Thailand - Bibliography

The King's birthday speeches are always worth analysing. There is rarely a dull moment in Thailand and it is interesting to hear him talk from his heart once a year to find out his take on events. He is passionate about land, water and flood management and many of his ideas have been put into action such as 'Monkey Cheeks' for flood prevention and his 'Sufficiency Economy' theory.

In the transcript of his speech you will notice the word (laughter) in brackets a lot where he jokes. He doesn't so much joke; he highlights nonsensical things about the world. He is not a man to suffer fools or nonsense gladly.

He is a man of the people who, for example, upon seeing a problem while being driven along in Thailand, will stop the car, get out, analyse the problem and then get something done to fix it. It is not difficult to understand why the Thai people love and respect him so much.

The author has also used this work to attack Anna Leonowens who he describes as a 'perfidious and mendacious governess' who did harm to King Mongkut's memory. It's a valid point. I was unable to find an ISBN number but the book was published in 1972 by Asia Pacific Press Pte Ltd, Singapore.

Like a typical tourist, I was completely ignorant of what was going on around me in Thailand and oblivious to the major celebrations that were about to take place. The book contains photos, information and facts about King Bhumibol's reign. If a few more politicians followed the King of Thailand's example, this world would be a much more pleasant place to live in.

She came from humble beginnings and lost both parents by the time she was nine years old. She took up nursing where she met her husband, Prince Mahidol of Songkhla, a doctor. They had three children. Her husband died when she was just 29.

More tragedy was to follow when she lost her eldest son, King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) in 1946. Her younger son - Thailand's current monarch King Bhumibol (Rama IX) was invited to accede to the throne, thus she became the mother of not one, but two Thai kings.

She never forgot her humble origins and worked tireless to help Thailand's poor, most notably up in the northern areas around Chiang Rai and it is in this region where much of her legacy still exists.

The author also worked as a photographer and there are numerous photos in the book but they are intensely saturated resulting in the subjects having bright orange faces.

It's a good pictorial account of the King's life and of the many environmental projects he has involved himself with. My only criticism is the weight of the book which made my arm ache carrying it back from the library!

I didn't start following Thai politics until I moved to Thailand so my knowledge of the subject prior to 2003 is scant. As I read through this account of events which led to the Coup of 1991, I got that deja vu feeling.

Corrupt and self-serving politicians, no political ideology, rich businessmen entering politics to acquire power, prestige, positions and financial rewards. The electorate being of absolute no consequence in the political games being played out. As the report says, "The people are not even pawns in the political game!"

In essence, the events that led to the 1991 Coup were no different to the events that led to the 2006 Coup. It makes you wonder what lessons were learned in the 15 years between these two coups and the answer appears to be nothing. It also makes me wonder whether things will ever really change in Thailand? They will, of course - eventually - but that time is still a long way off.

Portrait of Bangkok falls into the latter category. It gives a fascinating account of the fall of Ayuthaya and the capital's move to Thonburi and then to Bangkok. It is packed with wonderful black and white photos. When visiting Bangkok these days, it is almost impossible to imagine how the city used to be.

It was once the 'Venice of the East', a fascinating, exotic Southeast Asian capital full of Buddhist temples and waterways. All it will be soon is a mass of high-rise condos and shopping malls with a culture of KFC and Starbucks. Thank you America.

This book is highly recommended.

This book is quite charming. It was published in 1968 and is written in the active voice as if the author was just writing a personal journal. James Kirkup has a love of Asia and a deep fondness for Thailand and the Thais. He is very generous with his praise for the Thais, especially when comparing them to the Malaysians and Japanese.

He is a free-spirited traveller who likes to travel alone, meeting strangers and making his own discoveries. He says there is nothing worse than going to a strange, new, fascinating land and being shown around by an expat. I agree. The way he describes his style of travelling is how I like to travel.

Mr Kirkup was obviously impressed with the physical attractiveness of the Thais (both sexes) but there are times when he gets a little carried away, reminding me of Les Dawson's 'Cosmo Smallpiece' character on British TV from many years ago.

