What books did you read before going to Thailand?
 

Other than travel guides, what books did you read before going to Thailand? Any type...fiction...non-fiction...novels... historical...mysteries...etc. Thanks in advance for any input.

I am currently reading a book of short stories by Rattawut Lapcharoensap, a Thai-American,entitled "Sightseeing". It is NOT a travel guide, and it is NOT about sightseeing, in spite of the title. The book includes several very interesting stories of family life, romance, humor and culture in modern-day Thailand.

Someone asked this question last year. Maybe you can do a search because we listed a long list of books.Two must reads are...Bangkok 8 by John Burdett...ISBN#1-4000-3290-3 which I read last year which was years after having gone on my first trip to Thailand and also Chasing the Dragon by Christopher Cox ISBN#0-8050-5507-X Happy Travels!

"Four Reigns" is a must. Thailand by David Wyatt for history.

any of the books about jim thompson...there are 3 or 4....

There's a good book entitled "Two Years in the Kingdom", by someone whose name I forget. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Isaan. There is an interesting Appendix on language. Bangkok 8, mentioned above, is very good.

I second Bangkok 8. You would also like Bangkok by William Warren, a very readable history of the city, with other anecdotes of his many years of living there. He has also written many other books about Thailand including books about Jim Thompson and about Thai architecture and style. Enjoy reading!

Also "Secret Agent" by Francine Mathews. A junk spy novel that is loosely based on the Jim Thompson story. Takes place in Thailand and is a fun read.