Customer Reviews

My Wife in Bangkok: A Romantic Guide to the City

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book portrays mostly just one aspect of life in Bangkok, the sex industry. Some may agree with part of the title of this book "A Romantic Guide to the City", others may not. Rory (the author) calls his significant other his "wife", but also pays money to other women for sex. Although it is a fairly accurate portrayal of the nightlife & sex industry in Bangkok, it does not go too far beyond that. It does however touch on some of the cultural differences between Thai society & the western world such as more emphasis on certain values in a relationship with a Thai woman.

The book is 184 pages but could be read in one day, it is quick reading. The author is NOT an extraordinary writer. This book is somewhat written in a diary style. Parts of the book flow together while other parts seem like just quick excerpts from one day that start on something but leads nowhere. Putting these faults aside, I still enjoyed reading this book & found it pretty interesting. I also found myself reminiscing about certain parts of my holiday to Bangkok in 1998 while reading it. I do recommend this book to anyone who has been or is planning on going to Thailand & enjoys the nightlife.

The book is revealing of a lifestyle in Thailand very different than those found in the western world. I think it is realistic portrayal. The book is dated and therefore not very current. It does not go far beyond the surface and therefore leaves the reader with many questions about the author and about the people who's lives he covers. Since we tend to conceptualize things in order to understand them the book does reveal interesting relationship principles foreign to the west. In the East security often comes before love. It is your wallet that gets committed and than the heart. The book portrays this very clearly. If you have never been in Asia the book will bring to light lives, and cultural nuances that are new to many people in the western world. This book is very light reading. I would say it only scratches the surface and leaves the reader with only a rough sketch of this type of life. It certainly does not represent the average Thai woman. Thailand is a basically two class culture. Most Thai women do not choose a lifestyle of the type revealed in this book.

When will the "farang" (foreigners) save their money and see the real country of Thailand instead of picking up these Patpong prostitutes and risk their health, money, and life? O'Merry must have been drinking too much Singha beer or had too much Bangkok smog in his eyes when he picked up his "wife". Pictures of her in the book would definitely keep most people well away from Patpong

Mr. Merry shows the Thai sex industry as being the best economic option for some Thai women to earn money to educate their children and care for their aging parents. We in the west have our negative moral judgements about women who work in the sex industry. In my opinion, the author's study of Rinzai Zen allowed him to see the lives of the women working in the sex industry with clarity instead of projecting misplaced morality. By living in the slums of Bangkok, the author practices true participatory journalism rather than armchair academics.

Behold, proof that anyone can get published in these days of vanity publishing. What a mess. The book looks like it was written and designed in one day; full of typos, mixed tenses, while void of any meaning or direction. And while the author should be applauded for his candor, he still comes off as a cheap farang utterly lacking a soul. Also, for a guy who claims to be a photojournalist, he shows absolutely no talent for either writing or photography. But the most laughable part is the bio on the back cover, where he claims to have studied Rinzai Zen for ten years. Give me a break. If someone can pursue enlightenment for that long and still willingly support the Thai sex industry, then I humbly suggest the lessons didn't take.

Despite the cover and author's claims otherwise, this is NOT a piece of photojournalism. It is merely a sick attempt to explain away and justify the selfish abuse and misuse of a Thai woman. It's people like O'Merry that allow prostitution to thrive and aid in the slow development of rights and opportunities for Thai women.

I found this book very interesting, if a little out of date (published 10 years ago, bought then). The author really seems to have an attachment for his "wife", even though a) he's paying her, and b) he's not "faithful" to her. again the prices he reports in baht (thailand currency) are NOT current (50% low in some cases).