"When one is floating along the canals one often sees men and women and children taking a dip in the scummy water: a pretty young Thai girl descends the steps of her house, decently clad in a sarong tied tightly above her breasts instead of around the waist. Those little Thai breasts - how firm, fresh, silken they are!"

His observations are very keen, and his knowledge of Thai culture extensive. I liked his remark that the Thais are nature's anarchists - I know exactly what he means. It is now impossible to experience Bangkok as James Kirkup did 40 years ago which is a great shame but at least there are many far-flung provinces in Thailand that haven't suffered the same fate as the capital.

The writing style is evocative and romantic, if a little flowery at times, but I found the book thoroughly readable.

The opening chapter poses lots of questions and makes lots of references to a work titled States and Social Revolutions by Theda Skocpol; a work that seems to have influenced the author very much.

I stopped reading and was reluctant to pick it up again. However, flicking through to later chapters I found the section about the position of the monarchy in Thai society quite interesting. There is some good stuff in the book but it is heavy-going and doesn't make for great bedtime reading.

This book is a scholarly research project looking at the relationship between the two countries which includes several polls posing such questions to various groups of Laotians as, "Has Thailand or Have the Thai People Performed Any Friendly Conducts towards Laos, or Not?"

As the title suggests, most opinions are based on perception. The bottom line seems to be that both countries are vitally important for each other but there isn't a huge amount of trust. Probably the same could be said for neighbouring countries all around the world.

He starts the book with a huge name-drop by paying tribute to his friend who is a Mom Rachawongse (a Thai royal title). Throughout the book we hear lots more about Denis's fame in Thailand and his many and varied discoveries.

Then again, who am I to criticise when many people probably think the same about this web site?

Written in the style of a daily journal with hand-drawn sketches and charts, it's an interesting account of Thailand during the Golden Age of the Ayuthaya period before the city was completely destroyed by the Burmese 30 years later.

While doing research, M.L. Manich Jumsai - an interesting author - discovered documents concerning King Mongkut (Rama IV) and Sir John Bowring, he of the famous Bowring Treaty, a political and commercial agreement signed between Siam and Great Britain in 1855.

Both were remarkable men. Bowring was a superb diplomat and an extraordinary linguist. I was aware he could speak Thai but I had no idea before reading this book that he could also speak French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Russian, Serbian, Polish, Bohemian, Magyar, Arabic and Chinese!

The book also makes another case for Mongkut as being perhaps the greatest of the great Thai kings. In an era when no one in Siam could speak English, he could. He reformed Buddhist practices, introduced modern science, and started the modernisation of the country that was continued by his son, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).

In his reign, which lasted just 17 years, he achieved a remarkable amount. The book also makes clear the respect and fondness that these two remarkable men had for each other.

It contains lots of information about Thai history, culture, language, literature, rites and ritual; delving into Buddhism and the ancient animist and spiritualist beliefs of the Thais.

When I first visited in 1987 it was rare for people to go to Thailand and no one I knew then had been before. Published in 1979, this book gives an interesting perspective on Thailand before the onslaught of mass tourism and the Starbucks and MacDonalds culture that now pervades throughout the country.

Pictures of Bangkok show it as a city operating on one level - without roads and trains in the sky - and Mr Khem Klaihangwa, a Bangkok tuk-tuk driver aged 34 from Roi Et featured on page 222, looks as if he has never seen a farang tourist in his life, let alone ripped one off with a Bt10 tour of the city.

If only I could turn the clock back... Unfortunately, the Thailand I yearn to see again has all but been relegated to old books like this one, apart from a few provincial areas that remain almost untouched for the time being.

(Incidentally, Thai Muslims aren't restricted solely to the south. There are almost a million Muslims in the central region with 570,000 in Bangkok alone.)

This is a well-balanced book that provides historical context to explain the 'Muslim problem' in Thailand.

