Download or read book Land of Smiles written by T. C. Huo and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2000-09-01 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A remarkable story, a courageous performance, and we're privileged to get it.”—Los Angeles Times Set in the 1970s, in the era of the Vietnam War and its volatile aftermath, Land of Smiles tells the story of a young Southeast Asian man's journey from a refugee camp in Thailand to a housing project in Oakland, California.The novel opens with a Laotian boy, Boontakone, who swims across the Mekong River, leaving his old life behind, and losing his mother and sister in the process. In a refugee camp in Thailand, Boontakone struggles to decipher the secret codes of his new life. Huo offers a glimpse into a world as highly ordered and dependent on proper observance of social customs and manners as any created by Jane Austen. Eventually Boontakone and his father make their way to America, where the young man will have to sort out impressions as dazzling and puzzling as the American high school, Superman, and Saturday Night Fever. Balancing a moving account of dislocation and loss with gentle comedy, Land of Smiles is a new classic in the literature of the immigrant experience.
Download or read book Ins Outs of the Land of Smiles written by Chan Joon Yee and published by Dewdrop Publications. This book was released on 2017-08-29 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Move to Thailand? Are you crazy? Some may ask. But in reality, Thailand is an attractive place with great food, cheap medicines, first class healthcare and wellness support and lots of friendly people who really know how to enjoy life. Those who peel surface that most casual visitors and armchair travellers see will discover that Thailand is a lot more than the sex and human trafficking capital as depicted by the Western media. There are very valid reasons why perfectly decent folks are so keen on living there. But ... what happens if the keen Farang settler peels deeper under the surface of the fun and friendly Thai people? Written by author of Spellbound in Chiangmai and Understanding Thailand's Money Culture, this book takes you on a journey from fascination to infatuation, then to realization and finally disillusionment - stages that many foreigners go through when they decide to settle down in the Land of Smiles after seeing all the good things about it. Chapters in the book include: Low Cost Of Living Thai Hospitality & Tolerance Oriental Wisdom Sabai Sabai The Tough and the Geek Reality - Complacency Reality – How Calm Are They? Reality - Education Reality – Belief in Miracles Reality – The Price of Reputation The Real Thai Values Reality – Do You Know Your Rank? Reality – the Gods Themselves The Problem With Mai Pen Rai Mai Pen Rai In Reverse Farang Remain Farang Honesty & Rule of Law It Gets Even More Absurd The Truth – Distaff Attractions Stage One – Infatuation Why Thai Women? Stage Two - Discovery How The Good Girls Do It Impermanence Stage Three - Denial Or Compromise Sneaky & Superficial
Download or read book Land of Smiles written by Jess Kroll and published by Monsoon Books. This book was released on 2013-09-01 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ethan Torrini always knew where his life would lead, but doesn’t know if he wants to end up there. Needing an escape from a stagnant year before re-applying to law schools, Ethan follows his lifelong friend Ken to the small town of Chanthaburi, Thailand, to assist with his online gem selling business and find freedom from the inevitable march to forever. An artist at heart, Ethan is drawn to Chanthaburi’s many beauties, from the river that meanders through town to the glimmering gemstones in the nearby market and to a local woman with coconut-scented hair. For the first time, anything feels possible. Yet as a farang in a town of few foreigners, Ethan can’t comprehend the impact of his every action. A drive through town, a friendly drink with a rival seller, a dinner with a visiting English tutor, a simple pencil sketch … all have consequences that reach beyond Ethan and into the cultural, familial, traditional and financial obligations that dictate the lives around him. Even halfway around the world, there is no such thing as escape.
Download or read book Amazing Thailand written by Brad Walker and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The 38 Million Dollar Smile written by Richard Stevenson and published by ManLove Romance Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gary Griswold goes missing, and his ex-wife wants to know what's happened to him and his $38 million in cash. Religious dilettante Gary and his money have disappeared into Thailand. Gay P.I. Don Strachey is out of his element, and his lover Timmy is way out of his comfort zone as they comb the Land of Smiles for a man with an unerring weakness for the poorest choice possible.
