Bangkok Babylon: The Real-Life Exploits of Bangkok's Legendary Expatriates Are Often Stranger Than Fiction

by Jerry Hopkins

Book Overview

In the colorful tradition of Orwell and Hemingway, Jerry Hopkins recalls his first decade as a Bangkok expatriate by profiling twenty-five of the city's most unforgettable characters. In 25 vivid... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 079460224X
• ISBN13: 9780794602246
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Periplus Editions
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

DAMN ENTERTAINING

What a wonderful, refreshing book about life in Thailand. I've only been there twice, and each time, I do believe I've met some of the characters in Hopkins' book. It almost seems like you're on the next barstool or taking a walk on the beach with the author. He's a natural raconteur, and tells a interesting series of 25 tales about the folks that he's met there, and those that have built long-term reputations. I also like how he displays empathy for the bargirls and for the poor people in general, with everyone trying to survive the best they can. An excellent review of Asian haps and it's great for starting conversations with some of the Asia hands/ex-pats. A good read - I liked it. Looking forward to another series of stories and exploits. Mai pen rai!

Expats' lifestyles!

Great book with insights on expats that have spent time in Bangkok. Easy to read short stories. Very interesting stories that tells about the lives of expats and how they became that way. It is definitely a chosen way of life.

Absolutely wonderful!

As an expat living in Bangkok, I can assure you Hopkins knows this city well, and the characters he describes are the most interesting bunch of characters you're ever likely to read about. Full of fun and panache on the surface, it also has a core of considerable importance: the fact that a person can reinvent him or herself and probably nowhere as easily as in Bangkok. Highly recommended.

Brings me back to Bangkok

I lived in Bangkok for a year and experienced many of the things written in this book first hand. Fortunately my wife is Thai and explained a lot of them but this book goes the extra mile and is an interesting and fun read. It's easy to be a "fish out of water" in Bangkok if you're not familiar with the customs and etiquette. This book is highly recommended and Vermonter dot com approved!

The Most Off-Beat People You'll Meet--And Like!

I got this wonderful book last fall while I was visiting my "second home" of Chiang Mai, Thailand and fell in love with Jerry Hopkins' writing style at once. In this book, he has nailed so many of the "better known" expats in Thailand and done so in a honest way. I have met some of these expats so I feel right at home with the manner Jerry uses, especially for my favorite author, Jason Schoonover. With each chapter, Jerry gets into telling details about each man living permanently in Bangkok and why they decided to chuck living in the West to instead become expatriates in Thailand. I felt at home with each and every chapter! If you want a better insight as to why certain people would rather be in Thailand than their native countries, purchase a copy of this wonderful book at once and have fun with it. I warn you, however, that as you get further and further into it, the more likely you'll be to buy some tickets for the next flight from your home to Bangkok!