjust to his 12-hour jet lag; and describes some of the seamier corners of Asia is not outside the scope of the story. That's the way that travel in Asia often is!

Ecotourists might be offended. There is too much here that doesn't work for that strict Puritanical mindset ("Porno tapes as a gift to Khun Sa! My God!"). But you don't have to be a Robert Pelton fan to understand what's happening in Chasing The Dragon. You just have to have gone off the Lonely Planet path to a world that is markedly different from your own.

This book provides a good handy reference guide, but don't expect to use it as your travel guide, it's more of a supplement. It's certainly more interesting than the text dense Lonely Planet I've got. If you enjoy a little more vivid detail about the place your going, this is a good choice.

Waste of money.

I THOUGHT I was buying the Insight Guide, not the Insight "pocket" guide. The Insight Guide is a worthwhile guide. Be careful when you buy and don't waste your money on this.

It gives you great tips for traveling to Thailand, specially to Bangkok (it capital).

I have visited Thailand nearly every year for the past six years. I find Insight Guide Thailand to be informative, accurate, easy to navigate around and a pleasure to use, with beautiful photography. It contains fairly in-depth reviews of Thai history, religion and culture. Cross-references to map locations of sights of interest are really handy. I feel the Insight Guides outclass Lonely Planet Guides and are much more user-friendly. I would not travel without my Insight Guides!

I also find Insight Guide Philippines to be outstanding.

I bought this book in conjunction with a Frommer's guide to Thailand. I bought this book solely to supplement my Frommer's guide which lacks pictures and some other info that Insight Guide provides. Insight provides lots of information about the history and culture behind cities, places, and attractions. It also has a few detailed maps which is nice. However, it is very, very limited in other things that you might expect from a guide book. The book is silent on things such as city orientation, how to get from the airport to the city, costs of things such as taxis and entrance fees to attractions, ratings on attractions, etc. For those sort of things and many other travel tips and hints, you should look into other books, like Frommer's, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, etc. (I chose Frommer's for my trip and have found it very helpful - although I haven't gone on my trip yet).

FYI: Frommer's, Fodor's, and Lonely Planet all have website with the type of information that is in their books if you want to get a feel for them (it's free).

Happy travels!

When I went to Thailand last year, I ended up planning most of my trip according to this book. The author never steered me wrong. While this might not be the best source for the backpacker set, the rest of us are well served with a variety of options for most travel budgets. I also liked the author's sense of humor and frank honesty. She has lived in the region and knows what she is talking about. The Thais I encountered during my trip also thought highly of the book. When I return to Thailand in 2003, this updated version of the book will be right there with me. I know it is an "establishment" guide but this is one time when mainstream is not necessarily a bad thing.

I have read other books from Frommer and have been very satisfied. That is, until I read this book. I was quite disappointed in this book. The author didn't seem like she enjoyed writing this book or even enjoyed traveling through Thailand at all. I would look else where before buying this book.

Am usually a huge fan of Frommer's guidebooks. But am disappointed to say that this book was not helpful in ANY way ! There is nothing useful here - from overall insight, to presenting specific materials in a usable, organized format.. NOTHING ! Even the shops she recommended would've been difficult to find without a good map in the book. Most bothersome of all, it seems like the author doesn't even like Thailand very much and it is reflected in her review of attractions, various warnings, etc. Thailand is a beautiful, interesting country with much to offer for any type of traveler. We went to Bangkok and the Southern coast and did not use the book at all- for planning or during the trip.

Considering that there is no content, this book was very heavy to travel with ! ...

I am a strong believer in Arthur Frommer and his guides of top tourist destinations. The guide to Thailand 2000 is just another example of Frommers' dedication to American tourists. From inexpensive hotels in Bangkok to prehistoric tribes, Frommer's has created a masterpiece. Oh, and if you have the time, don't forget to visit the beaches in the south!

For the most part I find Frommer's travel books to be very good. This one for Thailand was decent. It gave good descriptions of places including how to get there, phone numbers, prices, ect. But this book was definately not meant for the budget traveler/ backpacker. If it offered more information geared to the budget traveler; ie: lower priced places to stay, dining, places to go to (especially the non-resorty places), I would give it 5 stars.

As I read this book I am NOT surprised at how the US GOV officials are unresponsive to US citizens and their needs. I have been to many of the sites in Thailand ... Bankok too ... NOT surprised at the corruption and the unresponsiveness of Thai GOV officials!

I am amazed that this Guy survivied ... where is he now! How did this aweful experience impact the next 10 years of his life? What of his Mother? Family? Did he start another business? How/what did he create of his life?

WHO WOULD YOU "BE" AFTER SUCH AN ORDEAL????

I met Steve in January 2001 at the Renoir where he was working as Director of Sales. He gave me his book to read and first I thought - oh well - will see. Then I started reading it and was very sad to find out what can happen to your life if you are open, helpful and friendly as Steve is. It amazes me to read that Steve never gave up hope and even tried to educate/help other people while his situation was hopeless. And the endless love he shares for Asian countries is amazing. I loved the book even though it made me cry a lot.

The author's activities were indeed questionable. His version of events are trite and biased. There is no smoke without fire.

I found this book a revelation about one man's unjust imprisonment in Thailand. Worth reading.

