My Thai Girl and I
How I found a new life in Thailand
Andrew Hicks

Format: Paperback 250 pages
Date of publication: March 2008
Publisher: Konstrukt Books
ISBN: 9789749898901

"This is how I met Cat, a 'Thai girl' half my age and how we set up home together out in the rice fields of North Eastern Thailand."

"I'll tell you of toads in the toilet, of ants' eggs for breakfast, how we took up frog farming and how I got married without really meaning to."

"It's also a book about the countryside, of the old Thailand where the rhythm of the seasons and belief in the spirits and Buddhism remain strong."

"Though how could I, a greying English lawyer, ever fit into the lives of a Thai rice farming family? Can Cat and I with our many differences really be compatible?"

"If you're curious to know what it's like to start a totally new life as I did, to slow down and 'go with the flow', I'm sure you'll enjoy reading the story of 'my Thai girl and I'."

Andrew Hicks

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I would expect a book by someone who calls his wife a "girl" might be a bit dubious?:

Ian

quote:

Originally posted by IanB:
I would expect a book by someone who calls his wife a "girl" might be a bit dubious?:

Ian

Why?

That is the singular

Jack

I think its patronising to call a woman a girl. We all do it sometimes, but Thai women in particular deserve to be treated as adults.

Ian

quote:

I would expect a book by someone who calls his wife a "girl" might be a bit dubious?:

His last book Thai Girl was ok, not a great piece of literature. the title for his new book appears to follow on from this title.

but lets keep on topic here guys, this area is really only meant for book reviews or discussions on issues raised within a book.

here is the first chapter for starters

Thanks for all the attention folks. I'm positively glowing with appreciation.

Not so long ago I had a letter published in the Bangkok Post saying that I thought that their article which referred to 'Thai girls' was demeaning to Thai women.

As my novel was about a romance between Ben, a Brit and Fon, a Thai, I was going to call it, 'English Boy'. But they refused to publish it unless I changed it to THAI GIRL.

I felt this was justifiable because the book really does consider the nature and status of Thai womanhood and Emma tells Ben off for calling them Thai girls, which he readily concedes.

MY THAI GIRL AND I is a much less justifiable title. Its aim of course is to refer back to the novel, but to be honest, what else was I to call it? "Five Years in The Boondocks"? "A Dream of Dusky Maidens"? "Living an Impossible Dream"?

It really isn't easy to find a marketable title that offends nobody.

What matters most though is the content. You'll just have to read the book to decide whether its author is sexist and an unreconstructed and unmitigated male chauvinist pig. Then you can post a message and say what you think on this score!

I look forward to it.

Andrew Hicks

Andrew

I enjoyed "Thai Girl" but although it seems a long time ago that I read it, I seem to remember that the ending was, although the only possible realistic outcome, kinda disappointing.

I am looking forward to reading this too though.

I am looking frorward to reading it too.

It will be a while though as its not yet available on amazon.

Even Thai Girl is difficult to get on Amazon the most expensive copies are over £100 on both .co.uk and .com.

I think you need a half decent european distributer Andrew. Heck send over a few boxes of both I'll flog them for you.

Richard

Couldn't even find it in the usual stores when in LOS a few weeks back.

Both THAI GIRL and MY THAI GIRL AND I should be well stocked in shops throughout Thailand. I've just supplied Asia Books with over 2,000 copies just over a month ago. (I'm available on arhicks56@hotmail.com if you have any problems finding a copy.)

Amazon charges £100 for THAI GIRL?! Cheap at the price!

A Google search shows loads of online booksellers who will supply THAI GIRL. Try www.monsoonbooks.com.sg who publish it in Singapore.

Or both books are available from www.asiabooks.com for mailing worldwide.

As to the ending, just as guava can be bitter-sweet, so can life. So what was THAI GIRL really about? Romeo and Juliet without the coffins perhaps? Or the impact of foreign tourists on Thailand? The sad ending is that Fon is left on the beach sighing for handsome farang Ban who having stolen her heart may never come back for her.

It was tempting to put in a slushy ending to make you romantics happy but I resisted. As you say, it's exactly what has to happen at the end of a holiday romance.

In contrast MY THAI GIRL AND I has no ending but it is a happy non-ending as my Cat and I are still out there in the rice fields of Surin.

Hi Andrew - just providing feedback.

Looked in Asia Books (I think thats the place opp. the Sofitel that used to be Bookazine?) and Bookazine in Hua Hin and the latter in Bkk.

Caller

Hi Andrew

Good to see you posting on the site hope you and your family are well. I think that the other posts are missing the point it was obvious to me that you used the title to make a connection to your previous book and its title. What ever happend to the phrase 'do not judge a book by its cover'. I think before anyone comments that they should read the book. Anyone who has not read 'Thai Girl' should read it for I beleive Andrew gives a real perspective to Thailand and its women and the holiday tourist.

Andrew I will be out in Thailand for a month from the begginning of July and am looking forward to reading your new book. Keep living the dream Andrew

Kindest regards

Andy

Andrew,

Thanks for posting, and for your honest explanation of the "girl" thing. Having read your post, I look forward to reading the books (having been married and separated from two Thai women, maybe I can learn where I went wrong!).

Cheers

Ian