Looking for a good book to help you escape to a faraway place from the comfort of your couch?

Or are you preparing for a trip to Thailand?

Here is a list of 26 popular books on Thailand. The list includes fiction from Thai classics to modern-day thrillers. There are also nonfiction books on the history of Thailand, travel books on Thailand, and my favorite Thai cookbooks.

If you’re looking to learn how to cook Thai food, these cookbooks will make you think you’re back in Thailand.

Leave a comment at the end of this post if you’ve read any good books on Thailand.

So grab a cup of tea (or coffee) and let’s get started!

Books about Thailand: Fiction

1. Bangkok Wakes to Rain

By Pitchaya Sudbanthad  (2019)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Bangkok Wakes to Rain (love the title) is a beautifully written book by Pitchaya Sudbantha. But it requires a lot of patience. It’s unclear what the book is about at first. Is it a novel (the blurb says it is) or a collection of short stories? Each chapter features new characters unrelated to those in earlier chapters, and each chapter is set in a different period. The only thing they have in common is that there all set in Bangkok.

It’s not until part 2 when the characters converge that the novel becomes more interesting. And then it’s not until part 4 that you understand what the whole book is about–a story of Bangkok from its past through its present and into its future.

The writing is brilliant. It’s evocative, lyrical, sparse, and smooth. Sudbantha writes in a way that makes the scenes, characters, and setting come alive. There are lots of characters who we only get to follow for a few chapters, but Sudbantha makes you feel as if you really understand them.

How he tells his story reminds me of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas, which I didn’t enjoy. Both books go back and forth between the past, present and future and both have separate and later converging storylines. I’d like to read more from Sudbantha, but something told more linearly.

If you need tons of action in your novels, this book might not be for you.

2. The Beach

By Alex Garland (2005)

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I’m sure this book needs no introduction, as The Beach is probably the most well-known book set in Thailand. The Beach was written in 2005 by Alex Garland and made into a movie later starting Leonardo DiCaprio. The book is much better than the movie.

For anyone who’s backpacked through Southeast Asia, it just feels like Garland really understands you–your fears and your fantasies.

British backpacker, Richard, is spending his first night in Thailand in a cheap guesthouse on Bangkok’s Khao San Road. The guy in the room next to him commits suicide, but before dying he hands Richard a map to a beach in a secret lagoon.

Richard heads off with a French couple to look for the secret island. They find it and it’s the paradise of every backpacker’s fantasy. But after a while, Richard realizes that there’s a dark side to this supposed paradise.

What I liked about The Beach: The Beach is a fun read. The perfect escape on a dreary winter day. Great characters, stunning setting, descriptive prose, and suspenseful plot.

3. Fieldwork

By Mischa Berlinski (2008)

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I absolutely adored this book when I first read it. I think this is probably my favorite book set in Thailand. It’s got everything I love in a book.

The narrator of Fieldwork, Mischa Berlinski, is a freelance journalist living in Thailand. One evening an ex-pat friend tells him a story of an American-Dutch anthropologist’s suicide in a Thai prison. She’d been serving a life sentence for murdering an American missionary. The story sparks Mischa’s curiosity enough that he goes in search of what led Martiya van der Leun to commit murder. He uncovers the complicated family history of Mariya and her victim, the controversial origins of modern anthropology, and the secrets of the Thai hill tribes.

What I loved about Fieldwork: Exotic setting, lots of anthropology, the clash between religion and science, character-development (I love books that go deep into the characters’ backstories), the mystery, and the author’s observations on life as an ex-pat. And of course, the story.

4. Four Reigns

By Kukrit Pramoj (1953, 1998)

I own this book, but I haven’t started reading it yet. I’ll revise this review when I finish it.

5. The Glass Kingdom

By Lawrence Osborne (2020)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Her husband always used to say that farangs were the ghosts they had to endure in order to atone for their own failures.

The story is about an American named Sarah, fresh off the boat with a suitcase of ill-begotten cash. She decides to hide out incognito in a luxury, albeit aging, high-rise in the center of Bangkok. One day a neighbor invites her to a gals-only poker game. It’s a blast—they drink, smoke ganja, eat lasagna, and swap stories. Unfortunately, the party leads Sarah down a rabbit hole of making bad decisions, underestimating the Thais, and trusting the wrong people.