Download or read book Behind the Smile written by Sanitsudā ʻĒkkachai and published by Unknown International ISBN Prefixes. This book was released on 1990 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Collection of articles on difficulties and hardships faced by Thai villagers and suggestions about how to tackle them; previously published in Bangkok post, 1988-1990.
Download or read book The Long Winding Road to Nakhon Nowhere written by Roger Crutchley and published by Proglen Trading Co., Ltd.. This book was released on 2018-05-01 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Facing Challenges in the Land of Smiles written by Emilie Margaret Ballard and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2022-06-23 with total page 67 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Third Verse of the hymn “How Firm a Foundation” describes the author experiences in Thailand. The challenges the author faced have driven her to pray more and seek the Lord’s guidance more earnestly and to realize more and more how God was using them to “consume the dross and refine the gold” in her life. The author was blessed to have help and guidance in working with the ethnic Karens of Burma, then Thailand, and the Karens living in the USA. God used her to help in Christian Education, Healthcare, Women’s Work, in preparation of language lessons, both for those needing to learn the language and for Karens illiterate in their own language.
Download or read book The King Never Smiles written by Paul M. Handley and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej, the only king ever born in the United States, came to the throne of his country in 1946 and is now the world's longest-serving monarch. This book tells the unexpected story of his life and 60-year rule: how a Western-raised boy came to be seen by his people as a living Buddha; and how a king widely seen as beneficent and apolitical could in fact be so deeply political, autocratic, and even brutal. Paul Handley provides an extensively researched, factual account of the king's youth and personal development, ascent to the throne, skilful political maneuverings, and attempt to shape Thailand as a Buddhist kingdom. Blasting apart the widely accepted image of the king as egalitarian and virtuous, Handley convincingly portrays an anti-democratic monarch who, together with allies in big business and the corrupt Thai military, has protected a centuries-old, barely-modified feudal dynasty. When at nineteen Bhumibol assumed the throne after the still-unsolved shooting of his brother, the Thai monarchy had been stripped of power and prestige. Over the ensuing decades, Bhumibol became the paramount political actor in the kingdom, crushing critics while attaining high status among his people. The book details this process and depicts Thailand's unique constitutional monarch in the full light of the facts.
Download or read book The Land of Smiles written by Franz Lehár and published by . This book was released on 1937 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Inside Thai Society written by Niels Mulder and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Geek in Thailand written by Jody Houton and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2016-01-26 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Geek in Thailand is a light-hearted but perceptive look at one of the world's most visited countries from the viewpoint of a young foreign resident. More than just a Thai travel guide, it offers a concise but insightful take on Thailand for tourists, expats, would-be expats, and others--anyone, in fact, with interest in visiting or learning about the Land of Smiles. Packed with short articles accompanied by sidebar stories and interviews and evocative color photographs, the author paints a vivid and revealing picture of a country built on a deep reverence for nation, religion and monarchy, yet with its own distinct, individualistic perspective. Subjects range from the touchstones of Thai culture and history, such as its politics and economy, Buddhism and folklore, to chapters on traditional Thai design and craftsmanship, including its highly acclaimed architecture and fine silk textiles. There are also chapters on the globally popular Thai food and entertainment like kickboxing and cabaret. Chapters on the Thai character and cultural do's and don'ts will allow the reader to go beyond the Thai smile. For visitors to the country, the author includes his top ten things to see and do in the main tourist destinations as well as an account of the main festivals and tips on getting around.
