When one hears the word “Tuttle,” the first thing that comes to mind if you’re into Asian history and martial arts is Tuttle Publishing which is “regarded as the premier publisher and seller of books rooted in Asian culture.” Over the years, they have brought to light thousand of titles with diverse topics, especially ones about Japan. But with time, they have spread their interest in other Asian nations (plus Australia and the USA), including Thailand.
Tuttle’s latest addition to their growing backlist of books about the Land of Smiles is “A Geek in Thailand. Discovering the Land of Golden Buddhas, Pad Thai and Kickboxing” (2016, 160 pages) by Jody Houton. The book is actually part of a collection for “geeks” which started in 2011 with a “Geek in Japan. Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony” which was followed in 2014 by “A Geek in Korea. Discovering Asia’s New Kingdom of Cool.”
By just reading the titles in this “franchise” the reader can easily guess the kind of book they’re going to read. Published in excellent conditions, with shiny pages in full colors and paperback with flaps, Jody Houton stayed true to the first two books and has delivered an entertaining, light-hearted, and informative coffee table book. Packed with hundreds of colored photographs, tidbits of information, and great articles and interviews, “A Geek in Thailand” shows the good, the bad and the ugly of Thai culture and civilization.
Written in a very personal style by an expatriate who has been in Thailand for years and has navigated the job market extensively, this book has the potential of becoming a cult book, just like Philip-Cornwel Smith’s “Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture.”
After a bit of “Harmony, Disorder and Smiles” in which Jody Houton tells us about how he got to call Thailand his second home, we move on to the meaty part of the book. “A Geek in Thailand” is divided into 7 chapters, each dealing with a particular aspect of what “Thai” really means. There’s basically something on everything, from Thai history and culture to food and craftsmanship, with everything you can possibly think of in between.
There’s a strong interest in Thai popular culture, with excellent insights into Thai movies, music, and theatre, as well as the dichotomy between the proverbial Thai politeness and the reality of foreigners working in office jobs in Thailand. What gives even more power to Houton’s book are the interviews he has conducted with leading members and game changers of Thai contemporary society. Foremost are the interviews with Kong Rithdee, a well-known Thai film critic, or Ajarn Aum, a fashionable lady who “prepares Thai women, and a few Thai men, for a career in the sky.”
So, who’s this book about Thailand for?
You will be surprised how, even if you’ve been in Thailand for more than a decade, you’ll still find tons of intriguing facts about Thailand that you didn’t know. For example, did you know that there are also a (very) few foreigner-registered recue workers who serve in the greater Bangkok area?
If you’re a tourist who has just gotten off the plane or are a newbie who’s been in Thailand for just a few months (and think you know it all!), then go straight to the bookstore and get “A Geek in Thailand.” It’ll save you from getting into too much trouble (as you probably would) and even more, save everyone’s face…
Are you Thai and do you have a good grasp of the English language? Then this book should also be on your coffee table. Don’t assume that just because it’s your country and that the book was written by a foreigner, it is not worth reading. I challenge you to read it and I guarantee that, by Chapter 2, you would have already learned tons of new things about your own country.
The amount of information available in “A Geek in Thailand. Discovering the Land of Golden Buddhas, Pad Thai and Kickboxing” by Jody Houton is so abundant that it is best you read the book over a few sittings. That way, you’ll be able to muse over the wonders of Thai life and, once you’re done digesting it all, decide by yourself if you are also a geek in Thailand.
The book is available at Asia Books and Kinokuniya bookstores as well as on the publisher’s website and Amazon. If you want to see what else Jody Houton writes about, visit his website or follow him on Twitter.
Photography by Nootchada Cham
