River

Books
2010
2011

River Books
396 Maharaj Road, Tatien, Bangkok 10200
T: (66 2) 622-1900, 224-6686, 225-0139, 225-4963 F: (66 2) 225-3861
E: order@riverbooksbk.com www.riverbooksbk.com

London office
3 Denbigh Road, London W11 2SJ T: 44 20 7229 6765 F: 44 20 7792 0027
E: narisachakra1@mac.com

Distribution: Europe and RoW excluding HK and Southeast Asia

Antique Collectors’ Club
T: +44 (0)1394 389977 F: +44 (0) 1394 389999
www.antique-acc.com

North America: Antique Collectors’ Club

T: +1 413 529 0861 F: +1 845 297 0068
www.antique-acc.com
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:33 PM Page 1

River Books is one of the foremost publishers of books on the art, architecture,
history and early culture of mainland Southeast Asia, as well as an
important series of books on textiles.
Thai language books cover aspects of Thai history and several
bi-lingual English-Thai dictionaries are published with
Oxford University Press and Chambers.
Working with acknowledged experts in each field,
River Books combines excellent photography, design and production values.
Significant books published this year include two books on China: Tea Horse Road - China’s Ancient Trade Road to
Tibet and China -Through the Lens of JohnThomson; two books on archaeology: 50 Years of Southeast Asian Archaeology
and Stories in Stone; and, in a new departure for River Books, two cookery books with a twist:
Rawfully Good - Living Flavours of Southeast Asia and Rirkrit Tiravanija’s Cook Book - Just Smile and Don’t Talk.
Forthcoming titles for 2011 will include Siamese Coins,AncientVietnam, Royal Hue and Thai Taxi
Talismans, as well as a fully revised edition of B J Terwiel’s best-selling Thailand’s Political History - From the
Thirteenth Century to Modern Times.
Full details available in this catalogue and on our website.

River Books
396 Maharaj Road,Tatien, Bangkok 10200
T: (66 2) 622-1900, 224-6686, 225-0139, 225-4963 F: (66 2) 225-3861
E: order@riverbooksbk.com www.riverbooksbk.com
London office
3 Denbigh Road, LondonW11 2SJ T: 44 20 7229 6765 F: 44 20 7792 0027
E: narisachakra1@mac.com
Distribution: Europe and RoW excluding HK and Southeast Asia
Antique Collectors’ Club
T: +44 (0)1394 389977 F: +44 (0) 1394 389999
www.antique-acc.com
North America: Antique Collectors’ Club
T: +1 413 529 0861 F: +1 845 297 0068
www.antique-acc.com
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:33 PM Page 2

CONTENTS

New Titles
4 Tea Horse Road – China’s ancient trade road to Tibet 32 Expedition Naga – Diaries from the Hills in
6 Bangkok Found – Reflections on the City Northeast India 1921-1937 2002-2006
7 China – Through The Lens of John Thomson 1868-1872 33 Peoples of The Golden Triangle
8 Rawfully Good – ‘Living’ Flavours of Southeast Asia 33 TheYao – The Mien and MunYao in China,
Vietnam, Laos and Thailand
9 Rirkrit Tiravanija – Cook Book
34 Very Thai – Everyday Popular Culture
10 50Years of Archaeology in Southeast Asia
Essays in Honour of Ian Glover 34 Mesmerization – The Spells that Control Us –
Why we are losing our minds to pop-culture
11 Siam and the League of Nations
Modernisation, Sovereignty and Multilateral 35 A Century of Thai Cinema
Diplomacy, 1920-1940 35 Thai FolkWisdom – Contemporary Takes
12 Stories in Stone – The Sdok Kok Thom on Traditional Proverbs
Inscription & the Enigma of Khmer History 36 The Ming Gap and Shipwreck Ceramics in
13 Preah Bot – Buddhist painted scrolls in Cambodia Southeast Asia
Towards a Chronology of Thai TradeWare
14 Thailand’s Political History
36 Caves of Northern Thailand
15 Unravelling the Myths of Southeast Asian Historiography
Essays in honour of Barend Jan Terwiel 37 Buddhist Art – An Historical and Cultural Journe
16 Siamese Coins – From Funan to the Fifth Reign 37 Early Cultures of Mainland Southeast Asia
17 Sacred Sites of Burma – Myth and Folklore in an Evolving 38 Khmer Ceramics – Beauty and Meaning
Spiritual Realm 38 Bayon – New perspectives
39 Images of The Gods
Forthcoming 2011 39 Sacred Angkor
20 The Grand Palace and Rattanakosin Island 39 Buddhist Painting in Cambodia
21 Thai Taxi Talismans 40 Angkor – Cities & Temples
22 AncientVietnam – History and Archaeology 40 The Khmer Empire
23 Royal Hue – Heritage of the Nguyen Dynasty 40 Angkor Map
24 Thai Furniture 41 Ancient Angkor
25 Bencharong 41 Ruins of Angkor
26 Beyond Angkor 41 Tonle Sap
26 Early Thailand – From Prehistory to Sukhothai 42 Cambodian Dance
27 Very Bangkok 42 Ancient Luang Prabang
27 Tears of the Truck Driver

Back List Titles

30 Ancient Sukhothai – Thailand’s Cultural Heritoge
30 Past Lives of The Buddha 46 Mantles of Merit – Chin Textiles
30 Origins of Thai Art 46 Silken Threads Lacquer Thrones
31 Ayutthaya – Venice of the East 46 Thai Textiles
31 Siam and the Vatican 47 The Secrets of Southeast Asian Textiles
31 Thai Mother-of-Pearl Inlay 47 Through The Thread of Time
31 Thai Puppets & Khon Masks 47 Pictorial Cambodian Textiles
32 Royal Siamese Maps 48 Oxford-River Books English-Thai Dictionary
War and Trade in Nineteenth Century Thailand 48 Oxford-Duden Pictorial English-Thai Dictionary
32 Siam in Trade andWar 48 Pocket Oxford-River Books
Royal Maps of the 19th Century English-Thai Dictionary
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:34 PM Page 4

