If you love reading as much as I do then you know how vital it is to bring a good book with you on your holidays. I remember before coming to Thailand for the first time in 2005 and doing my research on what books to bring. Little did I know in a few years I’m going to end up living in Thailand and end up reading them all.
I would say that majority of these books are specifically a good read while you are traveling and exploring Thailand and getting to know the Thai culture. The Beach is a great example of that. If I was to read this book back home in Europe I cannot imagine I would have enjoyed it as much as I did. But reading The Beach in Thailand, specifically in Koh Phi Phi and being a few miles away from the location where the movie was filmed gave the book a whole new meaning.
If you like movies you can also check out the cinematographic versions of some of these books. As most of them have been adapted into movies. Without further ado here is the list of my favorite books I’ve read while traveling and living in Thailand.
- The Beach by Alex Garland
- Private Dancer by Stephen Leather
- The Damage Done by Warren Fellows
- The Scribe by David Young
- Sightseeing by Rattawut Lapcharoensap
- A Prayer before dawn: A Nightmare In Thailand by Billy Moore
- Mai Pen Rai means never mind by Carol Hollinger
- A history of Thailand by Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit
- Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski
- Even Thai Girls Cry by J. F. Gump
- Anna and the king of Siam by Margaret Landon
- Thailand Confidential by Jerry Hopkins
- Welcome to Hell: One Man’s Fight for Life Inside the Bangkok Hilton by Colin Martin
- The bridge over the river Kwai by Pierre Boulle
- Bangkok 8 by John Burdett
1. THE BEACH by Alex Garland
1996
NOVEL, FICTION, ADVENTURE
I cannot start my ultimate list of Thailand books with any other than The Beach. So let’s get it out of the way. The book got extremely famous especially in Thailand after the film adaptation with Leonardo DiCaprio got released in 2000. And the book has become somewhat Thailand’s backpacker’s bible. Especially so in Koh Phi Phi where I live. The movie was filmed here in 1999 and it made the famous Maya Bay an instant hit for anyone coming to south Thailand and looking for a secret paradise.
The book describes the story of a young British backpacker Richard, coming to Thailand for the first time. His experiences, adventures, and the contrast between the materialistic western world to the freedom you can supposedly find in southeast Asia. A must-read when coming to Thailand.
Travel Tip: you can watch the movie The Beach in an outdoor bar/ cinema Banana Bar and The Only Bar in Koh Phi Phi.
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2. PRIVATE DANCER by Stephen Leather
2005
FICTION, ROMANCE, MYSTERY
Private Dancer should be on a compulsory read for any single guy coming to Thailand. As much as the book is fiction, the story of the main character Pete is such a cliche story for many white guys here. A typical story of an innocent and naive man arriving in Thailand and falling in love with a bar girl.
Private Dancer is a great page-turner and stand-alone novel by Stephen Leather. The story behind an old white man and a stunning young white girl everywhere in Pattaya or Bangkok.
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3. THE DAMAGE DONE by Warren Fellows
1997
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
The Damage is Done is the first of three books on my list taking place in the infamous Thai prison. The book describes the author’s time in the Thailand most notorious Bang Kwang prison, known as the Bangkok Hilton.
You will think twice before doing anything even remotely unlawful in Thailand after finishing this page-turning autobigrapy.
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4. THE SCRIBE by David Young
2000
NOVEL, FICTION
Main character Henry writes and translates love letters to foreigners on behalf of Bangkok’s bar prostitutes. His story develops and as the scam goes on things start to go downhill. Very entertaining and hilarious read.
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5. SIGHTSEEING by Rattawut Lapcharoensap
2004
FICTION, EMOTIONAL
Rattawut Lapcharoensap is an award-winning young Thai-American writer and Sightseeing is his debut publishing.
Written as a collection of short stories, the Sightseeing will have a deep emotional impact on you. Great for anyone who has spent time in Thailand and wants a more realistic view of life outside the beach.
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6. PRAYER BEFORE DAWN: A NIGHTMARE IN THAILAND by Billy Moore
2014
BIOGRAPHY, AUTOBIOGRAHY
Another true and shocking story from the notorious Bangkok Hilton prison. The book itself and some of the stories will definitely leave a strong impression on you for the rest of your life. The book tells the shocking true story of British boxer Billy Moore who got mixed up with drugs and ended up in Thailand’s harshest prison. A Prayer Before Dawn describes his story of survival.
