Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture

This pioneering insight into contemporary Thai folk culture delves beyond the traditional Thai icons to reveal the casual, everyday expressions of Thai-ness that so delight and puzzle. From floral truck bolts and taxi altars to buffalo cart furniture and drinks in a bag, the same exquisite care, craft and improvisation resounds through home and street, bar and wardrobe. Never colonized, Thai culture retains nuanced ancient meaning in the most mundane things. The days are color coded, lucky numbers dictate prices, window grilles become guardian angels, tattoos with their hidden meanings are prevalent among the population. Philip Cornwel-Smith scoured each region to show how indigenous wisdom both adapts to the present and customizes imports, applying Roman architecture to shop houses, morphing rock into festive farm music, turning the Japanese motor-rickshaw into the tuk-tuk. Beautiful color illustrations help you navigate various social traits, whether they are white-faced hi-so matrons or Red Bull-swilling workers wearing coins in their ear.  

Publisher: River Books

Date Published: 2005

Book Condition: Near fine hardcover with some minor edge wear and bumping to covers

ISBN: 9749863003