Bangkok Babylon: The Real-Life Exploits of Bangkok's Legendary Expatriates are often Stranger than Fiction [Paperback]

Jerry Hopkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2006

In the colorful tradition of Hemingway's A Movable Feast, Jerry Hopkins recalls his first decade as a Bangkok expatriate by profiling 25 of the city's most unforgettable characters. Among them are the man thought to be the model for Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, an advertising executive who photographs Thai bargirls for Playboy, an Oscar-winning screenwriter who moved there to die, a Catholic priest who has lived and worked in the Bangkok slums for 35 years, a circus dwarf turned computer programmer turned restaurateur, three Vietnam war helicopter pilots who opened a go-go bar, a pianist at one of the world's best hotels who ended up on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list, a detective who tracks runaways who fake their deaths and a documentary filmmaker who lives with elephants. All of them "escaped" to Thailand to reinvent themselves and live out their fantasies in one of the world's most notorious cities.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jerry Hopkins has published bestselling biographies including No One Here Gets Out Alive, along with books on Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix and was an editor and correspondent for Rolling Stone for 20 years. He is the author of 30 books, including the recent Thailand Confidential. He lives in Bangkok.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Periplus Editions (May 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 079460224X
• ISBN-13: 978-0794602246
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #893,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Off-Beat People You'll Meet--And Like!, August 3, 2006

By 

Sean Bunzick "Sean" (Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bangkok Babylon: The Real-Life Exploits of Bangkok's Legendary Expatriates are often Stranger than Fiction (Paperback)

I got this wonderful book last fall while I was visiting my "second home" of Chiang Mai, Thailand and fell in love with Jerry Hopkins' writing style at once. In this book, he has nailed so many of the "better known" expats in Thailand and done so in a honest way.
I have met some of these expats so I feel right at home with the manner Jerry uses, especially for my favorite author, Jason Schoonover.
With each chapter, Jerry gets into telling details about each man living permanently in Bangkok and why they decided to chuck living in the West to instead become expatriates in Thailand. I felt at home with each and every chapter!
If you want a better insight as to why certain people would rather be in Thailand than their native countries, purchase a copy of this wonderful book at once and have fun with it. I warn you, however, that as you get further and further into it, the more likely you'll be to buy some tickets for the next flight from your home to Bangkok!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DAMN ENTERTAINING, October 29, 2008

By 

Joseph H. Race "Jose Mango" (SAIPAN, MP United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bangkok Babylon: The Real-Life Exploits of Bangkok's Legendary Expatriates are often Stranger than Fiction (Paperback)

What a wonderful, refreshing book about life in Thailand. I've only been there twice, and each time, I do believe I've met some of the characters in Hopkins' book. It almost seems like you're on the next barstool or taking a walk on the beach with the author. He's a natural raconteur, and tells a interesting series of 25 tales about the folks that he's met there, and those that have built long-term reputations. I also like how he displays empathy for the bargirls and for the poor people in general, with everyone trying to survive the best they can. An excellent review of Asian haps and it's great for starting conversations with some of the Asia hands/ex-pats. A good read - I liked it. Looking forward to another series of stories and exploits. Mai pen rai!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely wonderful!, April 11, 2007

By 

John Glines (Bangkok, Thailand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bangkok Babylon: The Real-Life Exploits of Bangkok's Legendary Expatriates are often Stranger than Fiction (Paperback)

As an expat living in Bangkok, I can assure you Hopkins knows this city well, and the characters he describes are the most interesting bunch of characters you're ever likely to read about. Full of fun and panache on the surface, it also has a core of considerable importance: the fact that a person can reinvent him or herself and probably nowhere as easily as in Bangkok. Highly recommended.