Thai culture – Tom Vater

Pleasures of the Flesh – and the Mind, in The Economist Podcast

June 1, 2022June 24, 2022tom

A museum tells the history of one of Bangkok’s notorious districts – Patpong has hosted artists, spies, serial killers and sex workers. “There’s a lot more to Patpong than sex,” Michael Messner says. The district lies east of the Chao Phraya river in Thailand’s capital city; two parallel streets host night markets, bars, clubs and […]

From the Archives: The real Phuket – Tom Vater reports on the Vegetarian Festival for Fortean Times

October 20, 2012October 20, 2012tomLeave a Comment

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 […]

Ron Gluckman’s full review of Sacred Skin

December 3, 2011December 4, 2011tomLeave a Comment

Roving Asia expert Ron Gluckman recently reviewed my book Sacred Skin for the Wall Street Journal. His review was shortened for the Journal publication but has now turned up in its full length glory on Ron Gluckman’s website. The review also covers another soon to be published book on the same subject, by Bangkok journalists […]

Tomorrow’s Bangkok Noir – The Windup Girl

April 27, 2011April 27, 2011tomLeave a Comment

The definitive Bangkok novel has not been written yet. But The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, a dark and fast-moving Sci-Fi novel set following the reign of Rama XII, gets pretty close. Local hacks should take note – this 500 page tome is light years ahead of the rather tepid Bangkok Noir genre. The dystopian […]

A State of Trance – Khong Khuen – Thailand´s Sacred Tattoos on Youtube

April 3, 2011January 28, 2018tomLeave a Comment

Visionary World Publisher Hans Kemp has created a short film on Khong Khuen, the trance state entered by Sak Yant (Thai Spirit Tattoos) devotees at the anual Wai Khru festival at Wat Bang Phra, a Buddhist temple west of Bangkok, last month. Watch and marvel and travel to the very heart of Thai culture, far […]