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Thailand Books for Travellers;
a KSR Guide to the Backpackers' Favourites
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For an English-speaker, shopping for books
in Thailand is no treat. In the tourist markets that
cluster around guesthouses, most bookstalls sell the
same thing; copied Lonely Planets, some Dan Brown, some
Ben Elton, some Western classics. But in the midst of
these books, there are always Thailand-specific novels,
memoirs and nonfiction pieces. These become backpacker
classics because the author is just the voice you're
looking for; a smart, specific glimpse into Thailand
from a western point of view. Some are light, some are
gritty, but all of them shed light on Thai culture,
especially in relation to Westerners. Here, khaosanroad.com
wades through the usual fare in Thailand-themed literature,
giving you an easy guide to the books that have become
backpacker favourites. |
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The Beach by Alex Garland
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Yes, this novel inspired the
movie of the same name, an eye-candy film of lush beaches
and lush Leo DiCaprio which likely caused a hefty climb
in Thai tourism when it was released in the nineties.
But before the clutch of Hollywood, Garland's novel
stood firmly on it's own feet; a Heart of Darkness meets
Lord of the Flies meets Lonely Planet's Guide to Thailand's
Beaches medley. Amid Garland's sexy vagabond characters
and Edenic beach descriptions, there's a psychological
story that's both glossy and gritty. With a twisting
plot and an immediately likeable wrong-place-wrong-time
protagonist, this suspenseful book will leave you grateful
for another quiet, lazy day on the beach. A good story
told with good style. Plus, your copy might have Leo
on the cover. |
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Phra Farang: An English
Monk in Thailand by Phra Peter Pannapadipo |
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At the age of 45, successful
English businessman Peter Robinson gave up the rat-race
and moved to Thailand and joined a Buddhist monastery.
Peter, a likeable, witty narrator to the memoir, has
to un-learn all his fast-paced Western tendencies and
adjust to the monk lifestyle, tackling barriers in culture,
language, and upbringing. The author's tender sense
of humour weaves personal stories with the theories
of Buddhism the he picked up in temple. It narrates
his journey of spiritual enlightenment in a down-to-earth
way, with witty observations about eastern-western differences,
and tales of culture shock that any visitor to Thailand
can instantly relate to. |
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Backpack by Emily Barr
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While the book may strike you
as generic chick-lit, and the main character might strike
you (in the first few chapters at least) as being immensely
dislikeable, Emily Barr has taught me that first impressions
can be faulty. As we follow selfish, shallow Tansy as
she pouts her way along the backpacker trail, we watch
her experience those wonderful epiphanies of introspection
and self-awareness that come with being in a foreign
land. By the time she finds herself in a burgeoning
backpacker romance, you'll be cheering for the reformed
snob. |
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There's a subplot with a string
of murders, each victim a cute white backpacker. It
moves the plot along, but the meatiest parts of the
story are in the small moments when Tansy, piece-by-piece,
shakes off her layers of insecurity and gains a better
sense of self. This book is a great read for those who
are traveling on a soul-searching life journey. Plus,
you'll laugh out loud at her spot-on descriptions of
every hippie-snob backpacker who's ever joined you at
a beach bar. |
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The Damage Done: Twelve
Years of Hell in a Bangkok Prison by Warren Fellows
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This book will have you on
the edge of your seat (albeit, semi-nauseous) as you
see the author go from a dislikeable criminal to sympathetic,
suicidal prisoner. Fellows' memoir is brash and honest;
he doesn't ask the reader for sympathy as he narrates
his jail term for trafficking. Rather, his anecdotes
range from suffocation-by-sewage to death-by-elephant,
are all narrated with a grim honesty. The book is graphic
and shocking, the type of story whose hellish details
will stay in your mind for ages. The squeamish may find
the vivid details difficult to take, but be sure to
pass it on to any travelmates lacking in self-control.
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Bridget Jones; Edge of Reason
by Helen Fielding |
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Though Fielding's
beloved title character may only spend a third of the
book in Thailand, it gives you a hearty taste of the
Thai tourist experience, gone comically awry. Though
Bridget Jones may not be the first person to go to Thailand
as an escape from life's complexities, her fussy, honest
reactions to the land of smiles will have you laughing
on the outside and guiltily agreeing with her on the
inside. As an endearing fish-out-of-water, Bridget calls
to attention all the foreigner reactions you're embarrassed
to share out loud. |
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Though Bridget's stint in Thai
prison may come across as summer-camp fluffy, it makes
for a funny, sympathetic story. This book may not be
the best resource for Thailand-related facts, but for
smart, relatable observations expressed in all the wrong
ways, Bridget Jones is the master. As a writer of guilty-pleasure
reads, Helen Fielding is the master. Ladies, prepare
to laugh out loud. |
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Thai Girl by Andrew
Hicks |
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Hicks addresses the age old
question that crosses the mind of every single visitor
to Thailand; in a white-guy-meets-Thai-girl relationship,
who's really holding the chips? When a tourist splits
with his girlfriend on a holiday in Thailand, he finds
himself enraptured by a charming-yet-mysterious local
woman. The novel's Thai heroine is a multilayered character,
at times passive and helpless, at times wry and controlling.
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What comes across as a couple
wrapped up in mind games will get you thinking about
power dynamics in general, and how gender, age, ethnic
and economic differences all factor together. The endlessly
complex characters will leave you guessing until the
very end. Feminists may find this relationship hard
to handle, men who date Thai women may find it instantly
relatable. Regardless of your opinions on the falang/Thai
romance phenomenon, Hicks' honest dialogues and relatable
themes makes this book an absorbing read. |
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Anne Merritt
is Canadian and has an English Literature degree.
She has worked as a journalist for a university newspaper.
She is currently living in Ayutthaya as an ESL teacher
and is sharing her experience of Thailand with KhaoSanRoad.com.
Other articles by Anne Merritt:
Crocodile
Rockin' in Samut Prakarn - Lopburi
Monkey Festival - Saraburi
Sunflower Fields - Koh
Tao: Island Travel at a Turtle's Pace - Doi
Suthep: Exploring Chiang Mai's Spiritual Side
- Full
Moon Party - The
Life of Pai – Northern Thailand's Sweetest Find
- Sister's
are Doing it for Themselves - Coming
Together on Koh Samet - So
you want to teach in Thailand? - Halong
Bay: Vietnam's Jewel on the Water - Zen
and the Art of Marketplace Haggling - Laos
Lifts Us Up Where We Belong - Kuala
Lumpur: Off the Backpacker Route and Into the Big
City
- Water
Water Everywhere - the Songkran Festival Explained
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Da Lat's Easy Riders - Swimming
in Sihanoukville - Thailand
Books for Travellers; a KSR Guide to the Backpackers'
Favourites - Luang
Prabang - Volunteering
with Elephants - Seeing
Kanchanaburi through the Eye of the Tiger -
Hoi An - Strolling Through Vietnam's Prettiest Colonial
Town - Slowly
down the Mekong - Traveling
as a Couple; Some Tips in Thailand - The
Vegetarian's Guide to Thai Food
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