Actually, with the vast majority of Muslims in Thailand there is absolutely no problem at all, which is quite surprising considering how they have been treated in the past.

Other gems include, "Do not scratch here and scratch there," "Wear a party dress for afternoon tea party or cocktails," "When stirring your tea or coffee, do not let your spoon touch the side of the cup or it will make a lot of noise."

The book reminded me of the occasion when Borat met Lady Chelsea for English etiquette tips. The people who write this kind of stuff have completely lost touch with the real world.

It wouldn't be a bad idea though to get the book translated into Thai for the benefit of Thai people. "Do not pick your nose, your eye or your ear in front of people," "If you have a terrible cold with plenty of phlegm to spit out, do so quietly in a rest room. Do not spit in any public place or in the home in the presence of other people or they will be shocked," "There should not be an audible sound in food chewing or soup drinking," "Turn off all kinds of communication devices (performances and cinema)," etc etc.

They won't thank me for saying this but the majority of Thais are not good Buddhists. Buddhadassa Bhikku exposed all the nonsense associated with so-called Thai Buddhism; amulets and talismans, blessings with holy water, magic love potions, etc.

He did not seek donations to build ornate temples, nor did he attach himself to politics. He upset a lot of people but at least he made people sit up and think about what Buddhism is really about.

The Japanese believed they were racially superior to all other races and they also believed that it was dishonourable to be taken as a prisoner; better to commit suicide than to suffer that fate. For both of these reasons they treated Allied POWs with utter contempt and brutality.

But even understanding how the Japanese soldiers felt, it is still difficult for me to comprehend the level of inhumanity that was demonstrated. Seriously ill POWs - suffering from dysentery, cholera, beriberi, tropical ulcers, and other diseases - at half their normal weight were forced to work relentlessly in the tropical heat until they died.

This is not mediaeval history but occurred only about 15 years before I was born and some of the survivors are still alive today. Japanese people always seem so polite and shy whenever I meet them but theirs is a complex culture indeed. It was a terrible episode but not unique in Japan's history.

I have included a few extracts from the book here. Gervaise lived in Thailand for about the same amount of time as I have currently been living in Thailand. As I read through the book, I was struck not by how different things were then but by how little has changed regarding the nature of the Thais.

This book, whose author was born in 1912, promised a lot but didn't deliver quite as much. The first few pages include some great photos from the late 19th and early 20th centuries but the prose that follows is far too flowery and sentimental for my liking when what I actually wanted was factual accounts of life in the country during that time.

One Southeast Asian country alone has the fourth highest population in the world (Indonesia) and the region accounts for 8% of the world's population. When we consider that China and India are the most populous countries in the world, Japan has a population of around 125 million, the Philippines over 90 million, Thailand around the same as France; it shows just what a powerhouse Asia is.

Not only does Indonesia have the world's fourth largest population but it is the biggest Muslim country by population, and Islam is just one of many religions in the area. Along with all the other economic and political problems faced by the region, there has probably never been a more perilous time in human history as a result of problems between the Muslim and Christian worlds - thanks to America.

Before WW2, with the exception of Thailand, the entire Southeast Asian region had European colonial masters before Japan stepped in temporarily during the war only to be followed after the war by the United States, whose style of Imperialism has been slightly more subtle but just as effective.

At one stage of economic development, countries in this region were described as Asian Tigers, but the old problems of massive corruption, exploitation, dictatorships and huge poverty gaps persist; and Communism still has a hold in certain countries. Whatever your views on the region, it is not a part of the world that can be ignored.

Elections are held in Thailand (just as they are held in Zimbabwe and Burma) but Thai politics is a nasty business and that nastiness reached its zenith under Thaksin Shinawatra's brand of 'democratic' dictatorship and corruption.

Naive people believe that in political systems where elections take place, it is the people that hold power. That is not true anywhere on earth - the United States included - and it is most definitely not the case in Thailand.