The movie was released in 2017, very well adapted, and acted but some scenes are definitely not easy to watch.
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7. MAI PEN RAI MEANS NEVER MIND by Carol Hollinger
1965
MEMOIR, NON-FICTION
Mai Pen Rai is an expat housewife’s guide to Thailand. The book is a story of an American housewife coming and living in Thailand, where her husband is stationed in the US Foreign Service. Very witty and lively read even so now a bit outdated it is still a very fun and enjoyable book to read while traveling. There is a reason for Mai Pen Rai to be on traveler’s books list all these years.
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8. A HISTORY OF THAILAND by Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit
2005
NONFICTIONAL, CULTURAL, HISTORICAL
Unlike other books on my list, A History of Thailand is a great book to read before coming to Thailand or at the beginning of your trip. It will give you some insight into the history of places and cultural references. Factual but easy to read.
The book talks about the economic, cultural, and also the political history of the Thai Kingdom. The book is divided into important and eventful periods of modern Thai History from around 1700 up until the last decade.
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9. FIELDWORK by Mischa Berlinski
2007
NOVEL, MYSTERY
Fieldwork is a page-turning story of an anthropologist who murders a missionary in Thailand. The author Mischa who is also the narrator in the book comes to live in Thailand with his girlfriend. He comes across a fascinating story or a woman anthropologist imprisoned in the Thai jail for murder.
The author writes a very detailed and descriptive story, which makes you think twice about what is fiction and what is factual. Even so, the book is a work of fiction the characters and some of the details will leave you wondering.
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10. EVEN THAI GIRLS CRY by J. F. Gump
2003
NOVEL, ROMANCE
Even Thai girl cry is a story of a Thai girl Tippawan and one year in her life. After her boyfriend cheats on her she runs away to Pattaya to work with her brother. There she meets a foreigner Mike and the love and hate rollercoaster starts to spin. A very emotional story that makes you wonder if it might be inspired by a real story.
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11. ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM by Margaret Landon
1944
NOVEL, BIOGRAPHY
A fascinating story of a proper English woman coming to then Siam in the ’60s on an invitation of King Mongkut of Siam. The widow with her children is to help him to deal with foreign ambassadors and teach his children English and western culture. Anna finds herself in an exotic world full of surprises, royal customs, and foreign traditions.
The book was adapted over the years into various plays, musicals, and movies.
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12. THAILAND CONFIDENTIAL by Jerry Hopkins
2005
BIOGRAPHY, CULTURAL
In Thailand Confidential the author Jerry Hopkins portraits vividly his experience and life during his years spent in Thailand in an entertaining diary format. Funny and true foreigner’s perspective on Thai culture and life in Thailand. His collection of stories will give you a better insight into Thai culture than any Lonely Planet book.
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Last but not least prison story of Colin Martin and his first-hand experience with corrupted Thai police, scammers, and conmen. Another fascinating book about inhuman living conditions and struggle to survive in Thai prison. The author’s thirst for justice and fighting the already lost battle doesn’t help his situation.
Welcome to Hell will surely remind you not to do anything even slightly illegal in Thailand. I’ve read in one article about Colin Martin that he wrote his story in his cell and had the pages smuggled outside.
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14. THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI by Pierre Boulle
1952
NOVEL, FICTION
Thanks to the classic war drama this story became even more known in its cinematic version.
The book is set during WW2 during the construction of the Burmese railway. I highly recommend reading this book if you are planning on visiting Kanchanaburi. You can walk across the bridge over the River Khwae Noi and visited the nearby military cemetery and museum.
The book is a fiction and the movie was filmed in Sri Lanka but it is still interesting to see the bridge and find out more about the construction and the real history of the place.
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15. BANGKOK 8 by John Burdett
2003
NOVEL, CRIME, THRILLER
Fun detective story full of surprising twists located in Bangkok. It captures the atmosphere and feel of Bangkok better than any other novel I’ve read. This thrilling novel has all you expect, the dirty secrets of Bangkok, prostitution, corruption, crime, and sex. Bangkok 8 is a part of detective stories by John Burdett.
If you like Bangkok 8 you can also check out Bangkok Tattoo and Bangkok Haunts.
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I hope you have a fantastic time on your trip on Thailand and come to say hello to me if you are visiting Phi Phi Island!
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