4 5
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:34 PM Page 6
BANGKOK FOUND
Reflections on the City
Alex Kerr
316 pages, 210 x 142 mm
Paperback
79 b/w illustrations and 2 maps
ISBN 978 974 9863 92 3
E vocative and incisive, Bangkok Found looks
deep within traditional culture to discover
how Bangkok is like no other contempo-
rary 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 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.
6 7
Bangkok Found is a very unbookish book.The author never
regales us with book learning. He seems to get most of his
information by asking people rather than mugging up.
His prose style is so effortless that consuming this book is
more like having someone talkto you rather than reading
printed pages.The joy of the book is that Alex Kerr
arrived in Bangkok as a seeker, and now takes us along for
a replay of the ride.At the end he admits Bangkok is too
elusive to truly be ‘found’. But he has written probably
the best single ‘guide’ for a visitor to Bangkok, who wants
to be provoked into looking at the city as it is, not as it is
often portrayed.
Chris Baker, Bangkok Post, 28 June 2010
CHINA
Through The Lens of John Thomson 1868-1872
168 pages
310 x 310 mm, hardback
With 157 black and white photographs
ISBN 978 616 7339 00 9
S cottish photographer John Thomson (1837-1921) was one of the most influential
photographers of the 19th century and a pioneer of photojournalism.
Born two years before the invention of daguerreotype and the birth of
photography,Thomson first travelled to Asia in 1862 where he set up a professional
photographic studio. He became fascinated by local culture and the people of Asia and
in 1868 he made his second trip, this time settling in Hong Kong. Between 1868 and
1872,Thomson made extensive trips to Guangdong, Fujian, Beijing, China’s north-east
and down the Yangtze river, covering nearly 5,000 miles.This exhibition catalogue is
drawn from his time in these regions.
These were the early days of photography when negatives were made on glass plates that had
to be coated with emulsion before the exposure was made. A huge amount of cumbersome
equipment had to be carried from place to place and with perseverance, great energy and stamina,
Thomson managed to take a wide variety of images and themes, including landscapes, people,
architecture, domestic and street scenes. As a foreigner, his ability to gain access to photograph
women is also remarkable. In China,Thomson excelled as a photographer in quality, depth and
breadth, and in artistic sensibility.
John Thomson’s photographs appear courtesy of the Wellcome Library, London.
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:35 PM Page 8
284 pages, 245 x 165 mm
Hardback, 342 colour illustrations
ISBN 978 190 4562 12 2
B ased in Bali, Diana von Cranach has long been
a well-known local food explorer and creator
of incredible food.A few years ago, she took
her dedication to good food a step further by begin-
ning a journey into the world of raw food using only
locally sourced ingredients. Her idyllic and very per-
sonal resort Puri GaneshaVillas in North Bali, is one
of only a few hotels worldwide to offer an alternative,
purely ‘living’ food menu to the surprise and delight
of her guests.
The idea for this book comes from the author’s
desire to work with chefs at famous restaurants and
resorts throughout Southeast Asia, and to prepare
healthier and lighter vegan food using their own
recipes as a basis.
8 9
RAWFULLY GOOD
‘Living’ Flavours of Southeast Asia
Diana von Cranach
At the same time, she aims to revive the use of
more unusual traditional herbs and ingredients, used
for generations. Covering destinations from Bali in
Indonesia, Langkawi in Malaysia, Nha Trang inViet-
nam, Siem Reap in Cambodia, Luang Prabang in
Laos, Chiang Mai and Loei Provinces inThailand and
the cities of Bangkok, Singapore andYangon, Rawfully
Good reinvents over 99 well-known regional recipes
with excitingly different and invigorating ‘living’
flavours.
COOK BOOK –
Just Smile and Don't Talk
Rirkrit Tiravanija
192 pages, 240 x 170 mm
Hardcover with drawn on covers
With 400 illustrations
ISBN 978 616 7339 06 1
orn in Buenos Aires in 1961, contemporary
B artist Rirkrit Tiravanija resides in New York,
Berlin and Chiang Mai, Thailand. His installa-
tions often take the form of stages or rooms for
sharing meals, cooking, reading or playing music; architecture or structures for
living and socializing are a core element in his work.
Tiravanija's work has been presented widely at museums and galleries throughout
the world. He was the co-curator with Hans Ulrich Obrist and Molly Nesbit of the
Station Utopia Project at the 50th Venice Biennale (2003), while most recently he has
exhibited at Tang Contemporary Beijing (2010) and Kunsthalle Bielefeld (2010). He is
also a co-founder of The Land Foundation, a collaborative project in Chiang Mai, which
combines contemporary art interventions and traditional agricultural values.
In 2004 he was awarded the Hugo Boss Prize by the Guggenheim Museum,
“in recognition of his profound contribution to contemporary art” and is a Professor
at the School of the Arts at Columbia University.
"It is not what you see that is important but what takes place between people."(RT)
Cook Book contains 23 recipes, previously performed in museums and galleries
throughout the world. All were cooked once more in his Chiang Mai kitchen and
documented in the photographs by Antoinette Aurell. In addition, an essay by
Thomas Kellein of the Kunsthalle Bielefeld and an extended interview between
him and the artist shed additional
light on Rirkrit's work. Through
this book the reader will under-
stand more of what moves the
artist as well as being able to cook
such Thai staples from Pad Thai to
Flaming Morning Glory, as well
as new interpretations of Swedish,
German and Spanish classics
such as meatballs, Flädlesoup
and Paella.
“Letting things burn and cook and
boil, that's great”. (RT)
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:35 PM Page 10
50 YEARS OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Essays in Honour of Ian Glover
Edited by Bérénice Bellina, Elisabeth A. Bacus,
Thomas Oliver Pryce & Jan Wisseman Christie
320 pages, 232 x 170 mm
Paperback, 129 colour photographs
21 maps and 12 plans
ISBN 978 616 7339 02 3
T his collection of essays in honour of Dr Ian Glover, who for over
fifty years has been one of Southeast Asia’s most pioneering and
leading archaeologists, offers a complete and up-to-date account
of the main issues and debates on the region’s archaeology spanning the
late Pleistocene to the early historic period. Aimed at both the specialist
and general reader alike, this volume discusses issues ranging from food
subsistence management, technology transfer and long-distance
exchange, to social complexity and political and ethical debates that are
today an important aspect of Southeast Asian studies.
The contributors tackle topics such as hunter-gatherers and early
agriculture in East Timor, burial traditions in Thailand and Sarawak, the
development of early states inVietnam and Sulawesi, craft production
and exchange stretching from India to the South China Sea, issues of
post-colonialism in Laos and the creation of world heritage sites
throughout the region.
Following in Dr Ian Glover’s footsteps, this volume represents a
comprehensive and essential collection of essays by Southeast Asia’s lead-
ing archaeologists actively researching in the field today, making this
book a tribute from some of his closest colleagues, friends, and former
students.
10
SIAM AND THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Modernisation, Sovereignty and Multilateral
Diplomacy, 1920-1940
Stefan Hell
With Foreword by Tej Bunnag,
former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
284 pages, 232 x 170 mm
Paperback 22 b/w photographs
ISBN 978 974 9863 89 3
“Stefen Hell’s book is full of wonderful and little known
details.”...That Opium Control is given a chapter of its own,
as are Public Health and human Trafficking gives a good
overall balance to this book... Readers may be more inter-
ested, however, in Collective Security ... It is here that
Stefan Hell is at his best in demonstrating a firm grasp and
clear understanding of Thai foreign policy and diplomatic
conduct of the time.
Tej Bunnag, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
T he fight against human trafficking, improvements in
public health, or combating the international drug
trade – these are some of the most pressing problems
Thailand and the world are facing today. Remarkably, these topics
were already high on the international political agenda over 80
years ago during colonial times, when the League of Nations, the
United Nations’ predecessor, was created.
This first in-depth study of Thai foreign relations in well over
a decade traces how these and other policy areas brought Siam in
contact with the League of Nations, after the kingdom had signed
the Treaty ofVersailles and became an original member of this
first global body. Based on never before consulted primary
sources in Thailand and Europe, the study unfolds the story of a
unique relationship between the only independent country in
Southeast Asia and the League during the inter-war period of
Sketch of Phraya Bibadh Kosha
1920-1940. during the first General Assembly
The book highlights both the importance of the League for of the League of Nations, 1920.
the modernisation of Siam and the shaping of its foreign policies,
as well as the intriguing role Siam played on the world stage in
the early development of the multilateral political system we
live in today.
11
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:36 PM Page 12

STORIES IN STONE PREAH BOT

The Sdok Kok Thom Inscription & Buddhist painted scrolls in Cambodia
the Enigma of Khmer History

