Books

and 

Books are divided into categories according to subjects. I only read the first one, however. Hence I could not really comment on them. But they look to be very interesting. I select them from so many books listed on the internet myself. Most of these books are quite old, some are out of print. But I'll leave the link anyway. I will keep adding new books and update links.

Thai Royals

• There is a very (I think extremely) interesting book called The Revolutionary King, by William Stevenson. The book is published by Constable and Company Limited. ISBN:0094 7945 0 2. It is about our current king, King Rama IX. I have read the book and I can tell you this book is extraordinary! It's about how our current king came tobe a king, which is a legend in its own right! Anna Leonowens story could not match this true story of the king at all (this part of the book is certainly true because I know this part of history)! It also reveals his extraordinary fight with some powerful generals in Thailand, how he always tried to save the country (or at least help to make things better) from those men, how our previous king was killed because he was in those men's way. etc. This book may be banned in Thailand because of some powerful men that still live today (they are our king's enemies). If you are Thai, you must read this! Bear in mind that the author may have his own agenda. Not all of the book may be true, but I believe most of it is true. This book will motivate you to pick up more study about Thailand. I guarantee it. You can read the book's inside-cover text here. This book is quite hard to find. Buy it from UK store.
• The Ninth Rama ( A Biography of King Bhumibol of Thailand ), by William Stevenson.  ISBN:0094794502 Published by Constable and Company Ltd. It turns out to be the same book as the above.
• The Royal Family of Thailand, by Jeffrey Finestone and HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana of Thailand. ISBN:9748356906, Published by River Books (New Cavendish Books). This book contains the names, titles and dates of over 600 descendants of King Chulalongkorn of Thailand, and of their spouses. More than 400 of them currently form the core of the Thai royal family. This is a significant work of genealogy for an Asian royal house. Buy it from UK store.

Thai History

• Prehistoric Thailand ( From Early Settlement to Sukhothai ), by Charles Higham and Rachanie Thosarat, ISBN:0500974748. A study of the development of early Thai societies. The authors explain how the use of bronze influenced prehistoric societies, and how, when iron came into use, Chiefdoms developed and trade with India and China began, laying the foundations for the civilization of Angkor and Dvaravati States. It may seems a bit academic, but this book is a good read for all types of readers. It has a very good review from amazon. Buy from US store.
• Siam Becomes Thailand ( A Story of Intrigue ), by Judith A Stowe. ISBN:1850650837. How the military came to play a dominant role in Thai politics is the main theme of this work. It also looks at the nebulous period during World War II when Thailand fought a little-known war against the French in Indo-China and then aligned itself with Japan, declaring war on Britain and the USA. I have to add that Thailand was not considered as a nation on the loosing side (one may be surprised, after all war was declared against the UK and the USA) because the declaration of war was carried out by bad generals without the king's authorization. Buy from US store. Or UK store.

Thai Politics & Economics

• China and the Communist Armed Struggle in Thailand, by Tsui,D.C.W. ISBN:0861323432. Buy it from UK store.
• Thailand: Economy and Politics, by Phongpaichit,Pasuk; Baker,Chris. ISBN:9835600244. An overview of Thailand's economy and politics. It plots the transition from rice economy to emerging industrial power, and from absolutist monarchy to one of Asia's most open and lively democracies. Buy from US store. Or UK store.
• The Political Economy of Telecommunications Reforms in Thailand, by Sakkarin Niyomsilpa. ISBN: 1855675412. Buy it from US store or UK store.
• Guns, Girls, Gambling, Ganja : Thailand's Illegal Economy and Public Policy, by Pasuk Phongpaichit, Sungsidh Piriyarangsan, Nualnoi Treerat. ISBN:9747100754 . Gambling, prostitution, drugs, arms trading, oil smuggling, and trafficking in people - these six illegal businesses are large and getting larger. They distort the economy and victimize people. They are increasingly linked together through networks of protection and organized crime. They help to fund Thailand's corrosive 'money politics' and to sustain corruption in the police. In this sequel to Corruption and Democracy in Thailand, the authors argue that control of the illegal economy, especially through reform of the police, is vital for the development of a modern economy and functioning democracy. I think this book is very interesting. Pasuk Phonpaichit has written a lot about corruption in Thailand. Buy from US store. Or UK store

Thai Culture & Belief

• Divination in Thailand ( A Guide to Spiritual Understanding ), by Wales,H.G. Quaritch, ISBN:0700701478. Buy from US store. Or UK store.
• Elephants of Thailand in Myth, Art and Reality, by Ringis,Rita. ISBN:9676530689. This book surveys a wide range of elephant lore in Thailand, past and present. It explains the religious, artistic and literary background underpinning Thai attitudes to the elephant, and describes the real elephants of present-day Thailand, assessing the role of the elephant in Thai life. Buy from US store. Or UK store.

