Very Thai by Philip Corwel-Smith

This book has been the best depiction of the Thailand and Bangkok that I know.  The photos and descriptions have the local culture down pat.  Buy yourself a copy if you can...it will be one of the best souvenirs of your trip to Thailand.   Philip also contributes to Bangkok101 a magazine that you can purchase or check out online with lots of handy hints and tips and recommendations.....
“This pioneering insight into contemporary Thai folk culture delves beyond the traditional Thai icons to reveal the casual, everyday expressions of Thainess 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 colonised, Thai culture retains nuanced ancient meaning in the most mundane things. The days are colour coded, lucky numbers dictate prices, window grilles become guardian angels, tattoos entrance the wearer. Philip scoured each region to show how indigenous wisdom both adapts to the present and customizes imports, applying Roman architecture to shophouses, morphing rock into festive farm music, turning the Japanese motor-rickshaw into the tuk-tuk. Colour-saturated illustrations help you navigate various social traits, whether white-faced hi-so matrons or Red Bull-swilling workers wearing coins in their ear. This is Thai culture as it has never been shown before.”

Bangkok Found by Alex Kerr

I read many books on Bangkok however I always encounter gaps on a subject I am highly interested in, which is Thai Culture.  Reading Bangkok Found brought me such joy. I felt for the first time I was reading a book that reflected my own questions and thoughts about this city and country I love so much.
"Evocative and incisive, Bangkok Found looks deep within traditional culture to discover how Bangkok is like no other contemporary city. It's the book you read after you've seen the temples and enjoyed the nightlife - and then start to wonder where the mysterious appeal of Bangkok really lies. With wit and a wealth of anecdotes from Kerr's thirty years of experience in Thailand,Bangkok Found,sequel to his award-winning Lost Japan,takes you on a journey to the essential and the quirky, the factual and the mythical. In this series of meditations on the city, old culture meets global fusion in the crossroads that is Bangkok."

Thailand Condensed by Ellen London

If you are looking for some light reading on the history of Thailand then look no further than Thailand Condensed by Ellen London.  This handy book covers 2000 years of history and culture of Thailand in 167 pages. The book is not  heavily laden but lightweight and extremely informative about the Kingdom of Thailand.  Points of interest for me are the Thai calendar - did you know that the Thai calendar is about 12 days shorter than the western calendar and the reference point is Lord Buddha's death 543 years before Jesus Christ.  They also cover Proverbs and Folklore. This book endears me to the country the people and their culture.

BAM - Bangkok Art Map

If you like Bangkok101 and the arts then you will love BAM.

what is bam?

Welcome to the online version of Bangkok's free monthly art resource guide, the Bangkok Art Map (BAM). Thailand's contemporary arts scene has expanded steadily in recent years with new galleries continually appearing across the capital, fuelled partly by growing international interest in Asian art and culture. This rise in the number of viewing platforms has meant greater diversity in the kind of art being presented, along with more exposure to regional and international trends. As the domestic arts scene continues to flourish, so too does the number of Thai artists appearing at major art fairs.  

Launched in May 2007, BAM has quickly defined itself as the city's (if not the country's) definitive monthly arts resource guide, providing both residents and tourists to the Kingdom with the latest information and critical insights into Thailand's burgeoning contemporary arts scene. Published by Talisman Media and sponsored by some of Bangkok's most prominent galleries, BAM keeps you abreast of Thailand's best exhibitions and events, as well as highlighting its most prolific artists.

Presented as a colourful hand-held map, BAM geographically pinpoints the city’s art make-up, enabling users a precise and convenient tool to access Bangkok’s most interesting visual displays. Both the map itself and the circulation numbers have expanded since its inception, with a recent redesign making it more user-friendly, and 15,000 free editions providing greater accessibility and wider distribution.
Whether an experienced collector, emerging artist, or anyone curious about Thailand'’s creative culture, BAM is an essential tool for those looking for professional gallery and curatorial services, art tutoring and workshops, art supplies, picture framers, studio space, print shops, and film processing.    
Free and available citywide in galleries, educational and cultural institutes, art cafés, high-end hotels, and serviced apartments, pick up your copy of BAM and participate in the promotion of art in Thailand. www.bangkokartmap.com

Bangkok 101

If you are in Bangkok - grap a Bangkok101 from the newstand, at 100B it is great value. I love handling the publication and the quality of the pictures and articles exceed my expectations at all times.  The website www.bangkok101.com  is the online version which is packed with realtime information for lovers of this city.  The contributers have been there and are talking about personal experiences.  This is what they have to say about themselves.

Independent and unbiased, Bangkok 101 caters to savvy travellers who yearn for more than what they find in weighty, dated guidebooks. It brings together an authoritative who’s who of city residents, writers, photographers and cultural commentators. The result is a compact and intelligent hybrid of monthly travel guide and city magazine that takes you on and off the well-worn tourist track. We rigorously maintain the focus on our readers, and our ongoing mission is to ensure they enjoy this great city as much as we love living in it.

We Love Bangkok!

This book has inspired me on a number of occasions and has been invaluable. I wish they would publish all their books in english. Alas this is the only one that I am aware of. Check out the Cafe Culture and Chiang Mai guides if you can read Thai. The style & content has influenced my blog and I would like to honour it with my first posting.  It covers all lifestyle options from where to rest your head.  Satisfying your tastebuds and thirst.  Discovering local haunts that are in no guidebooks and all with done with much love. As it attests to in the title. Enjoy your discovery through this book. I never tire of looking at its pages and garnering inspiration from its contents.  www.oomlifestylebook.com