Product Description

This insight into contemporary Thai culture delves beyond the traditional Thai icons to reveal the casual, everyday expressions of what it is to be Thai that so delight and puzzle outsiders. Never colonised, Thai culture retains ancient meaning in the most mundane things - over 200 colour images.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #469509 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Rough Guide to Thailand (2004/5 edition)
"Answers and insights aplenty in this erudite, sumptuously photographed guide to contemporary Thai culture"

Bangkok Post, January 2005
"A wonderful book... one of the best on Thai culture. New, quirky, intelligent and fun"

From the Publisher
Published January 2005. Incredible reviews received - "erudite and sumptuously photographed" (Rough Guide to Thailnd), "An amazing book" Bangkok Post

Customer Reviews

Amazing book full of photos with great written insights
I'm a student of Thai Studies and language at Leeds University, and have lived in Thailand previously for over 4 years as an English teacher, backpacker and a student.

If you have ever been in Thailand for a length of time and fallen in love with the country, like myself, then this book is perfect for you. The authors have lived and worked in Thailand for very long periods of time and have great insights into the nuances of Thai culture, from ladyboys to folded napkins, sniff kisses to Buddha amulets, the authors have compiled beautiful pictures with insightful writings.

Great for learning about Thai culture and bringing back great memories. The only negative is the price, however it is hardback, with beautifully printed pages full of photos.

If you've never been to Thailand, and you are thinking of buying this book, it will give you a much broader knowledge of Thai culture than many guide books provide, thus setting you up for your trip to Thailand with a greater idea about how Thais live and act, and why.

Good contents, way too many typos
I agree with the previous reviewer: a great book for everybody interested in the Thai culture. But the incredible amount of typos has made me put the book down repeatedly because it tends to spoil all the pleasure of reading it. It is actually so bad that the publishers should provide a free copy to everyone who bought this edition when it gets published again, hopefully, with all the typos taken care of!