John Burgess

198 pages, 210 x 142 mm

68 b/w illustrations
ISBN 978 616 7339 01 6

T he founding of an empire, the settling of frontier lands, a king’s gifting of gold pitchers and
black-eared stallions to a Brahmin priest – these and other remarkable stories come down to
us in the Sdok Kok Thom Inscription, one of the world’s most important ancient testaments.
Recovered at a ruined temple in Thailand close to the Cambodian border, the 340-line chronicle
unlocks the early history of the Khmer Empire.Yet temple and text have remained little known
Vittorio Roveda & Sothon Yem

outside expert circles. In this full and highly readable account, formerWashington Post correspondent
152 pages, 240 x 170 mm
John Burgess traces the impact of the great inscription, which was carved onto a sandstone monolith Paperback, 172 colour photographs
around 1052 AD, abandoned to the wild for centuries, then decoded by French colonialists. He relates ISBN 978 974 9863 99 2
the temple’s surprise emergence in 1979 as a haven for Cambodian refugees and resistance fighters
during the war in their homeland.Today Sdok Kok Thom is again at peace, its mission of preserving
history accomplished.
Including photographs of the temple, past and present, Refugee Camp 007 and its refugees and
militias; extracts from previously unpublished letters of French savant Étienne Aymonier, the
inscription’s first translator, written during his months of travels
G raduallly fading in disuse, ignored by art historians and museums, the
beautifully painted Buddhist scrolls called preah bot in Cambodia are
the subjecct of this book by the two authors of Buddhist Painting of Cambodia.
Preah Bots have been produced since the end of the 19th century as a personal and
intimate manifestation of the faith of pious Cambodian lay people, and are an impor-
around Cambodia in 1882-1885; a revised English translation of the tant element of the country's rich Buddhist cultural heritage. A large variety of cloths
full inscription by the University of Hawaii linguists Chhany are illustrated, showing events from the life of the Buddha and his previous lives
Sak-Humphry and Philip N. Jenner; a glossary of terms; and narrated in the Jataka tales. Particular emphasis has been paid to the Vessantara Jataka,
suggested further readings. the most popular of all Jatakas, detailing both its Pali version and previously unknown
Khmer versions.
‘While reporting on Cambodians fleeing war and revolution in This important book, with a summary in Khmer is the first attempt to document
1979, John Burgess came across an ancient Khmer temple hidden in the art and meaning of preah bot in Cambodian society at a time when the production
the bush… 30 years later he returned to that temple to decipher its of such cloths for religious use is gradually disappearing and being replaced by com-
history.The result is this lovely book that tells the story of the temple
mercial production for tourists or art collectors.
and the larger Angkor Empire levened with Burgess’ own odyssey to
recover that history.’ – Elizabeth Becker, author of When the War
was Over.
Quote from Cambodian Times Review.

12 13
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:36 PM Page 14

THAILAND’S POLITICAL HISTORY UNRAVELLING THE MYTHS

From the Thirteenth Century to Modern Times OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN HISTORIOGRAPHY
Essays in honour of Barend Jan Terwiel
B. J. Terwiel

328 pages, 232 x 170 mm Edited by Volker Grabowsky

Paperback, with 36 illustrations
ISBN 978 974 9863 96 1

320 pages, 232 x 170 mm

Paperback, with 36 illustrations
New revised edition ISBN 978 974 9863 97 8

T his collection of twenty-two essays in honour

of Professor Barend Jan Terwiel deals with a
wide range of issues spanning various periods
of time, both modern and pre-modern, in countries
throughout Southeast Asia.The contributors have
been inspired to challenge and unravel established paradigms of this diverse region’s

F irst appearing in 2005 and quickly selling out, this fully revised edition of Thailand’s Political
History continues in the same style as the first but with its scope dramatically widened.While
the first edition began with a portrait of late Ayutthayan society, the new edition steps back to
the thirteenth century, tackling some of the most topical and pressing historical debates at present.
It discusses the development and evolution of the Siamese state from the early Sukhothai period
through the fall of Ayutthaya to the rise of the Chakri dynasty in the late eighteenth century and its
consolidation of power in the nineteenth. Moving into the twentieth century it traces the emergence
of the Thai nation state, the large-scale investments in modern infrastructure and the concomitant
economic expansion that have occurred since the 1950s onwards.
A new final chapter brings the reader up-to-date and addresses Thailand’s current political situa-
tion spanning the rise and fall of Thaksin Shinawatra to the divisive and at times violent polarisation
of Thai society. It traces the emergence of the rivalYellow and Red shirt protest groups, the takeover
of Suvarnabhumi International Airport by the PAD and the occupation of Rachaprasong intersection
by the UDD and their eventual violent
dispersal by the Thai military.
Often at variance with the more dominant
interpretations of nationalistic history and with
a strong reliance upon primary sources, Barend
J.Terwiel’s Thailand’s Political History makes a
refreshing assessment of past events possible.
history and in doing so propose new insights and interpretations.
Renowned historian ThongchaiWinichakul sets the scene by discussing Thai history
in the context of Siam’s Colonial conditions before B. J.Terwiel himself reviews the
controvery surrounding the Ram Khamhaeng inscription by to an analysis of Thai
History during the PacificWar as seen in Thai textbooks by Hungguk Cho. Other
chapters look at issues of ethnicity among the Hmong and Karen (Roland Mishung),
as well the constitution of gender in Northern Thailand (Katherine A. Bowie), and the
role of magic and religion in contemporary society.
The view then widens from Thailand to look at historiography
through the lens of textbooks in the Lao Democratic People’s
Republic (Volker Grabowsky).The dialogue and interaction
between Europeans and various Southeast Asian nations are
examined in several chapters, using Dutch and Portugese sources,
while perceptions of the Chinese in 17th century Germany is also
discussed. Historical exactitude versus national myth is an impor-
tant topic which forms the basis of four chapters focussing on
Burma andVietnam. Finally, Island Southeast Asia also enters the
picture in essays on migration in Sumatra and Java and an examina-
tion of letters fromWest-Java.
In effect, this publication sets about debunking the myths and
commonly held perceptions of Southeast Asia’s vibrant and at times
volatile history.

14 15
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:36 PM Page 16

340 pages, 232 x 170 mm

Paperback, over 400 colour illustrations
ISBN 978 974 9863 60 2

282 pages, 280 x 215 mm

Hardback, 500 colour illustrations SACRED SITES OF BURMA
ISBN 978 974 9863 54 1 Myth and Folklore in an
Evolving Spiritual Realm
SIAMESE COINS
From Funan to the Fifth Reign
Donald M. Stadtner

Ronachai Krisadaolan & Vasilijs Mihailovs

T he sacred sites of Burma are amongst the most beautiful

and spectacular in all of Asia. However, the fame and
sacredness of these holy places rests almost solely on the
myths and legends that surround their founding and the origins

T his is the first ever book about Thai coins and ethnographic
monies in English. It covers the time period from the
earliest proto-state up to the introduction of the baht
currency system.
The book describes the development of Thai money through a
of their relics.These Buddhist tales can arise and evolve with
astounding speed and creativity drawing on a variety of sources
ranging from local folklore to Sri Lankan chronicles.The author
uncovers the evidence for and traces the development of these
continuous economico-historical review with excerpts from a intricate myths across a wide spectrum of sacred sites ranging
variety of sources, including the Sukhothai inscriptions, the Royal fromYangon and the Mon State in Lower Burma to Pagan and
Chronicles of Ayutthaya, the records of individual Dutch, French Mandalay in Upper Burma as well as considering the areas of
and Portuguese travelers and unpublished documents from the Shan influence around Inle lake.
Royal Archive. Also featured are over 1,000 specimens of the coins The book demonstrates how sacred sites can emerge with
which have circulated in modern-day Thailand and its tributary remarkable frequency in our own time with only those that
states. Included are a selection of Thai documents from Rama IV’s possess myths catching the imagination of the Buddhist faithful
reign dealing with the emission of new currency, counterfeits and having any chance of long term survival. Sacred Sites of Burma is
money reforms. an essential read for anyone interested in the development of
Buddhism in its many aspects, be they its art, archaeology, history
or belief.