This book, published in 1979 by Thammasat University - the centre of political thinking in Thailand - is just as relevant today as it was then and explains where the balance of political power in Thailand really lies. And let me tell you, it's not with the peasant farmers and the rural masses who turn up at the local school or temple at election time to cast their vote.

The majority of rural Thais, due to low education and the strong culture of patronage, are incapable of making decisions on their own. As the book explains, "There is a concept of the strongman/saviour (phunam) figure who is a guardian of the national will and whose decisions are to be followed and obeyed by a grateful public."

"The position of the citizenry has been relegated to secondary importance having duties to perform for the glory and survival of the state," and one of those duties is voting for whoever their village headman tells them to vote for. (In addition, significant monetary handouts - in the form of hard cash and, in Thaksin's case, economically unsustainable populist policies - also help to make the process flow smoothly.)

Under the right leadership, this system can work but the leader needs to have a strong sense of moral duty. Under the wrong leadership where a leader has no morals, it can be a disaster, as was demonstrated under Thaksin.

In 2001 - while Thailand was still reeling from the shock of the 1997 Asian financial crisis - Thaksin seemed to have all the right credentials to become the national strongman/saviour figure. There was an overwhelming belief that he was the only man capable of getting the country back on its feet.

This feeling was so strong among all Thais (including those who would probably deny it now) that even as a result of being tried for asset concealment immediately after coming to power, the Constitutional Court let him off the hook despite overwhelming evidence proving his guilt.

He should have been found guilty then and banned from politics for five years, thus preventing him ever from coming to power. As it was, Thailand chose to ignore his crimes but it proved to be a fatal mistake which would come back to haunt the country for many years afterwards.

Thais are masters of concealment. All visitors - with very few exceptions - adore Thailand, and many are so convinced that it is the best country on earth, they leave their countries of birth to move there permanently.

The truth of the matter though is that Thailand has lots of problems and the Thai social structure is very unjust. See The Privileged Elite Versus The Common Man for Sulak's analysis.

It is against Thai culture though to speak out against anything that is wrong. Thais keep their mouths shut and when they see something that isn't good, they simply look the other way. It's akin to the Three Wise Monkeys, "Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil."

Generally, to find out the truth about Thailand you need to speak with farangs who understand the country or read books by farang authors who don't have the same cultural hang ups.

Sulak is the exception, however, and as a result his outspokenness has landed him in hot water on many occasions. He has been accused of lèse majesté, accused of being a Communist, imprisoned and sent into exile.

I said he was brave and that, I believe, is his greatest quality. What Sulak has said is no secret to Thais but to cross swords with men of enormous political power in Thailand, as he did with the likes of former Prime Minister, M.R. Kukrit Pramoj, is a very dangerous thing to do in Thailand.

Before Thailand can progress fully into the developed world, enormous social change is required but that won't happen while people are afraid to speak out. Sulak has set an example but what is needed is a new generation of similar thinkers who are ready, able and brave enough to speak out against the system.

This book, published in 1980, is a collection of Sulak's writings, some of which go back to 1965, but what you will find is that many of the problems he describes are still evident today.

This is part of a sentence right at the beginning of the book and it's an example of how the rest of the book is written. It's typical 'Thaiglish'. You can understand what the writer is trying to say but it is awful English.

The book is a fairly serious-looking hardback publication so why didn't they get a native English speaker to proofread it before going to print? My guess is that it was written by academic Thais with endless degrees who have such over-inflated opinions of their own abilities that they didn't think it was necessary to involve an inferior farang.

Never mind. I found out about Wat Mudshit Mawas in Songkhla and Wat Phra Si Mahathat in Pissanulok. (Some interesting transliterations there.)

The content of the book is mainly religious buildings and ruins. Naturally, most of these are Buddhist but some Muslim mosques are featured in the deep-southern provinces.

Typically for a book such as this published by the Thai government, everywhere in Thailand is full of culture, history and heritage with not a single blot on the landscape. Pattaya is described as, "... probably Thailand's most famous beach destinations (sic) for recreational activities." However, no detail is given about the main kind of 'recreational activity' or crime that goes on there.

