Books on Thai Culture and Traditions
Intro |
The Expat Experience |
Contemporary fiction by Thai authors |
Thai politics, culture, and history
Contemporary fiction by Thai authors
A fascinating world will open to those wishing to gain a better understanding of the Isaan culture of northeast Thailand.
One essential effort is The Teachers of Mad Dog Swamp (ISBN 974-7047-05-5), written in 1978 by “Khamman Khonkai,” a pseudonym for Surasi Phatham.
Here, Phatham introduces the reader to the intricacies of corruption, and the influence of dark forces on a small village school system.
Another is Chart Korbjitti's The Judgment (1981, ISBN 978-979491-5-7), a scathing tale of class structure within a Thai village, and of justice for the star-crossed protagonist.
We strongly recommend the writings of Isaan novelist Pira Sudham, whose books Monsoon Country (1988, ISBN 974-89067-3-6), People of Esarn (an alternate spelling of “Isaan,” 1987, ISBN 974-89123-4-5) and The Force of Karma (2002, ISBN 974-90079-1-3) are written in the original English.
For more on Sudham, visit: www.pirasudham.com.
First written in 1954, Kukrit Pramoj's Many Lives (1995, ISBN 974-710067-3) tells of a boat accident in which eleven people, all strangers, are killed.
Each (e.g. the bandit, the monk, the prostitute) has come from a different walk of life, and Pramoj uncovers their lives aspirations with wonderful detail.
Both Pramoj and translator Meredith Borthwick passed away in 1995, and HRH. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn then took charge of ensuring the book's publication.
Kampoon Boontawee’s A Child of the Northeast (1976, ISBN 974-92815-8-6) is not an easy book to find, although it’s still in print.
Those who succeed in the attempt will be richly rewarded with this wonderful story of an extended Isaan family’s quest for food in an increasingly depleted land.
Set in the 1930s, Child is especially informative on the collection of flora and fauna used for food dishes, and their preparation.
Fundamental aspects of Isaan hierarchical relationships provide a framework for this story, of particular value to those involved in relationships with Isaan people.
Chapter 35, ‘A Wat Fair,’ is particularly interesting for its explanation of morlam music culture.
Paul Adirex is the pen name of Pongpol Adireksarn, an American-educated Thai businessman who has also served as Thai Deputy Prime Minister, and has held posts within the Thai intelligence community.
He has written several novels situated in Southeast Asian locales.
Adirex' strong suit is his description of the complex relationships involving disparate political factions, including organizations and groups such as Burmese and Thai hilltribes, the Burmese Army, Thai Intelligence, the CIA, the Thai underworld, and what is left of the KGB.
Adirex is weak on character development, and the romantic involvement between the male and female protagonists is handled, well, unromantically (we're not even sure if any of them sleep together).
This is probably due to Adirex being a Thai, whose writings evidence the traditional Thai principle of keeping romantic feelings and activities out of the public eye.
His characters have predictable backgrounds, his male protagonists typically being ex-military types active in a new occupation, his females being pretty professional Eurasians (one Thai parent) educated abroad.
Adirex' The Pirates of Tarutao (1994, ISBN 974-89046-9-5) has a wonderful plot that takes place during the WWII era, in which the wartime prison on the island of Tarutao becomes a pirates' den, headed by the Thai prison director.
Probably his best novel, Adirex is at his best here in describing intricate political relationships as they evolve according to the winds of change.
Mekong (1995, ISBN 974-89942-7-9) melds Adirex' international intrigue plots with fantasy, Buddhism, and a bit of Sword & Sorcery thrown in as well.
Here, drug smuggling, treasure hunting, and a lost world are intertwined within the Golden Triangle where Thailand, Burma, and Laos meet.
Adirex' Until the Karma Ends (1996, ISBN 974-86382-1-9) concerns an elaborate plot to take over Burma, plotted by individuals either employed by, or linked to the CIA.
The action takes place primarily in Bangkok and along the Burmese-Thai border.
The King Kong Effect (1998, ISBN 974-89620-3-2) features a series of bad guys, including the poisonous mollusk conus geographus that are involved with the unlikely plot to assassinate the U.S. president on his visit to the island of Phuket.
The romantic wrap-up on the last page is rushed and unrealistic, leaving the reader wishing Adirex would somehow acquire the depth of feeling for human relationships equal to that of his knowledge of small arms and ordnance.
Intro |
The Expat Experience |
Contemporary fiction by Thai authors |
Thai politics, culture, and history
