The Legend of the Golden Boat: Regulation, Trade and Traders in the Borderlands of Laos, Thailand, Burma and China (Anthropology of Asia) [Hardcover]

Andrew Walker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0700710744 | ISBN-13: 978-0700710744 | Edition: 1

This book provides a new approach to the study of South-East Asia's northern borderlands. Based on extensive travel in the upper-Mekong hinterland, it provides a fascinating account of the lives of the transport operators, traders, entrepreneurs and government officials who are contributing to the contemporary revival in upper-Mekong cross-border connections. This ethnographic study is set against an intriguing background of war, revolution and reform, providing one of the most detailed histories of the upper-Mekong borderlands ever written. Contemporary developments in the upper-Mekong region are often interpreted in terms of the emergence of a trans-border Economic Quadrangle, characterised by liberalisation, integration and cooperation. The book seeks to go beyond this promotional rhetoric and explore the ambiguities and contradictions in the Quadrangle's development. While some see the Economic Quadrangle's liberalisation as signalling the demise of state power in the borderlands, this study argues that it is providing new incentives and opportunities for collaborative regulation.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (August 16, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0700710744
• ISBN-13: 978-0700710744
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,150,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A new perspective on an interesting region, October 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Legend of the Golden Boat: Regulation, Trade and Traders in the Borderlands of Laos, Thailand, China, and Burma (Anthropology of Asia Series) (Paperback)

After an historical overview of the upper-Mekong region this book provides four case studies that illustrate the growth in cross Mekong trade over the past decade. The case studies examine cross river boat operators, long distance truck and boat operators, long distance traders and the export trade in Lao timber. My favorite was the study of long distance traders, which illustrates how Lao women have come to play an important part in this trade. The study of cross river boat operators is also a detailed ethnographic account of life on the border. The theoretical perspective on regulation (while I did not agree with it at times) provides a productive new approach to the study of national borders. The author's claim that open borders can be more regulated that the closed borders they have replaced is bound to spark some interesting debate. This is a valuable book for those with an interest in the Mekong region, borders and the ethnography of northern Thailand and Laos.

5.0 out of 5 stars An astoundingly good book that wears extremely well, July 5, 2011

By 

Wiwat (Fort Collins, CO United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Legend of the Golden Boat: Regulation, Trade and Traders in the Borderlands of Laos, Thailand, China, and Burma (Anthropology of Asia Series) (Paperback)

I brought this book with me on a trip to Thailand and Laos about 6-7 years ago and I am still reaping the rewards. As a social scientist with a tangential academic interest in this region in which I love to travel, I keep coming back to this book on matters of transportation, commerce and life on the upper Mekong. I learned SO much about what I was seeing from this book. Thank you so much for writing it, Professor Walker.