THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Among foreign authors, Thailand is a byword for sleaze

Among foreign authors, Thailand is a byword for sleaze

Setting aside the occasional hysterical reaction by the Thai government to international press reports, I wonder if the Thai public is aware of the low opinion shown by authors around the world towards Bangkok in particular and Thailand in general. 

As a man who views television as a total waste of time, I read for both entertainment and education, finding pleasure in authors from many countries. Many of these authors have a very poor regard for standards of morality in Thailand. Almost all the Thailand-focused American, British, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Irish and Spanish novels I read discuss police failings, government corruption, illegal sexual entertainment, drug involvement and the ability of criminals to remain anonymous and act with impunity. Both John Burdett and Stephen Leather write whole books unveiling ineptitude, sleaze, corruption, pollution, prostitution and assorted criminal activity in Thailand. 
Living up to this reputation can’t be easy, but the steady flow of factual stories creating headlines in Thai newspapers show that many individuals are doing their best.
Lungstib
Chiang Mai 

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