Recently, to celebrate their 4th anniversary, Dasa Books in Bangkok has released a list of bestselling books of the past four years. They have not taken into consideration Dan Brown’s most famous book, thus eliminating the “Da Vinci Code factor” which would have topped the lists. For authors, such a list is of tremendous help as it provides the pulse of the local book market, of what’s hot and what’s not.
Bestselling Fiction
In the top 15 Bestselling Fiction, we have not one, but three titles by John Burdett who, obviously, has reach somewhat of a cult status not only in Thailand but also abroad. The three novels are Bangkok Eight (5th), Bangkok Haunts (10th) and Bangkok Tattoo (11th), all of them part of the Sonchai Jitpleecheep series, the Thai Buddhist detective. Actually they are exactly the first three books in the series, which is completed by The Godfather of Kathmandu and Vulture Peak (released in 2012).
Private Dancer by Stephen Leather, another internationally acclaimed writer, comes on a respectable 12th place in the Bestselling Fiction list. For many, this is the quintessential Thai bar girl book.
Making it in the top 30 Bestselling Fiction is Alex Garland’s backpackers’ favourite story, The Beach. Regardless of what you think of the movie, the book is a must-read and, although it was written by a writer who did not live in Thailand, it does make justice to the backpackers’ world. Or, at least, what it used to be when Khao San Road was the no-so-trendy place to go for a cheap room.
Bestselling Authors (Fiction)
When it comes to the overall best selling authors of fiction, Stephen Leather (11th) swaps places with John Burdett (13th). This actually makes sense as, in comparison with Burdett, Leather has written so many more thrillers and spy books (non-Thailand related), which are actually the titles that have made him famous internationally.
Bestselling Thailand Fiction
The Bestselling Thailand Fiction is, unsurprisingly, topped by John Burdett and Stephen Leather, followed by Jake Needham with The Big Mango (6th), Rattawut Lapcharoensap’s Sightseeing (7th), Andrew Hicks’ Thai Girl (8th), Axel Aylwen’s The Falcon of Siam (9th) and, once again, Stephen Leather with Bangkok Bob & the Missing Mormon (10th).
Bestselling Thailand Non-Fiction
The top 20 Bestselling Thailand Non-Fiction list brings no surprises: four prison stories in the top 10, a few books about Thai girls, and some really good history, travel and culture books. Here’s the entire list.
1. Warren Fellows, The Damage Done
2. Janet Brown, Tone Deaf in Bangkok
3. Jerry Hopkins, Thailand Confidential
4. Lawrence Osborne, Bangkok Days
5. Colin Martin, Welcome to Hell
6. Warren Olson, Confessions of a Bangkok Private Eye
7. Jerry Hopkins, Bangkok Babylon
8. Robert Cooper, Culture Shock! Thailand
9. David McMillan, Escape
10. Sandra Gregory, Forget You Had a Daughter
11. Phongpaichit/Baker, Thaksin
12. Warren Olson, Thai Private Eye
13. Manzanares/Kent, Only 13: The True Story of Lon
14. Father Joe Maier, Welcome to the Bangkok Slaughterhouse
15. Holmes/Tangtongtavy, Working with the Thais
16. Carol Hollinger, Mai Pen Rai Means Never Mind
17. Philip Cornwel-Smith, Very Thai
18. Bua Boonmee, Miss Bangkok
19. Phongpaichit/Piriyarangsan, Guns, Girls, Gambling, Ganja
20. Cleo Odzer, Patpong Sisters
If you want to know what’s on the bookshelves at Dasa, you can download a complete list of their current books (as an Excel spread sheet) at DasaBase. This list is updated three times a week. They also post an additional list of books that they receive each day on the bookstore’s website.