As a Buddhist temple listing in Thailand, it's quite useful, and there are some good tips regarding places to visit but I wasn't overly impressed.

A southern Thai friend of mine who I tutored in English to prepare him for the defence of his PhD thesis and who is now a university lecturer, told me that when he was at school, Thai history lessons were all about Ayuthaya and how evil the Burmese were. There was nothing in the curriculum about the history of the south. And there we have one of the main reasons why there are such big problems in the region now.

The book consists of a number of academic papers taken from a conference held in Pattani in 2002 called Experiencing Southern Thailand: Current Social Transformations from People's Perspectives. It contains lots of interesting observations and analysis but is only recommended for those who have a particular interest in the subject and not for general reading.

This book offers an interesting take on Thailand, especially when you remember that historically there has been a lot of movement of Thai borders.

Many Thais have a problem defining what Thainess is. It's easier for them to define what Thainess isn't (anything that's bad) and then conclude that Thainess must therefore be the opposite. According to Thais, Thainess is something that foreigners can never fully appreciate. When you start digging beneath the surface, you will discover some quite racist - and even xenophobic - attitudes.

The language has some convenient terms for racial groups outside of Thailand. Farangs are any white-skinned Caucasians and to Thais there is no difference between individual farangs - we are all the same. Khaek (meaning guest) is a pejorative term for Muslims, Indians, Malays, etc. Jek is a rather unpleasant and offensive Thai term for Chinese.

These terms can be used dismissively and insultingly (which is why I sometimes take exception to the 'f' word). In the past I have been sneered at by Thais for being, "Just a farang," as a result of not doing what they wanted me to do.

It normally happens when something they want isn't rational but they know they don't have a rational argument - usually as a result of the system of social hierarchical where a supposedly superior person wants a supposedly inferior person to do something even if it isn't right.

When the supposedly inferior farang doesn't kowtow as a Thai person would, this is classed as 'un-Thainess' and is when the farang jibes start to be heard. The Thai is basically saying, "You are not even worth bothering with as you are an inferior foreigner who doesn't understand our advanced culture."

It's not very pleasant, this national arrogance, but the book underlined how much Thais are brainwashed into believing that Thailand is so much better than any other country. This rhetoric can be heard all the time, from a network of army radio stations to the long oratories every Thai student is subjected to at the start of each academic day.

There will be lots of positive affirmation of Thai culture, values, tradition, history, etc., along with examples of evil and degradation happening in other countries that Thais must avoid.

On the surface, the Thai are a most pleasant, congenial race of people but under the surface there are some strange attitudes indeed and they all stem from the national superiority complex known as 'Thainess'.

I found it to be a thoroughly engaging book with some parallels to my own life. I haven't taken up robes in Thailand but two people with close connections to my family died suddenly at 42 and when I hit 40 I evaluated my life up until that point and then decided on some major changes.

While browsing in the university library I actually had quite a few doubts when I first saw this book. Seeing a farang sitting in robes reminded me of the idiot farangs I have seen at temples in Thailand who sit there with their hands clasped together, staring intently into space trying to look pious and religious as if they will suddenly be overcome with spiritual enlightenment.

The sad fact is that many Westerners who do this kind of thing in Thailand probably know nothing whatsoever about Buddhism. Many years ago, my all time favourite band, Steely Dan, took a shot at Westerners trying to capture superficial Eastern mysticism in the song Boddhisattva.

Phra Farang is nothing like this though. His only ever desire was to gain a better understanding of the Buddha's teachings for all the right reasons and I enjoyed his honesty and openness. He talks about the persecution he faced in London (his home town) for daring to be different. This is an unfortunate part of British culture where anyone who is different is subject to taunting and even physical abuse.

He describes the problems he had being accepted by Thai monks, his doubts about Thai Buddhism and how it has deviated from true Buddhism to a series of merit-making and blessing ceremonies.