Thai Literature

• Ramakien: Ramayana in Thai style. Although the base story is borrowed from Ramayana. The detailed had been re-wamped in the form of Thai poem. It's a classic read. There are two versions of the poem that I know. One is written by King Rama I. And the other one, written specifically for theatre, by King Rama II. There is also a summary book written in ordinary Thai language. I read the one for the play (3 inches thick of poems) and it was great. Poem always make your mind more imaginative (But it was tiring, especially when I tried to finish it in the last night that I read). I also read the summary book and it is good for student wanting to learn the whole story quickly. I'll put more detail in soon. I have a comment on the story though: the fighting scene is spectacular but quite repetitive. It could have been much better. Our hero had too much advantage over the bad guys, especially with Pipek (who has the ability to see the future) as an ally.  I had re-written (after reading the two books I mentioned) and choreograph a fighting sequence from one episode and would really like to have someone make it into a visual form someday. One thing worth nothing is that many Ramagean episodes are folklore stories in their own right. Those episodes can be read on their own as if not connected to the main story. Buy the book Ramakien: The Thai Epic from US store. Or UK Store.

Thai Folklore & stories

• Thai Tales ( Folktales of Thailand ) - World Folklore Series, by Vathanaprida,Supaporn; MacDonald,Margaret Read. ISBN:1563080966. This folktale collection doubles as an introduction to Thai thought. The 27 stories show many aspects of the Buddhist worldview in action, as well as the range of Thai folklore and culture. They include humorous stories, animal tales, parables of Buddhist monks, and accounts of magical events. Buy from US store. Or UK store.
• Selected Short Stories and Poems from Thailand, by Masavisuth,Nitaya. ISBN:9747047756. The pieces in this collection have been selected from the works of ten contemporary Thai writers who won prizes in various categories in the Southeast Asian Writers' Award. They offer an insight into Thai culture and an introduction to the literary scence in the kingdom.

Thai food & cooking

• The Food of Asia : Authentic Recipes from China, India, Indonesia, Japan Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam (Periplus World Cookbooks), by Kong Foong Ling (Editor), Heinz Von Holzen (Photographer) Buy from US store.
• Taste of Asia ( Authentic Recipes from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan ) - Creative Cooking Library, by Wheeler,Steven. ISBN:1859670091. Buy from UK store.
• Thailand : The Beautiful Cookbook : Authentic Recipes from the Regions of Thailand, by Panurat Poladitmontri, Judy Lew . ISBN:0002550296. This is probably one of the best Thai cookbook you'll ever find. So many people love this book very much. Buy from US store. Or UK store.

Thailand: Ecology & Biology

• Wild Thailand, by Gerald Cubitt (Photographer), Belinda Stewart-Cox, John Hoskin (Contributor) . ISBN:0262193647. A title in a series celebrating the world's greatest wilderness areas, recording their flora and fauna, and confronting the key conservation issues affecting the continued existence of the region's wildlife. This volume covers wild Thailand. The photographs are really well taken. There are many rare animals. If you love wildlife, you should buy this book. Buy from US store. Or UK store.

Thailand: Computer Science

• Algorithms, Concurrency and Knowledge ( 1995 Asian Computing Science Conference, ACSC '95, Pathumthani, Thailand, December 11-13, 1995. Proceedings ) - Lecture Notes in Computer Science - Vol 1023, by Kanchanasut,K.; Levy,J.-J. ISBN:3540606882. These conference proceedings cover topics which include: algorithms; knowledge representation; programming and specification languages; verification; concurrency; networking and distributed systems; and databases. Buy from US store. Or UK store.