Settling in Thailand – Book Published

Over the last year I’ve been working on a book and finally this week it has been completed!

Settling in Thailand has been a year long project which I have worked on with Stephen Saad. It has involved traveling to different countries to interview people, writing over 200,000 words (before editing) and spending a lot of time researching but we are both proud to see it completed.

Why Write a Book?

Steve approached me in June 2017 with the idea of writing a book about living in Thailand. Sure there are lots of books on Thai expat life but nothing based on a sensible middle ground of an average expat. Most books focus on the bar or dating scenes or are cultural bibles calling Thailand the utopia of perfection. Steve had the idea of approaching this book as a middle ground where we talk about what day to day life is like for real expats from different countries, working different jobs or even those retiring here.

Steve is already a published author of two Thai language books but wanted to work with someone on this book and I’m delighted that he chose me! I had always thought about writing a book and a few readers had messaged me suggesting an E-book. Although we are publishing an E-book version I always wanted to create an actual paperback of real substance. There are so many 20-50 page E-books on Thailand and I felt that they didn’t offer enough. The dream Steve had matched mine and we have created a 282 page book which we feel does the topic justice without being unnaturally long.

What Makes it Different?

As I said there are already expat books out there so we have made it different from those. By different we feel this is the premium book for expats coming to live in Thailand. Some of the key areas we focused on were:

• Having expat interviews to give a diverse range of views about living in Thailand. As well as two authors there are interviews with 13 other expats, male and female, who are living or have lived in Thailand. They work in many different jobs and come from a range of countries. They all offer significant insight into life here.
• Using real life costs, examples and allowing others to give their opinions on financial matters relating to the cost of living in Thailand etc.
• To give fair balanced views on Thailand. We don’t pretend everything is great nor do we say things are terrible here. We give honest truths and so do our interviewees.
• At 282 pages it has a lot of information without being a Lonely Planet style encyclopedia.

Was it Easy to Write?

In short it hasn’t been easy but I have to thank Steve for his help and assistance as I probably wouldn’t have got through it without him! I have written a guide on my experience of writing and publishing a book in Thailand which includes costs and potential profits.

The whole process has taken just over a year and we have had many hurdles to jump. It certainly isn’t a case of just copying articles from this site and making it into a book. I have used ideas from here and developed new ones as well.

With two authors we have decided to split the book into two sections. The first, written by me, covers the practicalities of life in Thailand. The second, written by Steve, looks more at lifestyle and cultural issues. I’m sure we have both been stressed during the process but we have a very similar view on many aspects of life in Thailand which has made things easier. That isn’t to say that we always agree and there are parts of the book where we have shown opposing views such as when it comes to learning Thai and purchasing property.

Why Are There Two Different Covers?

For anyone eagle-eyed, or perhaps those that searched for the book on Amazon, you will see that there are two different covers available, each with a separate ISBN. I can assure you that apart from the cover, the books are identical.  The reason behind the difference in cover is due to certain conditions of selling in different shops here in Thailand.

If you purchase the book on Amazon you can choose your favorite version. The E-book will come with the cover on the left. If purchasing here in Thailand some shops will stock a certain cover whilst other shops will have the other one. If you see me around and want a copy I will have plenty of both in my condo so let me know which you prefer!

A quick note to say thanks to the friends who helped us to decide on the final cover designs, we really appreciated and needed your feedback!

Who Do You Want to Thank?

There are certainly a few people that deserve a big thank you for helping us along the way.

• Firstly all the interviewees who gave their time and enthusiasm towards this book. Their interviews have added a lot to the book and I’m sure you will love to read them. Some interviewees wanted to remain anonymous but even so you know who you all are so I can’t thank you enough!
• Bangorn Maneekong (Bee) is Steve’s wife and she helped him come up with the initial idea for this book and supported us throughout with help on a number of subjects.
• Wichitra Urairat (Nook) who has helped me to experience so much in Thailand and set up this site with me.
• Phil from Ajarn.com who, as well as being one of the interviewees, helped a lot with proofreading and general suggestions for the book.
• Tako Edson for his great drawings.
• Lertnapa Bongbut for allowing us to use his beautiful photos.
• To all other friends, family and colleagues here in Thailand and overseas who have helped us enjoy life in Thailand and develop the book.

How Can I Read it?

If you know where I live then you can break in and steal one of the 2,000 copies which will be arriving at my place in a few days! If not and you feel like checking the book out then there are a few ways to get your hands on a copy.

If you’re based outside of Thailand then Amazon offers the paperback and Kindle versions.

If you’re in Thailand then you can get the book in major bookstores, including Asia Books, or online here.

Finally you can purchase the E-book directly from this site.

What Do You Think?

We would obviously love to get feedback on the book, positive and negative. I’m sure not everyone will agree with what we have said and that is part of life in Thailand. Send me an email or drop a comment on what you think about the book.