Letters from Thailand: A Novel [Paperback]

Botan (Author), Susan Fulop Kepner (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 9747551675 | ISBN-13: 978-9747551679 | Publication Date: January 1, 2002 | Edition: Rep.

When the original Thai version of Letters from Thailand appeared in Bangkok in 1969, it was promptly awarded the SEATO Prize for Thai Literature. This new English translation reveals it as one of Thailand's most entertaining and enduring modern novels, and one of the few portrayals of the immigrant Chinese experience in urban Thailand. Letters from Thailand is the story of Tan Suang U, a young man who leaves China to make his fortune in Thailand at the close of World War II, and ends up marrying, raising a family, and operating a successful business. The novel unfolds through his letters to his beloved mother in China. In Tan Suang U's lively account of his daily life in Bangkok's bustling Chinatown, larger and deeper themes emerge: his determination to succeed at business in this strange new culture; his hopes for his family; his resentment at how easily his children embrace urban Thai culture at the expense of the Chinese heritage which he holds dear; his inability to understand or adopt Thai ways; and his growing alienation from a society that is changing too fast for him. Botan (pseudonym for Supa Sirising) is a native of Bangkok, born of Chinese parents. She has published more than ten novels. Susan Fulop Kepner has been translating Thai literature for more than 30 years.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Botan (pseudonym for Supa Sirising) is a native of Bangkok, bornof Chinese parents. She has published more than ten novels. Susan Fulop Kepner has been translating Thai literature for more than 30 years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 412 pages
• Publisher: Silkworm Books; Rep. edition (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9747551675
• ISBN-13: 978-9747551679
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #707,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars << Beautiful epic >>, November 14, 2001

By 

G.S. "Catwoman" (South Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Letters from Thailand: A Novel (Paperback)

This novel depicts the life of a Chinese migrant who escaped the utter poverty of rural China for greener pastures in Thailand. Tan Suang U's story is told as a compilation of letters he wrote to his mom in China in a period of 20 years from his arrival in Bangkok in 1945.

A typical tale of rags to riches.
Typical of many "ugly Chinamen", Tan's observations and criticisms of Thai culture are candid and unrefined but also refreshingly honest. Proud of his culture which emphasis honest hard work and frugality, he is destined to be disappointed as within just one generation, his family's cultural identity is lost.

Botans writing style is fluent, brilliant, vivid and full of color. This book won the Siatu literature prize in 1970 and it is one of very few novels that were translated from Thai.

I know it is out of print for a long time but it is worth waiting and looking for.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating cultural look at Thailand and its Chinese Immigr, August 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Letters from Thailand: A Novel (Paperback)

This is the equivalent of A Bintel Brief which depicts Jewish immigrants to the U.S. The letters are said to be based on an actual Thai-Chinese immigrant's letters to his mother in China, which went undelivered but were read by her postman.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, October 21, 2005

By 

Liang Ming "social worker, reader" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Letters from Thailand: A Novel (Paperback)

An enjoyable and thoughtful story with the structure being letters written from Thailand to China. In the course of these letters the reader learns much about culture, both of China and Thailand, as well as the immigrant experience of Asians within Asia. The story is written in a clear, sincere style that will hold any reader's interest