How does one really judge the entertainment value of a book? Timothy Hallinan’s book in the Bangkok Fiction genre, The Queen of Patpong (2010, ISBN 978-0-06-167226-2), caused us here at WoWasis to ask, and here’s why. We finished this 312 page book, the latest update in the ongoing saga of travel writer Poke Rafferty and […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Crime Scams & Espionage' Category
Thai Prisons: Inside the belly of the beast via the ‘Thai Prison Life’ website
Bangkok’s Samut Prakan Prison One of the more fascinating museums in Bangkok is the Mahachai Prison Corrections Museum, but of course, prisons are only fascinating to those that aren’t living in them. We recently ran into a remarkable website run by Richard Barrow, who has befriended many prisoners in Thai prisons, most notably Panrit “Gor” […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Longstreets’ ‘Yoshiwara: City of the Senses’ of Tokyo
Yoshiwara was a district in Tokyo famous for adult entertainment options. Formalized in the 17th century, it thrived as a sex center until 1958, when prostitution was officially banned in Tokyo. Published in 1970, Stephen and Ethel Longstreet’s Yoshiwara: City of the Senses (no ISBN) is a history of the district, its culture, practices, and […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: North Korean Gulag… The Aquariums of Pyongyang
For anyone wishing to know more about what goes on behind the scenes in North Korea, Kang Chol-hwan’s The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag (2000, ISBN 0-465-01102-0) is a must- read. Kang’s expat North Korean family became wealthy in Japan and had a good life. At the urging of his […]
Read the rest of this entry »Another man lives in my apartment with me and my girlfriend
The Good Manner: Advice on Thailand from WoWasis’ Pa Farang This week’s dilemma: Another man lives in my apartment with me and my girlfriend Dear Pa Farang, My Thai lady and I are still getting used to each other, even after living together for a couple of years. Last month, I got a surprise: her younger […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Steve Raymond’s ‘Poison River’
Here at WoWasis, we’re aware of lots of reasons why you don’t want to get thrown in jail or prison in Thailand. When you do, you’re at the mercy of an unbelievable amount of corruption and bribery practices involving prison authorities, police, your own lawyers, and the justice system itself. As a foreigner, a great […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Frank Visakay’s ‘Jasmine Fever’
In the experience of those of us here at WoWasis, most expat writers who have complimentary things to say about Thai women contrast them with disparaging views of Western women in general and Yank women in particular. Frank Visakay, a former New York chef, has penned a book that’s a hoot for guys who love the […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Dean Barrett’s ‘Permanent Damage’
It’s never easy getting Dean Barrett, author of a surprisingly vast array of books on Asian subjects, away from his favorite haunt at Bangkok’s Chao Phya 2. That’s why we here at WoWasis were pleased that he found time to pen another book in his Scott Sterling mystery series, Permanent Damage (2010, ISBN 978-0-9788888-2-4). At […]
Read the rest of this entry »Russia invades Thailand: Big-bellied shock troops wearing thong bikinis storm Thai beachfronts
An estimated 200,000 Russian and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) tourists have come to Thailand within the last 60 days, spurred by tourism incentives directed toward Russia by Thai tourist groups and agencies. Veteran travelers to Thailand have long noted a strong Russian presence in the seaside city of Pattaya, but large Russian tour groups […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis on censored & pirated books in Vietnam: Why you’ll probably want to buy elsewhere
Want to buy books while traveling in Vietnam? While you’ll have no problem finding books on Vietnamese art and culture in its many bookstores, you’ll find almost nothing on its wars, politics, or society, and precious little Vietnam-related fiction. The two main reasons for this are governmental restrictions on imported literature, and the prevalence of […]
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