This is a great book to immerse yourself in and forget that there’s a pandemic going on. It’s pure escapism. The writer’s description of Bangkok makes you want to forget all your precautions and jump on a plane and travel to Thailand.

My main quibble is that none of the characters are well-developed, especially Sarah. It’s not clear what her motivations are. In the beginning, she’s devious and methodical, but as the book progresses, she’s another bumbling, naïve American.

6 – 8. Jimm Juree Mystery Series

By Collin Cotterill (2011)

Colin Cotterill is best known for his Dr. Siri detective series. In the Jimm Juree novels, the setting changes from Lao to Thailand, and the detective isn’t an aging Lao coroner but a young, fearless female Thai crime reporter. What is the same are the whacky but enduring cast of characters and Cotterill’s laugh-out-loud writing. These are the funniest books I’ve read about Thailand.

Killed at the Whim of a Hat is the first book in the series starring crime reporter/amateur sleuth, Jimm Juree.

Jimm is a crime reporter from Chiang Mai. Her family (her eccentric mother, former traffic cop grandfather, and her bodybuilding-obsessed brother (her transsexual sister stays in Chain Mai) is forced to move to southern Thailand when her mother rashly sells the family business for an investment in a beach resort. Stuck in the kitchen of a failing resort, she thinks her career is over. But then the remains of two hippies are unearthed and a monk is murdered, and she’s back to her old life of solving crime.

What I liked about the novel: I enjoyed the strong female lead and her quirky family and friends. The mystery was pretty good. Loved the George Bush quotes at the beginning of each chapter. You’ll enjoy this book if you liked Cotterill’s Dr. Siri novels or if you enjoy a good mystery told with a sense of humor.

In Grandad, There’s a Head on the Beach, the mystery hits closer to home this time. A severed head turns up on the beach of the family’s resort. And Jimm Juree must find out who was murdered and why. Both funny and dark.

What I liked about this book: I loved Cotterill’s creative and witty writing. Here’s an example:

“It’s always a bother to decide who to tell when you find a head on the beach. I mean, there is no protocol. And when I say “always” here, I may be exaggerating somewhat because I can’t say I’ve stumbled over too many heads on my morning dog walks. I’d seen body parts in morgues, of course, and accident scenes, but that Wednesday was my first detached head. It upset me that it hadn’t upset me enough.”

Another thing I liked about this book is that Cotterill sheds light on the plight of illegal immigrants and the enslavement of the Burmese on Thai fishing boats.

If you’re interested in reading more about the plight of the Burmese working in Thailand, check out my list of books on Myanmar.

Grandad There’s a Head on the Beach is a laugh-out-loud, informative, and fabulously written book.

The Axe Factor is the third mystery in the Jimm Juree series. Cotterill hasn’t written any more Jimm Juree books since this one was published in 2014. So, I’m assuming this one is the last. It’s disappointing because I’ve enjoyed reading these books.

In the Axe Factor, Juree is still helping her messed-up but lovable family run their failing Thai beach resort. But Juree has taken on a side job working for the local newspaper. Her assignment is to interview a local British expat, a famous crime writer who loves to chop things up with an ax. He seems to have taken a romantic interest in Juree. At the same time, she’s investigating the disappearance of local women.

What I liked and disliked about the Axe Factor: I liked this one the least. It’s got the same fun characters, exotic setting, and witty prose, but the story wasn’t as engaging as the others. I enjoyed the humorous mistranslations at the beginning of each chapter.

9. The Narrow Road to the Deep North

By Richard Flanagan (2014)

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

He believed books has an aura that protected him, that without one beside him he would die. He happily slept without women. He never slept without a book.

Written by Richard Flanagan, Narrow Road to the Deep North is about the building of the Bridge over the River Kwai (also called the Death Railway) by Australian POWs during World War II. It’s not a book about Thais, but it’s about an important event in world history that took place in Thailand. You can visit the bridge today in Kanchanaburi, about 2.5 hours by bus from Bangkok.

The Japanese captors treated their slave laborers (60,000 Allied POWs and 250,000 Tamils, Chinese, Javanese, Malayans, Thais, and Burmese) horribly—starving them, beating, them, and working them to death. No one is sure how many people died. Some people say 50,000, while others say 100,000 to 200,000.

What I liked about the book: Great writing, great history, and a moving story. 

10. Sightseeing

By Rattawut Lapcharoensap (2018)

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I’m not a big fan of short story collections, but I did love Sightseeing. In fact, it made my list of best books I’ve read in 2019 and definitely one of the best books on Thailand. 