17
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:37 PM Page 18
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:38 PM Page 20

THE GRAND PALACE THAI TAXI TALISMANS

AND RATTANAKOSIN ISLAND Bangkok from the passenger seat

Dale Alan Konstanz

Naengnoi Suksri, Narisa Chakrabongse
& Thanit Limpabandhu
Photography Paisarn Piemmettawat

140 pages, 240 x 220 mm

Hardback, 180 colour illustrations
ISBN 978 616 7339 08 5

352 pages, 232 x 170 mm

Paperback, 294 colour illustrations and 6 plans
ISBN 978 974 9863 41 1 (English)

Ministry of Defence, the City Pillar Shrine,

T he magnificent complex of throne halls,

museums and religious architecture,
including the exquisite Emerald Buddha
Temple, are often referred to as the ‘jewel in the
crown’ of Bangkok.
Sanam Luang which has been a focal point for
Thai life for over two centuries, the National
Museum and the National Gallery and the newly-
opened Museum of Siam. Also included are
Begun by King Rama I in 1782, they were photographs, old and new, of key Thai royal
constructed to emulate the glories of the former ceremonies.
capital Ayutthaya, sacked by the Burmese some This beautifully photographed guide is the first
15 years earlier. Until the beginning of the to deal exclusively and in depth with the wealth
twentieth century, the Thai monarchs lived of buildings to be explored at the Grand Palace
within the Grand Palace and all important events and the surrounding Rattanakosin Island.
took place within its walls.Thus in each of the
nine reigns of the Chakri dynasty, the king has
embellished or built new structures within the
compound, thereby creating a storehouse of Thai
architectural and decorative style over the last
two hundred years. King Rama IX is no excep-
tion and his new throne hall is included in this
volume.
As well as describing the exquisite buildings
within the Grand Palace, the book also illustrates
many of the key sites which were built in its
vicinity:Wat Phra Chetuphon, more commonly
known as Wat Pho, the elegant colonial style

