Thailand Confidential

"Wanna stand in the face of a charging elephant, get hit by a motorcycle, eat giant water bugs, blowtorch your mouth on some of the hottest chili peppers on earth, then go watch a sex change operation? Of course you don't, but, happily, Jerry Hopkins has done all that and more-lots more-in this darkly humorous, deeply affectionate, clear-eyed but never patronizing portrait of Thailand, his adopted home. Highly recommended." -Tim Cahill, author of Lost in My Own Backyard, Hold the Enlightenment and Jaguars Ripped My Flesh

"After over a decade in the country, Hopkins knows and loves his subject dearly-that much is obvious-and his vivid portrait projects that love from every page." -Jann Wenner, editor and founder of Rolling Stone Magazine

"A loving expose of everything that's wonderful about Thailand, and much that isn't. Should be required reading for all newcomers." -Joe Cummings, author of the Lonely Planet Thailand Guide

Writer Jerry Hopkins came to Thailand for a visit in the 1980s, and ended up a permanent resident with a temporary visa-a big, white farang haunting the bars and back alleys of Bangkok. His essays explore the mystery and mayhem of "The Land of Smiles" to hilarious-and sometimes disturbing-effect. Travel with him to a place where whisky is rum, water buffaloes are gay, insects are dinner, dildos are lucky charms, and your wildest adolescent fantasies can come true (for a nominal fee).