Irreverent, informed and downright eclectic books and reportage from Southeast Asia and beyond
Published in November’s issue of Geographical Magazine, magazine of the Royal Geographical Society, was Bangkok based photographer’s Luke Duggleby’s feature on the reviving of Cambodia’s pepper industry after it was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. I traveled to Kampot with Luke to write the story.
One of Cambodia’s best known exports prior to [...]
My new book Sacred Skin, the first English language title on Thailand´s sacred tattoos, Sak Yant, has been very positively reviewed in the current issue of Prediction Magazine in the UK.
“top notch eye candy and fascinating insights…”
Another golden oldie, that old chestnut, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which I covered in 2005 for Fortean Times and several other publications.
Never mind the flash resorts, sleazy bars, high rise condos and MacHolidays on offer on Thailand’s largest and most overdeveloped tourist island. Phuket also has culture. Every year, men and women have their faces [...]
My new book, Sacred Skin, has been reviewed in the forthcoming issue of Bizarre Magazine, available at all quality newsagents in the UK today!
Photograph taken by Kraig Lieb at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport last week.
I am very pleased to announce that I am the new Bangkok expert for The Daily Telegraph.
My intitial destination guide to Bangkok has just gone online - featuring sights, hotels, restaurants, shopping, and yes, even a few tipps on Bangkok’s sometimes notorious, often hilarious and never boring nightlife!
I will be updating the guide periodically, list [...]
England’s uncaring, fractured society is experiencing temporary meltdown this week, with kids as young as seven looting and fighting the cops, while the British leadership and right wing press is frothing at the mouth and talking maximum violence, maximum punishment and zero reflection on why their country is on fire.
Unlike the British establishment, this man [...]
The fantastical Fortean Times, a magazine covering all things magic, esoteric, leftfield and conspiratorial, a great publication I used to write for some years back, has reviewed Sacred Skin.
Their page long run down can be found in the publication’s August issue. Other than TIME’s review (European edition),this is the first UK review for Sacred Skin. [...]
Sacred Skin has garnered its first review on Amazon.co.uk.
The very favorable review describes the book as “a glimpse into the spiritual heart of Thailand mostly denied to even frequent visitors to this complex country”.
When I first traveled around Asia in the early 1990s, I collaborated with the British Library on a long term recording project of indigenous music from the region.
Hundreds of hours of recordings from Pakistan to the Philippines resulted from these travels and they are now deposited with the British [...]
Every day, we appear to be moving a little closer to a state of affairs where governments could become obsolete.
Large parts of the world have always been ruled by people who don’t really qualify as governments, but in recent years, perfectly respectable rulers have also shown signs (not for the first time) that they are [...]