He talks about his disgust and embarrassment concerning the behaviour of some farangs in Thailand (I know that one well), and he even describes his problems getting visas; a problem faced by almost all foreigners trying to live in Thailand.

It's a very good book that doesn't take long to read. I finished it in about half-a-dozen fairly short sessions.

There has been no editing or censorship carried out in the book and much of what was written isn't exactly complimentary about the Siamese. There are repeated references throughout the book stating how the Siamese men (not women) were a lazy, idle bunch, interested only in chewing betel, sleeping and gambling. There are also several mentions of petty thievery.

These allegations are countered in a postscript by Rong Syamananda who says the authors never stayed long enough in the country to make a profound study of the Thai people and their background. He says that Thais aren't really lazy and that, "Illegal gambling in all forms came to an end in the reign of King Rama VI (1910-1925)." Really? I think he needs to get out more.

The accounts were written in the days long before political correctness. The Singapore Chronicle wrote, in 1825:

"The Siamese are, in reality, progressing a little towards civilisation, and if they could only be induced to believe that Siam is a paltry, insignificant nation, and the people themselves poor ignorant creatures, only a degree above monkies (sic), - something might be made of them; but when, as now, they have an idea that all other nations are only allowed to breathe through the goodness of his Siamese Majesty, and that they surpass all others in general knowledge, it is difficult to convince them of anything like common sense."

The accounts describe how all hard work in Siam was carried out by Chinese immigrants. The reason Khun Syamananda gives for Chinese coolies doing all the hard work while the Siamese slept is, "A few kinds of manual labour did not suit them." Basically, what I think he means by work that "did not suit them" was any form of work that required being in a vertical position.

You can't generalise about a whole race of people, and many Thais do work hard - just take a look at women working on construction sites, but I actually thought that many of the observations were quite perceptive and, what's more, nothing much has changed since then.

On the positive side, the Siamese were seen as a most friendly, pleasant race of people who were very caring towards their children. Again, that applies as much today as it did then.

Some of the accounts are written in French but most are in English. I found the book to be a thoroughly enjoyable and most entertaining read.

Instead of just focusing on major events in the country, there are accounts of normal people and smaller, less significant matters - but interesting all the same. Bradley recorded everything; the bad as well as the good, his failures as well as his successes.

Just like today, many foreigners living in Siam at that time weren't really suited for the country. They felt alien within the culture but had other reasons for being there. And just like today, many went completely off the rails with alcoholism being a big problem.

There are some excellent photos in the book of Bangkok as it was then, the Thai royal family and the pious American Baptist missionary brigade - the men in their beards and the women in their bonnets. The barmy American Christians of that era went on a mission around the world to convert 'heathen' people to Christianity and failed dismally.

Dan Beach Bradley was actually very successful in the fields of medicine, printing and teaching King Mongkut English but he didn't convert one Thai to the Christian Perfectionism branch of Christianity that he preached.

Bradley was a contemporary of Anna H. Leonowens and speaks highly of her, unlike most other accounts I have read about her. This is probably because she defended him in a libel case.

Something 'disgraceful' happened in the royal palace that was witnessed by Leonowens' son, Louis, but no details are given in the book as to what the incident was. Bradley reported it in the Bangkok Recorder and was then sued for libel.

Leonowens testified in private on behalf of Bradley and thus he had more respect for her than many other people did (or do).

It's the equivalent of finding an old book of proverbs and concluding that everyone around at the time the proverbs were written held the same moral views. The author's explanations of moral codes are so obvious as to be insulting. Here's an example:

"Love oneself more than wealth." This saying teaches an individual to love one's own self more than material things.

Since living in Thailand I have discovered there are thousands of Thai academics who are afraid to leave the safe sanctuary of academia. University life is easy, secure and comfortable whereas the outside world is harsh and difficult.

They make the transition from student to lecturer to professor while collecting lots of degrees and PhDs on the way but they live life with their heads up their backsides, not having a clue about the reality of the world.

Don't pay much attention to Thais with the title Dr. All it means is they submitted some weird, esoteric thesis and got a PhD. The author of this book seems to be a classic case.