20
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:39 PM Page 22
400 pages, 232 x 170 mm
Paperback, 800 colour illustrations
ISBN 978 974 9863 75 6
ANCIENT VIETNAM Anne-Valérie Schweyer
History and Archaeology Photography Paisarn Piemmettawat
T he history ofVietnam is one of spectacular confrontations,
both cultural and ideological between the world of the
Chinese – a world adopted by the ethnicViet living in the
Red river basin – and the Indian world – facets of which are seen
in the Cham, whose numerous small kingdoms were strung out all
along the coast from north of Hue to south of Phan Rang.
The first part of this book presents a comprehensive history of
Vietnam from the 6th to 15th centuries, highlighting the clashes
between the two major civilisations which are the foundation of
modernVietnam.
The second part takes the reader on a tour of over 60
archaeological sites which are a testament to this history. Maps,
plans and numerous photographs will help us to experience the
history of ancientVietnam both in its early beginnings and its
subsequent evolution.
French scholar Anne-Valérie Schweyer is an acknowledged expert
in Cham history and has contributed to many books and journals.
22
250 pages, 232 x 170 mm
Paperback, 300 colour illustrations
ISBN 978 974 9863 95 4
Vu Hong Lien ROYAL HUE –
Photography Paisarn Piemmettawat Heritage of the
Nguyen Dynasty ofVietnam
H ue, the ancient, royal capital ofVietnam, is a city remarkable
in its strive for greatness and beautify. Despite its many
dramatic historical events, from conflicts between ancient
Vietnam and the now extinct kingdoms of Champa to the 19th
and 20th French occuation and becoming the victim of the Tet
Offesive in 1968, much of Hue’s classical architecture survives.
The exquisite royal lifestyle is still visible in the Imperial Citadel,
still reflected in the Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts and vividly
reproduced in Nguyen mausoleums in the Valley of the Tombs.
Royal Hue traces the development of this magnificent imperial
capital from its humble beginnings in the 14th century until is
position as a UNESCOWorld Heritage site in 1993.
The book also documents the 143 years of Nguyen rule when
under 13 emperors Hue was built and rebuilt, each time grander
and more opulent than the last, until in August 1945 the last
emperor Bao Dai handed over his Royal Seal and Sword of
Mandate to representatives of the new President Ho Chi Minh.
With an authoratitive and lively text byVietnamese-British
historian DrVu Hong Lien and evocative photography by Paisarn
Piemmettawat, Royal Hue is the perfect guide for the discerning
cultural explorer to this world heritage city.
23
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:39 PM Page 24
THAI FURNITURE
Chami Jotisalikorn & 230 pages, 270 x 280 mm
Julathasana Byachrananda Hardback, over 250 full colour illustrations
ISBN 978 974 9863 51 0
T his new and comprehensive tome is a complete source book on Thai furniture from
its origins to modern day use.Thai Furniture is extensively illustrated with full
colour photos of rare and exquisite examples of traditional Thai furniture, includ-
ing antique furniture from royal palaces and private collections that have never before been
seen by the public or published in other books. Covering royal, religious, and household
furniture, this book presents an in-depth explanation of the history and development of
Thai scripture cabinets, day beds, chairs, altar tables, and the like, with descriptions on the
various types of furniture within each category, taking the reader on a journey of discovery
across time.
Comprehensively researched with historical documents, Thai Furniture is a valuable
reference book for collectors and admirers of all types of traditional Thai furniture, and
also features a beautiful section on antique furniture in contemporary use.The author goes
into some of Bangkok’s most exclusive private palaces and homes and gives readers a
glimpse of Thai furniture’s exotic beauty in a modern context.
Thai Furniture is written by internationally renowned author Chami Jotisalikorn, whose
numerous books on style and design are sold worldwide in six languages and include Classic
Thai:Architecture, Design, Interiors; the best-selling design series, Contemporary Asian Home and
Thailand Chic.
24
BENCHARONG – Royal Thai Porcelain
Dawn F Rooney
250 pages, 230 x 250 mm
Hardback, with 400 colour illustrations
ISBN 978 974 9863 59 6
B encharong, a unique class of Chinese export ware, was made exclusively
for Thai royalty and the ruling elite in the late 18th and 19th centuries.
Enamelled porcelain containers and dishes for the table and boudoir are
resplendent in kaleidoscopic colours inspired by verdant, tropical vegetation.
Lai Nam Thong (‘gold-washed’), a variant, takes the opulence of this ware to a
pinnacle by adding gold as an embellishment. Although Bencharong belongs
both in place and time to the broader tradition of Chinese export art for the
European and American markets, it is distinctively Thai in style and aesthetics.
A wealth of lavish illustrations, many never before published, are visual revela-
tions of Bencharong’s splendour.
The author traces its history of Bencharong from the renowned kilns of
Jingdezhen to enamelling centres at coastal ports in southern China and its
final destination – Ayutthaya and Bangkok.
Dawn F Rooney, an art historian specialising in Southeast Asia, is the author
of eight books, of which four are on ceramics of the region.
25
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:40 PM Page 26
BEYOND ANGKOR
Helen Ibbitson Jessup &
Ang Choulean
Photography John Gollings
220 pages, 240 x 170 mm,
Paperback, over 350 colour illustrations
ISBN 978 974 9863 53 4
B eyond Angkor takes the reader on a journey that follows both a
geographical and, where possible, a chronological journey to
the most important of these relatively unknown sites. From
the south, with the earliest traces of Khmer civilization of the
Phnom Da, Angkor Borei and Kampot, we move north and east to
the areas of 7th and 8th century Sambor Prei Kuk to the 9th-cen-
tury Kulen and Roluos region.The architecture becomes more
complex as seen in the sophistication of Bakong and Preah Ko. As the 11th century progressed, the
Khmer diaspora expanded with the northern boundaries of the empire extending toWat Phu in
present-day Laos, while to the west lay PreahVihear, Phnom Rung and Phimai in Thailand, the Kbal
Spean site in the Kulen region, Bakan to the north and Phnom Chisor to the south.The road then leads
to the expanded scale and grandeur of 12th-century monuments at Angkor: AngkorWat, Beng Mealea
and Banteay Samre.
In a concluding chapter, Beyond Angkor gives an overview of the Buddhist monuments in the heart of
the empire: Bayon, Preah Khan,Ta Prohm, with an extension to Banteay Chhmar.
Helen Ibbitson Jessup’s authoritative is augmented by Ang Choulean insights into ethnography and
mythology, accompanied by John Gollings’ superlative photography.
EARLY THAILAND
From Prehistory to Sukhothai
Charles Higham &
Rachanee Thosarat
Dramatic new archaeological discoveries over the past ten years
demand a new look at Thailand’s past. Drawing on his previous
work Prehistoric Thailand, this book with over forty per cent revised
material, covers the history of the Kingdom from the first human
settlement to the earliest civilization and gives a fresh appraisal of
early hunters and gatherers, and of the first rice farmers.
A new chronology reveals the dynamic social changes of the
Bronze Age, and the rapid rise of early states that followed.The
outstanding art of the Bronze Age, as seen in painted ceramic vessels
a thousand years earlier than those from Ban Chiang, is portrayed
as is the wealth of Iron Age chiefs who contributed so much to the
foundation of the Kingdoms of Angkor and Dvaravati. In the far
268 pages, 232 x 170 mm
Paperback, 500 colour illustrations
south, we find early cities founded along the Southern Silk Road,
ISBN 978 974 9863 91 6 bringing exotic ideas and goods through seaborne trade. Above all,
the authors present the rich cultural heritage of the Thai people.
26
B angkok arrests the visitor with its bewildering juxtaposition
of old and new, hi-tech and impromptu, sacred and profane.
While modernizing at great pace under myriad outside influ-
ences, theThai capital draws equal vigour from its historic communi-
ties, cultural diversity and contemporary urban tribes.The author of
VeryThai and Time Out Bangkok, Philip Cornwel-Smith takes an alter-
native look at the subcultures of his adopted town in this practical
thematic handbook.With the aid of maps, listings and references, the
visitor can engage with Bangkok’s contradictory character according
to their mood or interest.
Explore the city’s contrasting environments, architectural fabric,
ethnic patchwork and intertwined beliefs. Encounter distinct social
scenes, whether hip or hi-so, local or bohemian. See how traditional
roots infuse the currentThai flowering in arts and entertainments,
fashion and food, lifestyle and spas.Wryly observant photography by VERY BANGKOK
DowWasiksiri – selected for the prestigious 9 Days in the Kingdom Neighbourhoods, Networks,Tribes
project – enhances this insider’s guide to a city like no other.
Philip Cornwel-Smith 272 pages, 240 x170 mm
Photographs by Dow Wasiksiri Paperback, 300 colour illustrations
ISBN 978 974 9863 50 3
TEARS OF THE TRUCK DRIVER
Country Music In Thailand:
Luk Thung, Maw Lum, Kantrum
T ears of the Truck Driver is the first book in English on Thai
country music, or ‘Pleng Luk Thung’, a genre of music that
is popular across the kingdom. Rooted in the daily lives of
the urban poor and rural peasantry, luk thung reflects the hopes,
joys, pain and pleasure of truck drivers, maids, factory workers
and rice farmers.
Tears of theTruck Driver takes the reader on a journey of discovery
into the passionate heart of luk thung, from the early days of pleng
talat, pleng phudee and pleng lae, forerunners of the LT style, to the
emergence of legendary stars like Surapon Sombatchareon in the
John Charles Clewley 1950s, the Golden Era of the 1970s, electronic luk thung of the
1980s, the luk thung Isaan and maw lum sing revolution, the 1990s
luk thung revival and the current crop of LT megastars.
John Clewley is a former lecturer of Chulalongkorn University.
He writes the ‘World beat’ column for the Bangkok Post and is the
Southeast Asia correspondent/photographer for the UK-based
‘World Music’ magazine, Songlines, as well as contributing chapters
240 pages, 240 x 170 mm on the music ofThailand, Bangkok, Laos and Cambodia for both the
Paperback, over 240 illustrations Rough Guide toWorld Music and the Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular
ISBN 978 974 9863 74 9
Music of the World.
27
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:40 PM Page 28

BACK LIST TITLES

Ancient Sukhothai Buddhist Painting in Cambodia Oxford-River Books
Angkor – Cities & Temples English-Thai Dictionary
Past Lives of The Buddha
The Khmer Empire Oxford-Duden Pictorial
Origins of Thai Art English-Thai Dictionary
Ayutthaya Angkor Map Pocket Oxford-River Books
Siam and the Vatican Ancient Angkor Mantles of Merit – Chin Textiles English-Thai Dictionary
Thai Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Ruins of Angkor Silken Threads Lacquer Thrones
Thai Puppets & Khon Masks Tonle Sap Thai Textiles
Royal Siamese Maps Cambodian Dance The Secrets of Southeast Asian
Ancient Luang Prabang Textiles
Siam in Trade andWar
Through The Thread of Time
Expedition Naga
Pictorial Cambodian Textiles
Peoples of The Golden Triangle
TheYao
Very Thai
Mesmerization
A Century of Thai Cinema
Thai FolkWisdom
The Ming Gap and Shipwreck
Ceramics in Southeast Asia
Caves of Northern Thailand
Buddhist Art
Early Cultures of Mainland
Southeast Asia
Khmer Ceramics
Bayon – New perspectives
Images of The Gods
Sacred Angkor
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:41 PM Page 30

ANCIENT SUKHOTHAI AYUTTHAYA – SIAM AND THE VATICAN

Thailand’s Cultural Heritage Venice of the East
Michael Smithies and
Dawn F. Rooney Derick Garnier Mgr. Bressan

248 pages, 240 x 170 mm
Paperback, 395 colour
illustrations
14 plans and maps
ISBN 978 974 9863 42 8
T his authoritative guide covers the history and art of the 13th
and 14th century Sukhothai, often consider the ‘classic’ period
of Thai art. Situated in the fertileYom River basin of north-
central Thailand the guide covers the cities of Sukhothai, Si Satchanalai
B etween 1351 and 1767
AD, Ayutthaya, capital
of Siam was one of
the most important trading
centres in Southeast Asia,
F ormal relations between
Siam and the Vatican date to
1669 when Pope Clement
IX sent a papal brief to King
Narai. Informal relations began
and Kamphaeng Phet.
renowned throughout the earlier with the arrival of the
As well as surveying over 80 temples in the three sites and highlight-
200 pages, world for its wealth and Portuguese and their priests. King 146 pages,
ing masterpieces from related museums, the author discusses the art 253 x 182 mm 253 x 182 mm
beauty. Narai responded with two mis-
and architecture of the period, with a special section on ceramics. Hardback Hardback
Derick Garnier traces the sions to Rome but only the second
Dawn F Rooney has lived and worked in Thailand for 30 years and is 99 colour illustrations 91 colour images
ISBN 974 8225 60 7 history of the city and the arrived in late 1688.The events ISBN 974 8225 68 2
an expert in Southeast Asian Art. She has a PhD in ceramics.
Chao Phraya river which was behind these missions are related
so essential to its trade, in a by historian, Michael Smithies,
PAST LIVES OF THE BUDDHA text which is scholarly and assisted by the former Apostolic
Wat Si Chum – Art,Architecture and Inscriptions entertaining. Nuncio of Bangkok, Mgr. Bressan.

