Slices of Thai history
From the curious and controversial to the heroic and hardy by Duncan Stern. DCO Books, 2019, 179 pages. www.dco.co.th For any serious expat who decides to stay long term, they quickly discover the country has an immensely rich history, a vibrant culture, diverse geography, delicious (if spicy) cuisine, an endless selection of social activities plus […]
Scramble for Rails
Japanese Military Transport on Thai Railways during World War II by Ichiro Kakizaki. White Lotus Press, 2019, 303 pages. www.seateservices.online All WWII buffs, most Thais, those who survived the terrible ordeal, and hardcore cinema buffs all know about ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’, ‘The Death Railway’. Based on Pierre Boulle’s 1952 book and an […]
Dancing for the Gods
The Nora Bird Dance of Southern Thailand and Dancing for the Gods, Vol. 2: The endangered spirit lineage of Nora Dance in Southern Thailand by Marlane Guelden. White Lotus Books, 2018 & 2019, 425 pages & 424 pages. www.seateservices.online These books are the first comprehensive look at the Nora Bird Dance of Southern Thailand. The […]
My Thai Girl and I How I Found a New Life in Thailand
by Andrew Hicks Monsoon Books, Ltd. Pte., 296 pages, 2011. https://amazon.com I was in graduate school here in Bangkok one fine day a decade ago. We had a special guest lecturer, a Thai man educated in England most of his life, then lived overseas after. His speech (or lamentation) was all on how Thais should […]
“The Perfect U.S. “Deep State” Operation”
New book unveils the mystery behind the U.S. invasion of Iraq BOOK LAUNCH WILL BE AT THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS CLUB OF THAILAND (FCCT) AT 18:00-21:00, MONDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2021 PENTHOUSE FLOOR, MANEEYA BLDG., 518/5 PLOENCHIT ROAD, LUMPINI AT THE CHIT LOM BTS STATION Contact the FCCT 02-652-0580, ext. 13 or [email protected] for more details Web […]
Reflections on the Covid-19 pandemic
I would be hard pressed to find a single person in Thailand that has not been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in some way, shape or form. It has been a really wild quadruple corkscrew rollercoaster ride that is now slowly, mercifully, coming to a gradual end. But what about the long historical view of […]
A monument to love – the Neilsen-Hays Library
The world’s largest monument to love is undoubtedly the Taj Mahal in India. But Bangkok also can claim its own monument to love, if somewhat smaller, but no less in deep affection: the Neilsen-Hays Library. The origins of the Neilsen-Hays Library can be directly traced to the Ladies’ Bazaar Association, a charitable organisation. In 1869, […]
Bangkok Bob and the missing mormon by Stephen Leather.
Three Elephants Publications, 2011, 288 pages. www,amazon.com Having been in the U.S. military, one thing I (and probably every other military person) do when watching a movie is to see if the film producers got it all ‘correct’ on the screen. That means are the ribbons on the uniform in the right order, are they […]
Bangkok pool blues by Tom Crowley
Metta Visions, 2010, 156 pages. www.amazon.com Underneath all the glittering temples, dazzling beaches, shop-‘til-you-drop mega-malls, friendly smiles of the locals who rolled-the-red-carpet-out for you, and always over-the-top entertainment here is a gritty, shadowy and hard-as-nails night life revolving around Bangkok’s pool scene (table not water). ‘Bangkok pool blues’ is a deep dive into this rarely […]
Interview with Stuart W Bowen Jr.
We are speaking today with one of America’s most famous historic personages, distinguished lawyers and prominent public servants, Stuart W. Bowen, Jr. You have been right at the centre as a key player of some of the most dramatic events of the 21st century. I feel privileged to have served Texas and the United States […]