Undertow Guides Bangkok

Andrew Douglas grew up in Melbourne, Australia before heading overseas for stints in Brazil, Korea, Japan and of course, Thailand. He currently lives in Hong Kong with his partner, Daisuke. Although this is Andrew’s first book he blogs regularly on cities, design, music and Asian culture at http://ilbonito.wordpress.com/

ABOUT THIS GUIDE: This is not your typical guidebook. You will not find an exhaustive list of every hotel, restaurant and museum in Bangkok here. In fact, you will not even find a list of all the worthwhile ones. Lonely Planet or Trip Advisor can do that for you. And just because something is not in here does not mean it is not worth doing. Go and see the Grand Palace, by all means. Shop ‘til you drop in glossy malls. Party on Khao San Road (if you have not already.) But you do not need us for that. This guide aims to bring to light sides of the city that might otherwise be overlooked: places and perspectives most guidebooks leave out, have never heard of or assume you cannot be bothered to try and reach. Each entry has been selected because it reveals something about the essential nature of Bangkok, and the strange, sometimes secret, things that make it the unique place that it is. Whether it be counterfeit donuts, backstreet Buddha factories, treehouse hotels or bars where you can rub shoulders with bikers, CIA agents or crossdressing rock singers, Bangkok has no shortage of interesting experiences to share. This book will drag you out of the usual tourist comfort zones and send you across the city, deep into the suburbs, up rivers and down dark alleyways. But we will not take you by the hand and lead you all the way. If you have read this far we are assuming you already have something of an adventurous nature. We are just here to get you started. This book is not objective. It was a labour of love, and we hope that you can see that love pouring off of every page. It is a celebration of a city we love, one whose abundant weirdness is part of what makes it so special. The great joy of this city is that it is never, ever predictable. Every traveller has their own Bangkok. We hope that this guidebook will help you to uncover yours – or at least inspire you to get out there and start looking.