For example, don't lean against a door because you might be hit by a bad ghost or, in the case of a pregnant woman, this will result in a difficult birth. Bangkok used to have a Ghost Gate that was only ever used to remove dead people from the city.

The royal ploughing ceremony (of Brahman origin and nothing to do with Buddhism) is full of superstition. It is performed on an auspicious date which is determined by astrologers. Depending on what the oxen eat, will determine which crops will be abundant later in the year, and depending on what garments the first ploughman wears will predict the amount of rainfall.

It's mildly amusing apart from the fact the Thais really believe in this stuff. The rest of the book is given over to Thai food and confectionery (kanom). I had previously wondered why the thin white rice noodles are called kanom jeen because they aren't kanom.

The book puts forward some theories but there is no definitive answer because no one seems to know. Do you?

October 1973 signalled the end of a particularly nasty era of military dictatorship in Thailand. The opening chapter contains a list of the key events that occurred between October 1973 and December 1974. The rest of the book is devoted to key facts about Thailand at that time and there is some good analysis of Thai culture, for example, 'Superior-Inferior Relationships', 'Wealth as a Basis of Differentiation', and 'Power Differentiation'.

I am writing this just after the drafting of the 18th version of the Thai Constitution and even back then there were doubts how long the 10th version of the Constitution would last.

It's almost impossible now to imagine how much Thailand has changed since then. Here are just a few facts from that time:

• The population was about 34 million (it is almost double that in 2007) with 12 million living in Isaan and only 4 million in the south
• 56% of the population were younger than 20
• Then (as now) the official demographic figures show a fairly even ratio of males to females but it is common knowledge there are far more females in Thailand
• The average number of children born per woman was an incredible 6.6
• More than half of rural households had an annual income of less than Bt6,000
• No surprises that the northeast region was the poorest, as it is now
• Practically all families in villages could not afford a television even though there were four TV stations operating
• Bicycles were owned by 31% of village families but only 6.1% of families had a motorbike (if only we could return to that situation it would be so much more peaceful)
• In addition to televisions; electric fans, refrigerators, water pumps and electric sewing machines were rare in village communities
• About 50% of living accommodation in municipal areas was rented, not owned, whereas most houses were owned in rural areas
• The family unit was very strong, as was the system of obligatory respect for seniors from juniors
• In a total workforce of just over 16 million, 14 million were employed in agriculture
• Most Thais worked in the agricultural sector out of preference, not wanting industrial work
• The minimum wage was set at Bt12 per day in 1972 and raised to Bt16 per day in 1974 although many employers didn't comply and no action was taken against them for not complying
• 93.6% Buddhists; 3.9% Muslim; 0.6% Christian; 1.9% Other
• "The Thai also find security, psychological or otherwise, in having amulets around their necks" (not much has changed then)
• The Chinese were the largest minority group, numbering between 3 to 3.6 million
• The Chinese were very successful in the areas of commerce and service trades
• "Routine work obviously lacks the fun element and it is carried out very slowly. To speed up the pace, incentive measures may be needed, hence the practice of offering oil-money" (Bribery and corruption was commonplace)
• "The grading of status of persons involved in social interactions is necessary because without such knowledge as to who is superior and who is inferior, it is difficult to carry on meaningful social interactions" (This is a fundamental aspect of Thai culture and a point I have tried to make often)

I have read about these customs in other books and was getting a little confused because they are written as if these practices still take place. Here are a couple of examples.

Regarding childbirth, if it is a girl that 'slips out', one must first grasp the "golden turtle", and if it is a boy, one must take hold of "that thing". Apparently, by grabbing the child's sex organs immediately after birth, the child will grow up with beautiful characteristics and have no deformities.

New-born babies are only allowed to eat cockroach excrement mixed with salt and dissolved in honey. This acts as a laxative, apparently. The book is full of this type of 'fact'.

