Thailand

by Narisa Chakrabongse

Become a visual explorer through more than 200 stunning images that celebrate the beautiful country, culture, and history of Thailand.
 
For the past three years Bangkok has been the world’s most visited city—and Thailand as a whole is an exotic, accessible, and irresistibly attractive country that offers busy city life, tranquil mountain retreats, historical centers, outstanding beaches, and a wealth of culture. Find out more about this magnificent country, displayed in 200 remarkable photographs. It captures the country’s full beauty, from sophisticated modern Bangkok to the ruins of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, from the beaches of Koh Samui and Ko Chang, to the mountains around Chiang Mai, to verdant national parks such as Kaeng Krachan. Tour Thailand’s most interesting destinations, region by region, stopping in the markets, riding an elephant or a racing tuk-tuk, hearing the story of World War II’s Burma Railway, and more.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2020

Reviews

[Ann Venkat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing - and anyone reading it will feel compelled to visit the country to experience this beauty. The stunning images and detailed information about culture, important sites and history make it a fabulous read. I've always had Thailand on my bucket list, and this book has just brought it to the top of my travel list, so I can see all these items firsthand.
For travelers who have never visited this country, this would be fantastic guidebook so they can make the most out of their visit. Others who have visited before, will want to read this to see what they've missed and plan a future trip!

[Lorena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narisa Chakrabongse, daughter of Prince Chula Chakrabongse, is a Thai author, editor, translator, and lecturer. In this 224-page visual explorer guide, she shares fascinating facts about her home country’s history and culture alongside 200 gorgeous photographs.

There are no maps and the text isn’t detailed enough to function as a travel guide, but this is a wonderful way for armchair travelers to learn more about Thailand. For the more adventurous, this book is certain to inspire travel plans. I’m not much of an international traveler, but this book made me long to see Thailand for myself.

At 6.6 by 4.8 inches, the flexibound paperback seems disappointingly small for such a gorgeous book, which is surely deserving of a larger coffee table book format. I’d recommend sticking with the 11.5 by 8.25 inch hardcover.

Thanks to Amber Books for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

[Karen Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! The most beautiful photographs in this book allowing you to see all over Thailand and seeing just how different each area is! Stunning!!

There's a great mix of the extraordinary sights that Thailand has to offer, alongside insightful text explaining more about the local area and history and it really shows off the contrasts within Thailand, from the hustle and bustle of towns to the peaceful tranquility of the more remote areas. It shows the old alongside the new and features the astonishing engineering feats throughout, none more so than the trains running through the cramped streets.

There's a look at the mountains and markets, the houses and hotels, the wildlife and the nature, as well as the most exquisite temples. And it also shows the contrasts of day and night with more amazing photography.

This is such an extraordinary book and it transports you to Thailand through its' memorable photos and insightful text. Loved it!!

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

With thanks to the author, publishers Amber Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This book contains stunning images and some very interesting history and trivia about the various regions of Thailand. It is not a Lonely Planet style book and does not provide detailed information that a reader might use to plan a trip. Rather it gives a really good introduction to the different aspects of life in Thailand, from the hustle and bustle of daily life in Bangkok, to the quiet serenity of the elephant parks in Chiang Mai, to the idyllic beauty of the beaches of Koh Samui and the other islands.

Having visited there over 20 years ago and experienced many of the delights shown, the book was a wonderful reminder of some of the places I visited, brought back some long-forgotten memories, and left me with a strong desire to return there again some day!

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A commendable pictorial primer for the kingdom of Thailand – and I mean the whole shebang, as it's certainly not focused on Bangkok and little else, as you might predict. No, this takes us from top to tail and all across the country, showing vistas, temples galore (well they had about 29,000 to choose from), the produce in the markets, the customs, and the Jeff Koons-styled trashy but ginormous statues that the religious culture is plonking down everywhere these days. A brief paragraph for each image really helps the intending visitor understand the place, or provides for a souvenir for those who have been, but don't expect this with its high amount of lovely sharp images to be an appropriate coffee table book – if I read correctly it's only a photo-sized little thing, and not a large volume to show the glories of the place off as you might expect.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now is no time to travel, but now is absolutely the time to read books about travel, and look at pictures of far-away places! This book will satisfy your desire for some armchair travel by transporting you, via pictures, to Thailand – a place I will likely never visit because I’d never be able to afford it and, well, there’s a pandemic. But still, Thailand looks like it would be an amazing place to visit, especially when it’s from a coffee table book from the comfort of your own couch while stuck in quarantine. But still, if you are interested in going, or if you’ve been to Thailand, then you will like this book. Thailand does look absolutely gorgeous.

[Rune Oflynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narisa Chakrabongse has published a eye-pleasing comprehensive photo journal of Thailand, the culture and its people. The photographs contained in this book are breathtaking and give a true-to-life portrait of the country. The only thing that doesn't work for me in this book is the author's run-on sentences. However, the content does an amazing job at giving the reader a taste of Thai culture and could serve as a guide when planning your trip to to the country which is both rich in culture and geographic wonders.

[Ceylan (CeyGo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Amber Books Ltd for an advance reader copy of this book.

This is the type of book I generally find myself buying when I’m actually visiting a country, but I think can be a great guide to help plan a trip to Thailand. There are some gorgeous photos ( of some major touristic locations, but also day to day Thailand ) and lots of tidbits of informations that can be useful when planning a trip. I will definitely reference this when I book my next trip to Thailand.

4 ⭐️

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thailand by Narisa Chakrabongse: bought back so many wonderful memories of my holiday's I have spent in Thailand. It has been one of my favourite part of the world to visit and I have been there over a dozen times.
The Photos throughout were amazing, this book was packed with great information about Thailand and it's a great book for someone who would like to visit this wonderful country.

It's an inspiration book and a must have if you want to visit Thailand,

I highly recommend this book. A wonderful find.

Big Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for honest review.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book, with fascinating facts and information on the country and such vivid photography. I have never been to Thailand before, and this book encourages me to do so.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

[Jenn Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this. Gorgeous pictures that capture a wide range of aspects of Thailand's culture, food, people, geography, and more. It made me want to go to all of the places I haven't been AND go back to the places I have.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for honest review.

[Cynthia Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photos in this book were amazing. They were very inspiring and enticing. I have visited Thailand twice already but not extensively. This book made me want to book another trip and see more parts of the country that I have missed so far. The pictures really bring the travel to life.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
This book is full of pictures that are full of the different regions of Thailand. The pictures are full of color and movement. They are a mix of rural/nature scenes and urban/city scenes.
The pictures are beautiful. This book is perfect for anyone who is interested in Thailand or photobooks.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really beautiful visual for those wanting to have a look at the different areas of Thailand - places, food, events and more. A good companion to travel aids.