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. I read it straight through in eight hours and have read it several times since. It is the gripping (and documented) true story of an American business executive falsely accused of child abuse by a former college classmate. The accuser is John Cummings, a convicted child molester who was deported from Thailand when charges were filed against him in the US in 1988. He was sentenced to 68 years in jail, but an overzealous child abuse investigator got 40 years chopped off the sentence in exchange for Cummings spinning a tale of international "child sex tours." Although all of the people he accused were found not guilty or carges were dismissed in both US and Thai courts, in the meantime Cummings and his supporters (like US Senator Jesse Helms and economic doomsday author Howard Ruff) destroyed a world famous street children's shelter, along with the lives of dozens of innocent adults and children. This case began the media frenzy surrounding "sex tourism," and is often cited by the media as "Proof" even though no one was guilty. Steve Raymond spent two years in jail while the U.S. Justice Department -- realizing they had wrongly accused him -- used international pressure to keep him locked in a Thai jail and away from the media. He was finally freed after intervention by Amnesty International. Every time you turn the page, you believe that someone *HAS* to come into his cell and say, "I'm sorry, Mr. Raymond, we made a terrible mistake." That apology never came. READ THIS BOOK! If you think your American government will protect you, you'll learn differently. (Fully documented, BTW).

Helpful overview of the Thai legal system. Especially useful for those considering a move to Thailand.

Most of this book appeared to be an attempt to fill space, there is very little useful information contained in it. For a start, the first half is in English, and this is then repeated in Thai - the title suggests this book is aimed at foreigners, I'm sure someone fluent in Thai could find a much better book in Thai. There are pages and pages of pointless lists - kings and prime ministers of Thailand, embassy addresses, lists of the ranks used in the army and navy, the sort of stuff it presumably takes 5 minutes to look up but which is of no use or interest to a foreigner wishing to know something about Thai law.

A friend of mine gave me this book. I like it so much that I decided to get another copy for another Thai friend. I read it quickly because it's in Thai and I can read the english for refernce. My husband and I are Thai but live in the U.S. We learn from the book about Thai citizenship, marriage, the legal procedures in Thailand. I especially like the chapter about the history of Thai law and the structure of the Thai governement. It reminds me of what I learned in school. I also learn about the court system in Thailand. I never go to court but it's interesting to know the process. I haven't seen other books that explain the procedure as well as this one. The book is easy for me to read. Many law books in Thai are hard to read and they are like text books. The English translation is very good too.

I learn a lot about the structure of the Thai government and the legal procedures in Thailand which is very well explained. The chapter on prenuptial agreement and the dowry alone makes the book worth buying. Everyone I recommended the book to says it's very helpful. It's a good reference material in many aspects about Thailand.

This book tells you all you everything and nothing about Thai Law.

Let me explain.

After a brief run through the history of Thailand and its kings the constitution is set out as is the legislative, executive and judicial structure. Fair enough. Then the fun starts
"What to do and where to go in Court."
"Unless you are a court officer or work in the legal profession, you don't want to go to court in Thailand...... Thais consider going to Court bad luck....."

This is probably sound advice given that the 149 substantive pages include two narratives of going to Court ( John was escorted into the courtroom by a policeman he was barefoot and chained at the ankles....).

There are interesting snippets scattered around in the English language section such as the differences in bail rates for government officials and ordinary people for various offences.

But let's get to the nitti gritty here. I do not buy a book about Thai law to be told how to receive money Western Union or that some banks might like to see my passport before opening an account others might not. That rents will be more expensive downtown than in the suburbs is not news to me and the advice not to leave my ipod unsecured and cash laying about in my apartment because I may be burgled is sound but hardly legal.

What does this book tell us?

Tax: You pay it on earnings in Thailand there is a lot of paperwork to deal with and all the documents are in Thai.

Parking: Restrictions may apply they are written in Thai.

Wills. It is important you make one to dispose of your property etc in Thailand and to avoid disputes amongst heirs and beneficiaries. The disposition of the the will is governed by the Civil and Commercial Code. But whilst Thai Courts are not bound by ite ( the will )....it is your best opportunity to explain your desires and intents. I am confused. Is my will binding or subject to challenge?

Marriage and Divorce. The procedures are set out but the interesting stuff like who gets what on divorce is glossed over " it is complicated you will need to hire a lawyer..."

Amongst the reference section are translations of a house rental agreement ( interesting ) a translation of a subpoena ( not particularly useful as the book keeps telling us to hire a lawyer), a list of Celebration days and the last 24 prime ministers( interesting but nothing to do with the law and ) and charts listing the ranks of army, navy, airforce and police officers. I presume that that these charts will be helpful after a trafic accident ( " the procedures will be slightly different to those you are used to in your home country" ) and I find I have dented the fender of a Police General.

To summarize

" Don't ever get into a road rage incident practice your meditation instead"

Thai Lawyers are governed by a ethical code found in S 51 of the Lawyers act 1951 and one of the stipulations for example is that he cannot "claim that he has more knowledge than other lawyers" or "decieves a client that he would win a case whilst knowing he would lose." but "individual lawyers may or may not follow the code"

Conclusion.

Dear Foreigner . You are a foreigner. Pay a lawyer. "You get what you pay for". "Photocopy everything you give your lawyer and keep copies". You are a "guest" here and "you will be treated as a guest forever no matter how long you live in Thailand ". Remember "it's unlucky to go to Court."

From the authors.

"There may be minor discrepancies in numbers,names, or details in this book, since different sources use different descriptions. However, we used the data from the most credible sources we could find ... we appologise if some of the information in this book is inconsistent; this will be improved in our next addition."


ps you can divorce your wife if she commits adultery but she can only divorce you if you have treated or honored another woman as your wife. Same same but different it seems.