Books on Thai Culture and Traditions
Intro |
The Expat Experience |
Contemporary fiction by Thai authors |
Thai politics, culture, and history
Thai Politics, Culture, and History
Thailand is most assuredly not the land of smiles for the thousands of Karen refugees who’ve fled their Burmese homeland to live an uneasy existence in the vicinity of the Thai border post of Mae Sot.
As Phil Thornton points out in Restless Souls: Rebels, Refugees, Medics and Misfits on the Thai-Burma Border (2006, ISBN 974-8303-91-8), Mae Sot is still preferable to what these displaced people would face in Burma.
In describing what is said to be the world’s longest civil war (57 years at the time of writing), the author covers the political, medical, and military turf, and provides a scathing overview of many of the NGOs whose purported mission is to assist those in need.
This book is essential to anyone wishing to understand contemporary Karen issues, as well as the impact of the Burmese military on the indigenous groups of Burma.
David Wyatt's Thailand: a Short History (2003, ISBN 974-9575-44-x) is, at 308 pages, an informative yet concise history of the nation, and includes an extensive bibliography for those wanting further study.
Lovers of historical fiction will be suitably impressed with Axel Aylwen's The Falcon of Siam (1988, ISBN 974-91949-7-7), a well-written and fascinating story of the ascendance of Constantine Phaulkon, a Greece-born British subject who became one of the highest officials in the court of King Narai.
Phaulkon wielded considerable power in Thailand from 1675 to 1688, and this book offers an interesting glimpse into both court intrigue and customs, and Thai royal attitudes on Western powers.
The fascinating memoirs of Chavoret Jaruboon are detailed in his autobiography The Last Executioner (2006, ISBN 1-905379-26-9).
Those of you who have been to the Department of Corrections’ museum at Mahachai Prison have seen his HK MP-5 machine gun, which Khun Chavoret used to dispatch 55 prisoners, and here, he tells of his early days as a rock musician, and the series of events that led to his life as an officer in Bangkok’s infamous Bang Kwang prison.
Some of his most fascinating tales are of a prison riot, his discomfort at executing a female prisoner, and there’s lots of homespun philosophy on crime and karma, too.
Our favorite quote is about Khun Chavoet’s family life: “The 2,000 baht per shooting would mean we could start saving money for the kids’ future.”
Highly recommended.
Three coffee table sized books featuring the exceptional photography by Michael Freeman are highly recommended.
Palaces of the Gods (1992, ISBN 1-872727-15-8), written by Smitthi Siribhadra and Elizabeth Moore, is a classic exploration of Khmer art and architecture in Thailand, featuring monuments such as Phanom Rung and Phimai.
Writer Moore collaborated with Philip Stott, and Suriyavudh Sukhasvasti to create a companion volume, Ancient Capitals of Thailand (1996, ISBN 974-8225-00-3) which provides fascinating detail on western Thai historical sites such as Ayutthaya, Sukhotai, and Si Satchanalai.
Freeman's photographs also grace the pages of The Thai House: History and Evolution (2002, ISBN 974-8225-05-4), a beautiful book which explores the nuances and architecture of traditional Thai houses.
These books are heavy, and thus perhaps best purchased near the day of your departure from Thailand.
The Golden Triangle area of Burma, Thailand, and Laos is incredibly rich in Tribal culture, jewelry, crafts, and clothing.
Paul and Elaine Lewis' Peoples of the Golden Triangle (1984, ISBN 974-8225-42-9) is a wonderfully written and photographed book, and photographically one of the most compelling we've yet seen.
Willam Klausner, who's spent decades in Thailand, has written extensively on all things Thai, from Buddhism, to rocket festivals.
His Reflections on Thai Culture, (2000, ISBN 974-8298-49-3 comprehensively explains elements of the Thai experience that might otherwise be difficult to fathom.
W.A.R. Wood was appointed to the consular service by Queen Victoria in 1896, eventually becoming Registrar of the Bangkok Court.
His Consul in Paradise: Sixty-Eight Years in Siam (1965, ISBN 974-9575-12-1) provides an interesting insight to the social, political, and judicial interweavings of the expat and Thai communities of his day.
Those wishing to understand contemporary Thai politics will find no better than Thaksin: the Business of Politics in Thailand (2004, ISBN 974-9575-55-5), written by veteran political observer Pasuk Phongpaichit, and her husband Chris Baker.
The book charts the career of Thaksin Shinawatra, today's Prime Minister (and the second-richest man in Thailand), and explores the economic revolution he has fostered through stimulating growth, managing society, and remaking politics.
The book pulls no punches, but is not a hatchet job either.
It is essential reading for Westerners who read Thai daily papers, and desire to understand the forces that dominate the news.
We strongly advise anyone wishing to start a business in Thailand to read the startling Corruption & Democracy in Thailand (1994, ISBN 974-7100-31-2) by Pasuk Phongpaichit and Sungsidh Piriyarangsan.
