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Copyright�1998, The NESSThai
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Network for Environmentally- & Socially-Sustainable Tourism (Thailand) |
All the guide books described below can help you to get more out of your travels to Thailand. None could be said to be truly comprehensive, however, so perhaps it's best to mix and match your needs with a couple or more of those listed. And, if you've come across some other books you liked to use, let us know about them and tell us what you think about the listed books too!
"Lonely Planet: Thailand's Islands & Beaches" by J. Cummings and N. Goncharoff, 1998. 443 pp. Available at Asia Books and other bookstores throughout Bangkok. |
Lonely Planet: Thailand's Islands & Beaches A more specialised guide book in the Lonely Planet series. The cover says it all...... this book will satisfy anyone with a dream of crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, and a laid-back lifestyle. There are plenty of places where one can find all those things in Thailand, and this book gives the kind of general accommodation and travel guidelines to get backpackers to those places. Dive services are well-covered in the write-ups on the different destinations. There is also a good section on the marine environment, and the culture of the Southern Region of Thailand receives more extensive coverage than in the Lonely Planet Guide to Thailand. Nonetheless the criticisms of a certain superficiality which apply to the Lonely Planet Guide to Thailand may also be applied to this guide, and serious divers and students of the history and culture of Thailand would be advised to look to more than just this one book as a companion to their travels. |
"Lonely Planet: Thailand" by J. Cummings, 1997. 849 pp. |
Lonely Planet: Thailand The Lonely Planet series has a well-deserved reputation for providing extensive details of accommodation, restaurants, and travel arrangements to reach most places in the world. Its guide to Thailand is no exception. However, readers who end up spending perhaps more than a few weeks in any one area of Thailand may feel that the descriptions and recommendations never quite get beneath the skin of most of the destinations described. |
"Waterfalls & Gibbon Calls: Exploring Khao Sok National Park" by T.Henley, 1996. Available at Asia Books and at the National Park Centre at Khao Sok. |
Waterfalls & Gibbon Calls: Exploring Khao Sok National Park This guide to Khao Sok National Park is a unique introduction to a wonderful national park in Southern Thailand. The interpretive trail is described with great attention to detail; to both the extraordinary and mundane. The book also includes descriptions of the many other trails in the park. Species lists for the park are included, as is a map showing trails, contact details for accommodation, and plenty of sensible advice on what to take with you and how to avoid the dangers of a tropical forest walk. I particularly value this guide for not setting up false expectations of what one will see on a walk in this area. An ideal companion for any stay at the Khao Sok National Park, and a temptation to stay for many days. |
"Blue Guide to Thailand" by G. Pattison and J. Villiers, 1997. 447 pp. |
Blue Guide to Thailand The Blue Guides are known for their attention to the culture and history of a place. If you have more than a superficial interest in these aspects of Thailand, then this book is a must. It would serve well as a companion to the Lonely Planet Guide. The LP Guide being a great place to find out about how to get to places and where to stay, and the Blue Guide going more deeply into what you can see when you are there. For the independent traveller who can rent a car, or for walks in the towns and cities, the Blue Guide contains some suggested routes with descriptions (and explanations) of what you will encounter along the way. Well written and absorbing. |
"Thailand" by Archipelago Guides, 1994.Available at Asia Books and other bookstores throughout Bangkok. |
"Thailand" by Archipelago Guides More an interpretive guide than a collection of facts about a place. This beautifully presented and colourful guide is lacking in practical information on accommodation and transportation, and what information it has is aimed at up-market travellers. Nonetheless, its fascinating "studies" on particular aspects of history, culture, the natural world and so forth, and its convenient size make it a worthwhile travel companion. This guide has tremendous numbers of photographs, drawings and paintings of historical figures, musical instruments, religious and vernacular architecture of the different regions etc., listed under a series of thematic presentations. Themes include: nature, arts and traditions, and Thailand as seen by painters.� A pleasure to dip into before and after you have been to Thailand, and a wonderful guide to particular places - it also contains itineraries based on particular themes. Very strong on Bangkok, it also contains brief but interesting descriptions of most of the key cities and tourist destinations of the Kingdom. |
"South-East Asia on a Shoestring" by Lonely Planet, 1997. 1017 pp. |
South-East Asia on a Shoestring Another guide book in the Lonely Planet series, but with a particular emphasis on meeting the needs of the real budget traveller. This guide has a relatively brief section on Thailand, and is more use to someone travelling through several countries in Southeast Asia fairly rapidly, than to someone intending to spend a while in any one area. |
"Footprint: Thailand Handbook" by J. Elliot, 1997. 720 pp. |
Footprint: Thailand Handbook Not as extensive or as comprehensive in its descriptions of accommodation etc. as the Lonely Planet Guide, the Handbook does provide other joys. Boxes scattered throughout the guide provide insights into some of the more curious or significant aspects of Thailand's history and culture. Historical and cultural facts are presented in detail at the descriptions of the location. This guide is fun to read as one travels from place to place, and also a pleasant arm-chair travel guide or teaser for future ventures into Thailand. |
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