W at Si Chum is unique among Sukhothai temples. Inside,

lining the ceiling of a dark and narrow staircase leading to
the open roof, are 86 inscribed stone reliefs depicting
jatakas, the former lives of Gotama Buddha.Their unique character and
arrangement have puzzled generations of scholars. In this original vol-
THAI MOTHER-OF-PEARL INLAY
Julathusana Byachrananda

ume, a team of experts presents the latest evidence and new solutions.
Peter Skilling, M. L. Pattaratorn
Chirapravati, Pierre Pichard,
Prapod Assavavirulhakarn,
& Santi Pakdeekham
296 pages, 230 x 250 mm
Hardback, with 390 colour illustrations
and 30 plans and maps
ISBN 978 974 9863 45 9
This superb study invites us to look atWat Si Chum in a whole new
light. Rather than a rather squat, blocky building, we can now imag-
ine it as one-fifth of a fantastic tower. Rather than wondering why
the Jataka slabs were "hidden away", we can view them as intrinsic
to a very ambitious project of religious construction.This revised
view of the building raises new questions about Sukhothai's history.
Chris Baker, Bangkok Post, September 2009
F or over 500 years Thai mother-of-pearl inlay has developed
a distinctive and beautiful style. Used for a wide variety of
decorative purposes – doors and windows for temples,
palace thrones and precious objects such as monks' alm bowls or
boxes – the book illustrates the best examples of mother-of-pearl
inlay from the Ayutthaya period onwards, combining history with
184 pages, 210 x 240 mm, superlative photography.
Hardback, over 300 colour illustrations
ISBN 974 8225 63 1

ORIGINS OF THAI ART THAI PUPPETS & KHON MASKS

Betty Gosling
N. Chandavij & P. Pramualratana

T his richly illustrated, very readable book presents a

survey of early Thai art from prehistory to the thirteenth
century within the context of recent art historical and
related research.The myriad pieces of the complex cross-cul-
tural jigsaw are fitted together to create a coherent picture of
the evolution of Thai art.
196 pages, 225 x 245 mm The late Betty Gosling was the author of three previous
Hardback books on Southeast Asian art as well as many articles in schol-
over 300 colour illustrations
arly journals.
ISBN 974 8225 99 2
E laborately, gilded masks worn by dancers performing in
the popular Ramayana dance drama are an enduring symbol
of Thai culture. Since their introduction in the late eigh-
teenth century, many hundreds of thousands of masks have been
produced by skilled craftsmen. Less well-known as an art form,
the history of Thai puppetry dates back to 17th century Ayutthaya
when large, metre-high puppets were used to relate popular folk
164 pages, 210 x 240 mm
tales.Today practitioners of this art form are becoming scarce, as
Hardback, over 250 colour illustrations
ISBN 974 8225 23 2 are the finely crafted puppets themselves.

30 31
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10
208 pages, 300 x 245 mm
Hardback, 378 colour illustrations
ISBN 974 8225 92 5
296 pages, 250 x 300 mm
Hardback with 697 illustrations
5 plans and maps
ISBN 978 974 9863 70 1
32
7:41 PM Page 32
ROYAL SIAMESE MAPS
War and Trade in Nineteenth Century Thailand
Santanee Phasuk & Philip Stott
I n 1996, seventeen enormous and beautiful, hand-drawn cotton
maps were discovered in the Grand Palace, Bangkok.They
record cartographically Siamese warfare and trade in the early
Bangkok Period (1782-1851). Focusing on Siam and her neigh-
bours, the collection includes a four-metre coastal map of peninsu-
lar Malaysia through China to Korea.
Dr. Santanee Phasuk gained her doctorate in cartography from
the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
Professor Emeritus Philip Stott was professor of Geography at
SOAS. PEOPLES OF THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE THE YAO
The Mien and MunYao in China,
Paul and Elaine Lewis Vietnam, Laos and Thailand
SIAM IN TRADE AND WAR
Royal Maps of the 19th Century 300 pages, 225 x 245 mm Jess G. Pourret
Paperback with 754 illustrations
ISBN 974 8225 42 9 (English edition) 278 pages, 225 x 245 mm
Catalogue of the exhibition of five maps and 80 related artefacts ISBN 2 88086 032 6 (French edition) Paperback, 750 colour illustrations
displayed at the Jim Thompson House, Center for Arts, in 2005. ISBN 974 8225 52 6
The catalogue gives a fascinating picture of Siamese history and Thai supplement ISBN 974 8225 59 3
geopolitics during the first three reigns of the Chakri dynasty.
88 pages, 280 x 245 mm
T he Golden Triangle has long exerted a strong
hold over the Western imagination. Six hill
tribes – Karen, Hmong, Mien, Lahu, Akha and
Lisu – struggle in a hostile environment to maintain
their traditions.The authors’ in-depth research is
T heYao, a non-Han minority moved many cen-
turies ago from the Yang Tse basin to southern
China, NorthernVietnam, Laos and Thailand.
Paperback, 120 colour illustrations Their strong Taoist beliefs, seen in their magnificent
ISBN 974 9863 26 7 combined with over 700 photographs documenting paintings, helped them survive as a society with
all aspects of the hilltribe life: ceremonies and rituals, strong traditions, despite having no country of their
clothing and textiles, basketware and jewellery, own. Distinctive dress and silver jewellery also help to
EXPEDITION NAGA houses and villages. define their various sub-groups.
Diaries from the Hills in Northeast India
1921-1937 2002-2006
Peter van Ham & Jamie Saul
E xpedition Naga is an exciting multi-sensory trip into one of the
world’s most remote and least accessible regions in Northeast
India near the border of Burma (Myanmar). Many areas had
not seen foreigners for over 80 years when Peter van Ham and
Jamie Saul were granted permission to do their fieldwork.The
resulting film, still images and accounts can be compared with the
diaries and photographs of British administrators-cum-explorers
from expeditions in the 1920s and ’30s in the same areas, showing
clearly the continuity of and changes to the Naga culture over that
period.
With nearly 600 stunning contemporary and historic photographs,
along with 140 minute film on the enclosed DVD.
33
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:42 PM Page 34

VERY THAI – Everyday Popular Culture A CENTURY OF THAI CINEMA

Philip Cornwel-Smith Compiled by Dome Sukwong
Photographs by John Goss & Sawasdi Suwannapak