Written by Rattawut Lapcharoensap, Sightseeing is made up of seven short stories set in Thailand and except for one story, all feature a Thai protagonist. It’s the perfect book for learning about the real Thailand rather than the eroticized and corrupt one often depicted in books written by westerners.

A lot of the stories focus on the complicated relationship between child and parent. And even though Thais have a stronger sense of filial piety than I do, I could still relate.

What I liked about the book: The writing is brilliant. Powerful. Empathetic. I found myself transported into each story. I could feel the shame, sadness, regret, and longing that the characters felt.

BUT all the stories are sad and painful. Here’s a sample of the various themes: parental rejection, death of a parent, illness of a parent, corruption, and bullying.  I could only read one story at a time. And then I needed to read a different book or watch some TV to give me some hope.

Don’t let these themes scare you off, though. These are moving and important stories.

11 – 16. Sonchai Jitpleecheep Detective Mystery Series

By John Burdett (2003 – 2015)

John Burdett has written six novels in the Royal Thai Detective series. The detective is Soncahi Jitpleecheep, a half-Thai and half-caucasian police detective in Bangkok. When Sonchai is a teenager, he and his best friend, Pinchai, murder a yaa baa (meth) dealer. To avoid prison, his mother makes a deal that sends him to a monastery for six months. At the end of his stay, the abbot of the monastery tells him that in order to fix his karma, he needs to become a police officer. But there’s a catch: To avoid hell, he has to become an honest cop, harder than it seems in Thailand, I guess.

Bangkok 8 (Book 1) starts out with an over-the-top, gruesome murder. An American marine is trapped in his Mercedes with a black python and a swarm of 20 baby cobras. Sonchai is teamed up with a female detective from the FBI to solve the murder of the dead marine.

What I liked and didn’t like: The story is suspenseful. Sonchai is a likable character with a wry sense of humor and an interesting backstory. There’s a lot of fascinating information about Thai culture, especially prostitutes, drugs, prison-life, corruption, etc.

However, the dialogue between Sonchai and the Americans makes me cringe. It’s awkward and unnatural sounding. Here’s a sample: “You lost a lot of blood, pilgrim, we only just got you in time.” It’s like a bad American movie or TV show from the 80s.

Bangkok Tattoo (Book 2) opens up with the murder of an American by a Thai prostitute, Chanya, who also happens to the star prostitute of Sonchai’s mother’s bar/brothel. She’s cut off his penis and then has stabbed him to death.

Sonchai also gets involved in a long-running feud between his boss and the head of the Thai army over control of the drug trade.

What I liked and didn’t like: I have a philosophy about books: life is too short to read crappy books. And this was was one hell of a crappy book. I couldn’t finish it.

I liked Sonchai in Bangkok 8, but in Bangkok Tattoo he’s become a bitter, angry man. Instead of the honest cop from book 1, he’s now running his mother’s whorehouse and helping his corrupt boss run his illegal businesses.

Sonchai has this irritating way of addressing his reader as “farang” (foreigner). He doesn’t use it with humor or kindness but rather with a sneer.

Too many things I hated about this book. A boring plot, awkward dialogue, and a screwed-up perspective on prostitution. Burdett tries to make the Thais appear superior to farangs, but instead, the Thais come across as unlikeable, rude, and cruel.

In Bangkok Haunts (Book 3), Sonchai receives a snuff film featuring the murder of an ex-lover. He teams up with the FBI again (I can assume more awkward dialogue and stereotypes) to solve the mystery. His corrupt boss also assigns him to help start a porn film business.

I was so turned off by Burdett’s Bangkok Tattoo that I haven’t read this one.

In Godfather of Kathmandu (Book 4), Sonchai is sent to Kathmandu to mediate a dispute between his boss and his boss’s arch-rival over his boss’s illegal business. However, Sonchai’s personal life has taken a turn for the worse and he’s more interested in following a Tibetan lama than taking care of business or solving crime.

What I liked and disliked about it: I read Godfather of Kathmandu before Bangkok Tattoo. I didn’t finish this one either. The mystery seemed to take secondary importance to Sonchai’s search for spiritual enlightenment and the plot never moves forward. I wish I liked this book more because there are so few good ones set in Nepal that you can find in English.