Everything is written in the present tense as if these customs are still part of Thai life but I am reliably informed they aren't. This kind of stuff is interesting but it would be less confusing if the book made it clear these are old customs which have now died out.

I have proofread theses for Thai Master's degree and PhD. students and they can be a little dry - to say the least. This one is no exception.

It is heavy-going at times but the period in question was a very interesting one in Thailand's recent history. 1932 marked the end of absolute monarchy and - under Pridi - a step towards a Western style of democracy but then came the worst spell of dictatorship Thailand has ever know under Pibul, who was a real tyrant.

If you substitute Thailand for Germany, Pibul for Hitler, and the Thai Chinese for German Jews, it will start to give you an idea of what he was about.

WW2 saw Pibul's alliance with Japan even though this was against the wishes of most Thais and, it is for that reason, why the Allies didn't really regard Thailand as an enemy during or after the war.

Pibul was an interesting character who I need to find out more about. He controlled the press completely and newspapers were forced to print a front page slogan to say he was the nation's leader and should be followed so that the nation would avoid danger.

He issued 12 'Cultural Mandates of the State' which dictated how Thais should speak, eat, dress and behave, etc. He banned betel chewing (not a bad thing) but introduced decrees such as it being mandatory for Thais to wear hats at all times, and he banned the use of foreign words.

He even tried to change the standard Thai greeting sawatdii to pibulsawasdii. That kind of thing is really scary and reeks of megalomania. Who knows, if the September 2006 coup hadn't have taken place we might now all be saying tuksinsawasdii.

In summary, it's a book packed with little factual gems but because of the academic manner in which it has been written, it's not that readable if reading purely for pleasure.

The first of these that I saw was 'Bangkok Inside Out' and now the Ruskies have attempted something similar. The break up of the USSR after the fall of Communism made some Russians very rich and Thailand (well, Pattaya actually which isn't quite the same thing) is somewhere they seem to like visiting.

At first, I thought this book would be a welcome change to the usual fodder but the style of writing soon started to annoy me. The books narrator is accompanied on his journey through Thailand by a Naga: a mythical serpent-like beast.

Some people love fantasy but I prefer reality. I have never read a Harry Potter book, or seen a Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings or Star Wars movie. If you like hobbits, dwarves, fairies and cute space animals, then you might enjoy this book.

On the plus side, buried in the fantastical drivel are some useful facts about Thailand and Thai history, and I enjoyed the many photos.

The pixel-peeping forum dwellers at DPReview.com wouldn't be happy with the blown highlights, grainy photos and lack of sharpness but the photos convey meaning and emotion which, after all, is what photography is about.

After 25 years of reading Thailand guide books, my reaction after picking this one up was that I never wanted to look at another. When a guide book comes along that tells me something I don't know, or shows me something I haven't seen, I might change my mind but after living in Thailand for four years, most of them are now just a big yawn.

However, for those who have never visited Thailand, this is the type of book I would recommend rather than something completely useless, such as Lonely Planet.

Missionaries seem to fall into two categories. There are the ones like the guy I know who help people in positive ways and those who, in the past, came to Thailand to convert the 'uncivilised heathens' to their own religion. The former type I can tolerate whereas the latter type, I can't.

This book is about Catholic missionaries from Europe but many Protestant missionaries came to Siam from American in the 19th century. Some were good people but the 'god-fearing' women in their bonnets and the men in their beards who despised everyone who didn't believe in the same god as their one should have been boiled in large pots and eaten.

This book is hardly exciting but gives details of what certain Catholic missionaries did in Siam, and in what areas they contributed. I much preferred William L. Bradley's book which uses extracts from the journal of Dan Beach Bradley who was possibly the most famous missionary ever to have lived in Siam.

It was published almost 20 years ago, in 1989. Some industries, such as tourism, have increased enormously since that time but others may have declined. It also means that the figures given are now long out of date.

However, a lot of the basic information is still valid. It gives some useful insights into what types of industry bring money into the Thai economy and - despite some claims to the contrary - it is a reminder that Thailand is anything but a poor country.