Thailand

Bangkok 8, by John Burdett (2003). This crime thriller paints a vivid, unsentimental, and empathetic picture of Bangkok's gritty street life, with an insider's understanding of its workings and motivations. Its narrator is an original voice in the noir genre: Thai detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep, a world-weary Buddhist cop whose mother is a Thai ex-prostitute and unknown father an American G.I. The plot stumbles at the end, but readers should enjoy the wild ride getting there.

The Dream of a Thousand Lives: A Sojourn in Thailand, by Karen Connelly (1993). After moving from Calgary, Canada, to Denchai, Thailand, for one year, Connelly's life is consumed by torrential rains, swampy jungles, and Buddhist ways. Her journal-style narrative chronicles her journey as she travels from Denchai to Chiang Mai and Bangkok, and as she struggles to understand and become a part of rural Thai life.

Jasmine Nights, by SP Somtow (1995). This delightful novel by Thai-born, Eton-educated Somtow illuminates Thai culture through the eyes of a 12-year-old Thai boy, who becomes friends with an African-American boy in 1960s Thailand.

Sightseeing, by Rattawut Lapcharoensap (2005). A collection of short stories by this award-winning Thai-American author deals with modern Thai culture and its interaction with Western people and ideas.