In Vulture Peak (Book 5), Sonchai is in charge of putting togther a sting operation targeting the black market world of trafficking in human organs. The investigation takes him to crazy Chinese twins who run a hospital for harvesting body parts. Again Sonchai finds himself in the middle of the rivalry between his corrupt boss and the head of the army.

The topic sounds interesting, but I’m not fond of Burdett’s writing, so probably won’t read it.

In Bangkok Asset (Book 6), Sonchai is teamed up with a female partner. They’re up against the CIA and their superhuman creation. Their investigation takes them to the Cambodian jungle compound for American former soldiers where they discover a horrible secret coverup by the American government.

I haven’t read this book, and I probably won’t. It’s also received a lot of negative reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.

17. The Suspect

By Fiona Barton (2019)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Suspect by Fiona Barton is a book you should read after visiting Thailand and not before. Or else, you might not go. But read it! It’s hard to put down. Once you start, you’ll forget about all the things you should be doing and instead read until you find out what really happened to Rosie and Alex.

Every parents’ worst nightmare comes true. Rosie and Alex, two eighteen-year-old British girls, head off to Thailand. Two weeks into their trip, they fail to call home. A week passes and worried sick, their parents contact the police. They’re told not to worry. The girls are probably too busy having a good time to call. But then gradually it’s revealed that there is every reason for the parents to be worried. 

Why I liked The Suspect: A very suspenseful and fun read! I liked reporter, Kate Waters. I found it easy to imagine myself in the position of the characters.

Books on the History of Thailand

18. A History of Thailand

By Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit

Written by Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit, History of Thailand focuses mainly on modern Thai history from the early 1800s to the modern day. It briefly covers the history of Sukothai and Ayutthaya. If that’s the period of history that you’re most interested in, then this is a great book for you. It’s gotten great reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

I own this book, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet.

19. A History of Ayutthaya: Siam in the Early Modern World

By Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit (2017)

A History of Ayutthaya covers the history of the kingdom from the thirteenth century to its end. The authors draw on both old and new sources to write this comprehensive history of Ayutthaya. They also present a theory on why Ayutthaya collapsed that is different from what traditionally was thought

As a history and archaeology nerd, I’m dying to read this book. I’ve only read a sample of it and I’m intrigued. I’ll keep this post up-to-date when I finish it.

Books about Thailand: Cookbooks

If you’re looking for a good cookbook that’s going to help you cook some amazing Thai food, then check out one of these books. I have used all of them at least once.

20. Hot Thai Kitchen: Demystifying Thai Cuisine with Authentic Recipes to Make at Home

By Pailin Chongchitnant (2016)

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Hot Thai Kitchen is one of my top two favorite Thai cookbooks. I love using it along with her fantastic videos that you can find on her website, Hot Thai Kitchen. In fact, each recipe in the book has a code you can scan that’ll take you directly to the video.

What the cookbook does is give you lots of background information on the food and recipes. You’ll learn about why certain ingredients are used, when best to add them to the dish, and which ingredients you can leave out or substitute with others. 

Palin is also a great teacher. Her instructions and explanations are super clear.

Finally, every one of her recipes has turned out wonderfully. Especially her curries.

Buy it, especially if you’re a novice Thai cook or if you want to delve into the cuisine more deeply.

21. Simple Thai Food: Classic Recipes from the Thai Home Kitchen

By Leela Punyaratabandhu (2014)

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Simple Thai Food is my other favorite Thai cookbook. Even if you haven’t cooked Thai food before, you can easily follow the recipes.

Nearly every recipe I’ve used has worked perfectly. She has a Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Thom Kha Gai) recipe and a Green Papaya Salad recipe that are both to die for.

In order to cook her recipes, you need to have access to galangal root, kaffir lime leaves, and lemon grass.

22. Bangkok: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Thailand

By Leela Punyaratabandhu (2017)

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Leela Punyaratabandhu’s second cookbook, Bangkok: Food and Stories from the Heart of Thailand, focuses solely on Thai cuisine from Bangkok. You’ll find recipes for street food, royal Thai cuisine, classic dishes, and dishes unfamiliar to the average non-Thai.

The recipes here are much more complex than those found in Punyaratabandhu’s first cookbook, Simple Thai Food. You’ll find recipes with a list of ingredients a mile long and ingredients you’ll have a hard time finding outside of Thailand (pandan leaves and limestone paste). It was the first time I saw a recipe for both coconut cream and coconut milk. It’s easy to find coconut milk but not cream.

