Bangkok Inside Out

Book excerpt: Bangkok Inside Out is unlike any other book on the Thai capital. It is an honest, humorous, contemporary snapshot of a 21st-Century Southeast Asian city bursting at the scams but plugging along nonetheless; of ordinary people in their urban landscape; of culture and pop culture. And it is hardly a typical 'portrait', because it tells the day-to-day truth about Bangkok--the proverbial Good, Bad, and Ugly. It provides insights into the chaotic reality of everyday life in the city rather than discussing floating markets or Patpong bars. Bangkok Inside Out quite literally turns Bangkok 'inside out', exposing the city piece by piece to the reader in a quirky, intelligent and accessible manner. It covers subjects like soi dogs, gem scams, karaoke bars, student cafes, motorcycle taxis, Seven-Eleven, urban elephants, sky train, luuk kreung (Eurasians), Chinatown, mobile phones, gambling, energy drinks, and lottery--the whole slew of topics that make Bangkok that it is. Like Bangkok itself, the book is packed with idiosyncrasies, inside scoops and quirky anecdotes. And it is illustrated with striking full color photos that visually present the Thai capital as never seen before. Bangkok Inside Out represents a new way of looking at contemporary Bangkok and Thailand. Existing books on Thailand tend to focus on traditional culture, history and landscapes, or on tired cliches and seedy accounts of the city's notorious nightlife. Bangkok Inside Out breaks new ground by addressing contemporary urban Thai culture at street level and offering entertaining insights into the colorful, complex reality of modern Bangkok life.