Download or read book Thailand Confidential written by Jerry Hopkins and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2011-05-03 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Wanna stand in the face of a charging elephant, get hit by a motorcycle, eat giant water bugs, blowtorch your mouth on some of the hottest chili peppers on earth, then go watch a sex change operation? Of course you don't, but, happily, Jerry Hopkins has done all that and more--lots more--in this darkly humorous, deeply affectionate, clear-eyed but never patronizing portrait of Thailand, his adopted home. Highly recommended." --Tim Cahill, author of Lost in My Own Backyard, Hold the Enlightenment and Jaguars Ripped My Flesh "After over a decade in the country, Hopkins knows and loves his subject dearly--that much is obvious--and his vivid portrait projects that love from every page." --Jann Wenner, editor and founder of Rolling Stone Magazine "A loving expose of everything that's wonderful about Thailand, and much that isn't. Should be required reading for all newcomers." --Joe Cummings, author of the Lonely Planet Thailand Guide Writer Jerry Hopkins came to Thailand for a visit in the 1980s, and ended up a permanent resident with a temporary visa--a big, white farang haunting the bars and back alleys of Bangkok. His essays explore the mystery and mayhem of "The Land of Smiles" to hilarious--and sometimes disturbing--effect. Travel with him to a place where whisky is rum, water buffaloes are gay, insects are dinner, dildos are lucky charms, and your wildest adolescent fantasies can come true (for a nominal fee).
Download or read book Land of Smiles written by A Maytree and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2008-02-27 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before Bush and Iraq, there was Nixon and Vietnam. It's 1969. The Vietnam War has turned into a meat grinder, 250,000 protesters are marching on Washington to confront a defiant President Nixon holed up in the White House, and Alden Maytree, fresh out of Catholic seminary, has passed his pre-induction physical. Just before Uncle Sam drafts him, he gets a surprise call. Instead of killing commies in Vietnam, how about spending two years next door in exotic Thailand, the "Land of Smiles," as a Peace Corps Volunteer? But when he arrives in Bangkok, he discovers he can't escape the war and clashes with Peace Corps, the U.S. Embassy and the CIA. Land of Smiles is a memoir of one young man's coming of age during the Boomer generation's war-and the painful lessons he and America both learn as they try to save the world.
Download or read book A Bewitching Smile written by Christopher G. Moore and published by Christopher G. Moore. This book was released on 2000 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Bewitching Smile Second in the Land of Smiles Trilogy A Bewitching Smile is reminiscent of A Passage to India in the creation of a kind of psychological DMZ, another Shangri-la with its own ephipanies and perils. The tough-sensitive characterization, and the sharp, often aphoristic dialogue, and the irony, combine to create a powerful drama. In this sequel to A Killing Smile, Richard Breach who is a magician, mystic and world-class card player teaches English in Bangkok. Crosby, his former student, has found an assignment for Breach's talents: a rescue mission. Snow is held hostage in a hill tribe village. Snow's plan to become Lahu godman has failed and his life is at risk. Breach has private reasons of his own -- a dying friend in England has requested a set of ritual shaman's. As the journey progresses to the north of Thailand, another mission takes form: Breach is to play in a high stakes card game. The story is about magic, myth and the power to transform the self. A Bewitching Smile, the second A Land of Smiles trilogy -- confirms the novels of Christopher G. Moore are destined to become a Southeast Asia social chronicle of the 90s.
Download or read book Love on the Rocks written by Simon Los and published by Monsoon Books. This book was released on 2021-03-01 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cold-blooded Thai bargirls, naïve tourists and sordid scams – it was all in a night's work for Pattaya bar manager Simon Los. Pouring their hearts out at the bar are a tourist who reclaims his masculinity with the help of a ladyboy, a retired financier who invests thousands in a business with a woman he meets on the streets of Pattaya, a desperate Irishman who breaks the law in his pursuit of love, a high-net-worth visitor who is traded between bargirls, and many others whose heart strings are pulled to the point of breaking. For years, British expat Simon Los worked the bars of Pattaya. Befriending Thai staff as well as western and local customers, he was privy to the dating despair – and occasional joy – of countless couples. That bargirls would go to such lengths to deceive their farang boyfriends, out of poverty or greed, was not unexpected, but Simon was also surprised to see some of his customers find true love in the Land of Smiles.
Download or read book Private Dancer written by Stephen Leather and published by . This book was released on 2024-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pete, a young travel writer, wanders into a Bangkok bar and meets the love of his life. Joy is the girl of his dreams: young, stunningly pretty, and one of Zombie Bar's top-earning pole dancers. What follows is a roller-coaster ride of sex, drugs, lies and deception, as Pete discovers that his very own private dancer is not all that she claims to be. And that far from being the girl of his dreams, Joy is his own personal nightmare.