110 pages, 379 x 267 mm

Hardback, 2,000 full colour images

T his 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
ISBN 0 500 97603 1 (English)
ISBN 974 8225 66 6 (Thai)

drinks in a bags, the same exquisite care, craft and improvisation

resounds through home and street, bar and wardrobe.
Philip Cornwel-Smith is a freelance editor of the Time Out
Bangkok guidebook, following eight years as the founding editor
T wo years after the birth of the movies in
1895, film came to Siam, with small booklets
in Thai explaining the plots of foreign films.
Indigenous films began in 1900 leading to an indus-
try, whose 'golden age' was the 1930s.
of Bangkok Metro magazine. John Goss is an American artist who works with traditional and electronic Today Thai movies are enjoying a renaissance and
media. Residing in Bangkok since 1993, he writes, photographs and travels extensively in Asia. achieving international acclaim, while Thai movie
Required reading for visitors, residents and anyone anywhere interested in posters are very collectable.
what makesThailand tick.
256 pages, 240 x 170 mm
AsianWall Street Journal
Hardback, 492 colour illustrations
ISBN 978 974 9863 67 1 (English) A thrilling, trail-blazing book of cultural history that will help you see and
ISBN 978 974 9863 36 7 (German) understandThailand afresh... VeryThai explicates the everyday mysteries and
expressions ofThai culture. A work of astounding breath and erudition. Very THAI FOLK WISDOM
Thai has few, if any, English-language equals. Contemporary Takes on Traditional Proverbs
Bangkok Post

MESMERIZATION Tulaya Pornpiriyakulchai & Jane Vejjajiva

The Spells that Control Us –
Why we are losing our minds to pop-culture
Gee Thomson

I n Mesmerization, author Gee Thomson deconstructs contem-

240 pages, 260 x 205 mm
With 67 illustrations and
140 photographs
ISBN 978 974 9863 56 5
ISBN 978 0 500 97679 1 T&H
34
porary culture in a new and exciting way. From faith to
fashion, psycho-babble to cyber-sex, the book examines the
T his dual language book brings to life fifty proverbs and
sayings from Thailand with great creative flair. Each
proverb is interpreted with an abundance of vibrant
pizzazz reflecting modern Thai culture.
Under the direction of designer Tulaya
viral nature of ‘memes’. Dominant across all media, these are 120 pages, 240 x 220 mm Pornpiriyakulchai, sensational visuals
ubiquitous spells and social prescriptions that drive and shape Paperback, 100 colour illustrations have been provided by some of
ISBN 978 974 9863 78 7
Global behaviour – wear the right trainers, be blonde, be thin, Thailand's leading contemporary artists
the Great Satan, eco-warrior, climate change.These influences from Manit Sriwanichpoom and Pinaree
are fundamental in deciding what gets seen, what gets said, what Sanpitak to Jakkai Siributr. S.E.A.
gets made, impacting on how we lead our lives, the look of our Write award winner, JaneVejjajiva's
homes, cities and our natural environments. explanation of the proverbs is accompanied
Designed by acclaimed design companyWhy Not, the by the delightful tale of schoolgirl Lum
publication uses a unique combination of graphic spells and Nam and her aunt and uncle. Her trials and
formulas to decode the ‘spells’ that control our age. tribulations in modern Bangkok links ancient
Media guru Gee Thomson founded the ground-breaking Shots Thai Folk Wisdom with the vibrant modern city.
magazine in the 1990s and is now part of the Contagious group.
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10
208 pages, 240 x 170 mm
Hardback
295 colour illustrations
ISBN 978 974 9863 77 0
Pindar Sidisunthorn, Simon
Gardner & Dean Smart
392 pages, 240 x 170 mm
Hardback, over 900 colour
illustrations 106 caves described
and illustrated
ISBN 974 9863 13 5 (English)
ISBN 974 9863 34 8 (Thai)
36
7:42 PM Page 36
THE MING GAP AND SHIPWRECK CERAMICS IN
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Towards a Chronology of Thai TradeWare
Roxanna Maude Brown
S hipwrecks throughout Southeast Asia and the precious cargoes they
contain represent invaluable information for the study of interna-
tional trade networks. In this book the late Dr. Roxanna M. Brown
traces the developments and fluctuations of the hitherto little-studied
international ceramic trade between China and Southeast Asia in particu-
lar the 14th-15th centuries, a period known as the ‘Ming Gap’ when ex-
port of Chinese ceramics was banned by the Ming Dynasty. As a result for
over a century Southeast Asian ceramics became the dominant trade ware
throughout the region. Analysing over 120 shipwrecks, the author for the
first time proposes a chronology of ceramic production and discusses
issues such as the relationship between Sukhothai and Sawankhalok kilns,
the discovery of exported Burmese celadon wares and the location of
Vietnamese production sites.The author, the late Dr Roxanna M. Brown,
was the founding director of the Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum,
Bangkok University and a world expert in Southeast Asia ceramics.
CAVES OF NORTHERN THAILAND
M ore caves have been reported in the eight northern
provinces of Thailand – Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai,
Lamphun, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan and Phrae –
than in any other region.The most extensively surveyed area is Pang
Ma Pha district in Mae Hong Son province where 176 caves have been
recorded. As a result of expeditions by the French many new endemic
troglobitic species have been discovered. Accounts by early European
travellers such as Carl Bock have also provided useful information.
Nevertheless many caves remain to be unexplored.Thus the 100 caves
selected for this book are only a small percentage of the 2,000 or so
caves in Northern Thailand.They include many of the most spectacular
wild caves, the famous temple caves and archaeological sites.The book
covers all aspects of caves including their geology, environment,
archaeology, temples and folklore as well as giving tips on their safe
exploration and photography. Also available in Thai.
This book is an extremely well-researched, carefully constructed
publication that is a credit to both the authors and the publisher; it is
definitely one of those rare books and will surely become the bible of
caves in that region. An unusual, and truly impressive work.
‘Descent’ Journal of Speleology,
December 2006
BUDDHIST ART
An Historical and Cultural Journey
Gilles Béguin
400 pages, 310 x 240 mm, Hardback
680 colour illustrations 22 maps and 78 plans
ISBN 978 974 9863 87 9
B uddhism and its art represent the one truly unifying factor
of the entire Asian continent and has become a fundamen-
tal part of our shared world heritage. However, to draw a
unique portrait of this art in a single work is a formidable under-
taking due to the great plurality in traditions spanning different
countries and regions over various epochs. Furthermore, the
variability in the state of conservation of Buddhist monuments and their decorations provides additional
challenges.
A passionate scholar of Buddhist art, Gilles Béguin has organised his synthesis in the form of a histori-
cal atlas.Therefore, together with photography, plans and reconstructions of the monuments and their
artwork, this publication also contains previously unpublished cartography.The author takes the reader
on an historical and cultural journey across the vast continent of Asia stretching from India, Sri Lanka
and Gandhara to countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and Burma in Southeast Asia up to the Himalayan
kingdoms of Nepal and Tibet before arriving at the far eastern civilisations of China, Korean and Japan.
Aware of the difficulties arising from jargon-laden works on Buddhist art and iconography, Gilles
Béguin has endeavoured to employ a more clear and concise usage of specialist terminology to allow this
book to act as a starting point for those who wish to deepen their knowledge and study of the subject.
EARLY CULTURES OF MAINLAND SOUTHEAST ASIA
Charles Higham
T his synthesis of the latest archaeological discoveries in Southeast
Asia begins with the early hunter gatherers and concludes with
the early states, with particular reference to Angkor. New ideas
and interpretations abound. Rice farming is now documented in the
Yangzi Valley, whence it spread south; copper and bronze casting is seen
as an extension via China of a process that began in the Near East. In
conjunction with his own excavations in Northeast Thailand, Higham
reviews the important culture of the Iron Age that heralded the transi-
tion to early states.
376 pages, 253 x 182 mm
Paperback, 558 colour
This book is the only up-to-date account of the early cultures of a
illustrations 30 maps and 67 plans huge area and is a unique compendium essential for all those interested
ISBN 974 8225 70 4 in this region.
37
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:42 PM Page 38

