VERY THAI
Everyday Popular Culture

Philip Cornwel-Smith

Photographs by John Goss

256 pages, 240 x 170 mm

Hardback, 492 full colour illustrations

ISBN 978 974 9863 67 1

This pioneering insight into contemporary Thai folk culture delves beyond the traditional Thai icons to reveal the casual, everyday expressions of Thainess that so delight and puzzle. From floral truck bolts and taxi altars to buffalo cart furniture and drinks in a bags, the same exquisite care, craft and improvisation resounds through home and street, bar and wardrobe.

    Never colonised, Thai culture retains nuanced ancient meaning in the most mundane things. The days are colour coded, lucky numbers dictate prices, window grilles become guardian angels, tattoos entrance the wearer. Philip scoured each region to show how indigenous wisdom both adapts to the present and customises imports, applying Roman architecture to shophouses, morphing rock into festive farm music, turning the Japanese motor-rickshaw into the tuk-tuk. Colour-saturated illustrations help you navigate various social traits, whether white-faced hi-so matrons or Red Bull-swilling workers wearing coins in their ear. This is Thai culture as it has never been shown before.

    Philip Cornwel-Smith is a freelance editor of the Time Out Bangkok guidebook, following eight years as the founding editor of Bangkok Metro magazine. Born in England, he has contributed to Eyewitness, Archipelago, Lonely Planet and Nokia phone guides to Thailand, as well as international magazines and other Time Out guides.

    John Goss is an American artist who works with traditional and electronic media. Residing in Bangkok since 1993, he writes, photographs and travels extensively in Asia.