Books & films for research

So as to set the scene, we recommend watching a film or two before you travel to Thailand. We also recommend taking a book or two to read whilst you travel, to enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the country. Below you will find a list of books, films and TV programmes which we have found both informative and entertaining and we hope you will too.

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Books about Thailand:

  • Bangkok 8 by John Burdett
  • Sightseeing by Rattawut Lapcharoensap
  • A History of Thailand by Chris Baker
  • Four Reigns by Kukrit Pramoj
  • Touch the Dragon by Karen Connoly
  • The Bridge over the River Kwai by Pierre Boulle
  • The King Never Smiles: A Biography of Thailand’s Bhumibol Adulyadej
  • The Narrow Road to the North by Richard Flanagan
  • The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley
  • Jim Thompson: The Unsolved Mystery – William Warren
  • Dream of as Thousand Lives – Karen Connoly
  • The Beach by Alex Garland

Films about Thailand

  • Miss Suwanna of Siam (1923)
  • Hom Rong (2004)
  • The Eyes of Thailand (2012)
  • The Railway Man (2013)
  • Wild Thailand (2013)
  • When Elephants were Young (2016)