Here, the corruption inherent in the Thai political, business, and social world is laid bare, illustrating the minefield populated by the underworld, police, and military.
Some of the most fascinating elements of the book concern the origin of jao pho, countryside 'influential people' who control much of Thailand's political scene.
Interactions between military, jao pho, and police are investigated, and the historical basis for pay-offs in Thailand are detailed.
As the authors state, “because of rampant corruption, national forests are destroyed, rivers and canals are polluted, factories, hotels, and department stores have collapsed.”
Reading between the lines, it's easy to see why the life expectancy of some Westerners doing business in Thailand is quite short.
This is an outstanding book, answering questions that every Westerner engaged in any element of Thai business should be asking.
Father Joe Maier is a street-smart priest who ended up in Thailand several decades ago, as has dedicated his life to helping the downtrodden of Bangkok's Khlong Toey district ever since.
Along the way, he's collected a Lifetime Achievement Award from Queen Sirikit, the Red Cross award from Princess Soamsawali, and the Most Noble Order of the Crown award.
He details his important work in Welcome to the Slaughterhouse (2005, ISBN 962-8734-76-8).
Visit his website at www.mercycentre.org
Gay culture in Thailand has thrived, historically, through many epochs, and some might say its nexus for the past two decades has centered on the weekly column written by Pratchaya Phanthathorn, editor and chief journalist of weekly newspaper Plaek, who writes under the pseudonym of 'Uncle Go'.
In each issue, Uncle Go answers letters from gay readers on matters of love.
In doing so, he offers advice to the lovelorn in the context of traditional Thai cultural values.
Unfortunately, his columns are only printed in Thai, which was remedied in 1995 through Australian anthropologist Peter Jackson's Dear Uncle Go: Male Homosexuality in Thailand (1995, ISBN 0-942777-11-5).
Jackson's book consists of an interview with Go (who, we find, is straight, and considers himself a ladies' man), and digests of letters from readers, and answers from Go.
Brilliantly, Jackson deconstructs the themes of the letters, and offers historical and cultural explanations behind the perspectives of both the writer and Go's answer.
The book is fascinating for straight readers as well, as ultimately, Jackson's insights are of value to all westerners desirous of learning what lies behind the famous Thai smile.
This book is not always easy to obtain in Thai bookstores, but can be special ordered in Thailand.
It's well worth whatever permutations are necessary to find it.
One of the most noticeable differences that western travelers face in Thailand is the proliferation of ladyboys.
Estimates of the total numbers of ladyboys vary between .01% to .05% of the general population of 62 millions, which puts the numbers somewhere between 62,000 and 300,000.
Ladyboys are everywhere: they are students, workers, and cabaret stars, and are part of the Thai scene.
The best book we've read on the subject is Richard Totman's The Third Sex: Kathoey --- Thailand's Ladyboys (2003, ISBN 974-9575-26-1).
This 200 page treatise describes everything from the Buddhist rationale for the existence of ladyboys, to their history in Thailand, to the mechanics behind the coming of age of individuals involved in the life.
Totman is even-handed and non-judgmental, and his experience is first hand, having befriended a number of ladyboys.
A large number of westerners who have been exposed to the phenomenon primarily through cabaret shows will find this book enlightening, and those who have become friends with one or more of these folks will find the book essential to understanding what they've gone through, culturally, financially, and surgically, to become who they are.
One thing Totman doesn't mention is that a number of ladyboys find the term “kathoey” to be pejorative, which we think is important, socially and conversationally.
This book is highly recommended.
Adul Tinaphong’s funny Patpong Road: Untold Story (2004, ISBN974-92367-2-6) is a guided romp through the subculture of Patpong Road’s day and nightlife, as told by the attorney who’s represented many of its denizens in legal proceedings.
Here, he interviews everyone from bar owners, to mama-sans, to food providers, to his mom (who, incidentally, dislikes everything Patpong).
Our favorite chapter details the hand signals used by bar waitresses to order drinks when the music’s pumped up so loud that they can’t be heard.
Those seeking a greater understanding of Thai culture through folkloric legends can start with three books, all of which describe fascinating tales, many of which are known to most Thais, having been passed down through oral tradition.
Here is where you'll discover the origins of characters found on the hings (altars) found on the streets and business establishments of Thailand:
- Essays on Thailand, by Thanapol Chadchaidee (1994, ISBN 974-834-824-5)
- Fascinating Folktales of Thailand, by Thanapol Chadchaidee (2004, ISBN 074-91739-9-6)
- Thai Folklore: Insights into Thai Culture, edited by Siraporn Nathalang (2004, ISBN 974-13-3149-5)
Intro |
The Expat Experience |
Contemporary fiction by Thai authors |
Thai politics, culture, and history