If you have little or no experience cooking Thai food, skip this one and stick with her other book. But for those of you with lots of Thai cooking experience, her second book is fascinating but challenging.

Almost every recipe comes with a photo and a story of the history of the dish or the way her family cooked the dish.

23. Pok Pok: Food and Stories from the Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand

By Andy Ricker (2013)

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Have you eaten at the popular Pok Pok restaurant in Portland? I have, and it’s the best Thai restaurant I’ve been to in the U.S. The food is northern Thai. In Pok Pok, you’re not going to find the typical curry dishes that you normally find in Thai restaurants.  This cookbook is based on the dishes from that restaurant.

For home cooks not in Thailand, Pok Pok isn’t so useful. The recipes are too complicated and it’s hard to find some of the ingredients here in the U.S. I tried two salad dishes, and both flopped.

Amazing photos, though. Food porn at its finest.

Books about Thailand: Travel Guides

24. Lonely Planet Thailand

By Anita Isalska  (2018)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The best travel guide for Thailand is Lonely Planet’s Thailand guide. It’s the perfect guidebook for the curious traveler, the backpacker, the long-term traveler, and residents of Thailand.

Here’s what I like about Lonely Planet books compared to Fodor’s: First, Lonely Planet (LP) covers cities and islands more comprehensively than Fodor’s does. Let’s take Ko Chang, an island near the Cambodian border, as an example: Fodor’s devotes 5 pages to Ko Chang, while LP gives it 10 and a half pages. LP also covers more off-the-beaten-path places than Fodor’s does. Let’s look at Ko Chang again. Fodor’s just writes about Ko Chang, but LP also describes the nearby, smaller islands of Ko Kut and Ko Wai. In addition, I prefer how Lonely Planet provides a list of accommodations for every budget level from hostels to luxury resorts. Fodor’s sticks to mid-range and luxury hotels.

Lonely Planet does have some downsides:  I’m not fond of their writing style. I prefer Rough Guides’ more straightforward writing, but I haven’t used their Thailand guidebook, so I can’t recommend it here.

I might be in the minority, but I wish LP gave more background information to individual cities and islands like Rough Guide and Fodor’s do. As a history nerd, some historical information would help me in deciding whether I want to visit the place.

Lonely Planet is not perfect, but it’s the best guidebook for those who want to go beyond the usual tourist destinations.

25. Lonely Planet Bangkok

By Austin Bush (2018)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Lonely Planet Bangkok is an awesome guidebook for those staying in Bangkok longer than two days or those only visiting the city. What I love are all the travel tips, the plethora of cultural information, the walking tours, the lists galore like the best small hotels or places to eat. It feels as if a local wrote it.

I have two complaints: Number one: They need more itineraries. Lonely Planet has only one 4-day itinerary. Why not present a 5-day or 7-day one or itineraries for different types of travelers? Number two: I wish they provided more information on the excursions around Bangkok. Their coverage of places like Ayutthaya and Kanchanaburi is too brief. I’d prefer something more in-depth. Maybe I’m spending two weeks in only Bangkok and its surrounding area. To do that well, I’d need to get the 796-page Thailand book.

26. Thailand: Guide to the Temples of Bangkok, Ayutthaya, & Sukhothai

By David Raezer and Jennifer Raezer (2019)

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Approach Guides has a terrific series of guidebooks covering the historic and religious monuments of different countries. Along with the Thai guidebook, I’ve used the guide to the temples in Cambodia and the one for Bagan and found them useful when there was no tour guide to explain what I was looking at.

In Approach Guide’s Thailand book, you’ll get background information on the art and architecture of the three Thai kingdoms: Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, and Bangkok. I especially like how they point out the different architectural features, which helps you understand what you’re looking at. It really enhances your experience. Another plus is that it identifies which temples to prioritize. This helps you avoid missing out on any important temples.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it: a review of a collection of books about Thailand. I hope this list helps you decide which books to read and which ones to skip. My 3 favorite books are Fieldwork, The Beach, and Sightseeing. If you know of any books not on this list, let me know in the comment section below. If you’ve read any of these books, let me know what you thought of them.

Looking for more books set in Asia?

• Novels about Japan
• Non-fiction books about China
• Books set in Singapore
• Books set in Malaysia
• Books on Myanmar
• Books on Vietnam