KHMER CERAMICS IMAGES OF THE GODS

Beauty and Meaning
Vittorio Roveda

Dawn F. Rooney
With contributions by Krisda Pinsri &
Pariwat Thammapreechakorn
Photography by Robert McLeod
T he myths and legends of the Khmers displayed in low
reliefs in all the major temples in Cambodia,Thai-
land and Laos are examined in depth and richly illus-
trated in this authoritative volume by authorVittorio
Roveda. Stories of the gods and human actors in the great
epics of the Mahabharata, Ramayana and the Puranas are
262 pages, 300 x 245 mm,
brought to life in greater detail than ever before. A new em-
Hardback, 300 colour illustration phasis is given to Buddhist visual narratives of the life of the
ISBN 978 974 9863 88 6 544 pages, 240 x 170 mm Buddha and the Jatakas. In addition, unusual animal and hu-
Hardback
2,000 colour illustrations
manoid creatures on the cusp between myth and fantasy, are
illustrated.

T his magnificent book explores the mean-

ing of Khmer ceramics both in terms of
their function and their aesthetics, draw-
ing on the 160 superlative pieces collected by
Yothin Tharahirunchot over a 30-year period.
while the two Thai scholars, Krisda Pinsri and
Pariwat Thammapreechakorn discuss hitherto
understudied areas of Khmer ceramics.
Robert McLeod, an internationally renowned
photographer, provides evocative photographs of
ISBN 974 9863 03 8
DVD with 860 additional images
SACRED ANGKOR
The Carved Reliefs of AngkorWat

Renowned ceramics expert Dawn F. Rooney

provides an authoritative discussion of each piece
this superlative collection.
T his in depth study focuses
on the wealth of information
contained in the almost 1,000
square metres of magnificent bas-re-
Vittorio Roveda
Photography Jaroslav Poncar

290 pages, 253 x 170 mm

BAYON – New Perspectives liefs, the corner pavilions and the
Paperback,
pediments of one of the world’ great- 265 duotone illustrations
Edited by Joyce Clark
est religious monuments. ISBN 974 8225 83 6
Contributors: Ang Choulean, Olivier Cunin, Claude Jacques,
TS Maxwell, Vittorio Roveda, Anne-Valerie Schweyer,
Peter D Sharrock, Michael Vickery and Hiram Woodward
BUDDHIST PAINTING IN CAMBODIA

N ine researchers probe the mysteries of this extraordinary monument

and its giant face towers built by King JayavarmanVII in the early
13th century. Bayon: New perspectives brings together for the first time
leading scholars whose insights challenge, not always in consensus, many of
Vittorio Roveda and Sothorn Yem

416 pages, 240 x 170 mm

Hardback, 242 photographs,
87 diagrams and 3 maps
ISBN 978 974 9863 47 3
the earlier interpretations of the Bayon's art, architecture and inscriptions.
Claude Jacques gives a close-up of Jayavarman's life and family.T.S.
Maxwell looks at the Bayon 'short inscriptions' and the unique Buddhist-
Hindu-ancestral religion of Jayavarman. Olivier Cunin uses new technology
to chart the temple's architectural design changes. Peter Sharrock finds signs
of Tantric Buddhism and suggest the BuddhaVajrasattva for the face towers.
Anne-Valerie Schweyer uses the inscriptions of the neighbouring Chams to
throw new light on the king's psychology and life, charted byVittorio Roveda
in the detailed political reliefs of the Bayon's outer gallery. Ang Choulean
provides the present-day local folklore associated with the monument. Finally
HiramWoodward, provides a masterly preface, while MichaelVickery’s
rigourous editing and Joyce Clark’s energy permeates every page.
T his lavishly-illustrated book documents the rich
Buddhist cultural heritage of Cambodia.
After a discussion of Buddhist art in general, the
authors highlight the most important mural paintings, as
well as the architecture of the temples in which they are
housed, painting techniques and narrative systems.
The authors describe over 100 viharas with mural paint-
ings throughout Cambodia, illustrated in 630 colour pho-
tographs many of which have never been published before.
With the philosophy that more merit is gained from
donations to new viharas rather than the restoration of old
328 pages, 279 x 213 mm
ones, this book is a beautiful and important record of Hardback, 630 colour illustrations
Cambodian Buddhist painting, both traditional and modern. ISBN 978 974 9863 52 7

38 39
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:42 PM Page 40
320 pages, 270 x 280 mm
Hardback, 369 illustrations,
360 in colour 5 temple plans, 5 maps
ISBN 978 974 9863 80 0 (English)
ISBN 2 88086 275 2 (French)
THE KHMER EMPIRE
Cities and Sanctuaries from
the 5th to the 13th Century
Claude Jacques & Philippe Lafond
I n this companion volume to Angkor – Cities &
Temples, Claude Jacques, explores the achieve-
ments and developments of the Khmer people at
sotes beyond Angkor. From the early pre-Angkorean
site of Funan to the reign of King JayavarmanVII, the
author journies beyond the well-known sites around
AngkorWat.The virtual tour of exquisite Khmer
architecture ranges from the cliff-top PreahVihear
overlooking the Cambodian plain, to the mysterious
site of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay and the temple-
in-the forest of Beng Mealea, to mention but a few.
Superbly photographed by Philippe Lafond, the
book includes site plans, old photographs, aerial shots
of the ancient cities and detailed photographs show-
ing the reliefs and other magnificent carvings.
280 pages, 300 x 245 mm
Hardback, 400 colour illustrations
including 42 maps and plans
ISBN 974 9863 30 5
40
ANGKOR – Cities and Temples
Claude Jacques
Photography Michael Freeman
A t its height, the Khmer empire stretched
from Angkor in Cambodia as far west as
Muang Singh on the border of present-day
Burma and Thailand and as far north as Wat Phu on
the banks of the Mekong river.
Renowned French epigrapher Claude Jacques
has studied Angkor and its surrounding cities, dating
from the 8th to the 14th centuries, for over 40 years.
His scholarly but accessible text is united with the
superlative photography of Michael Freeman, who
has been visiting Angkor for 20 years.
ANGKOR MAP
Michael Freeman
T his large map with
detailed plans and colour
photographs of 22 key
sites, a map of Siem Reap and
information on iconography and
chronology has been recently
updated and revised.
ISBN 974 8900 70 3 (English)
ISBN 974 8225 61 5 (Japanese)
240 pages, 240 x 170 mm
Paperback, 360 colour illustrations,
47 temple plans, 5 maps
ISBN 978 974 9863 81 7 (English)
ISBN 978 974 9863 82 4 (French)
ISBN 978 974 9863 83 1 (Japanese)
ISBN 978 974 9863 84 8 (German)
Colin Poole
Photography Eleanor Briggs
172 pages, 230 x 250 mm
Hardback, over 200 colour
illustrations ISBN 974 9863 15 1
ANCIENT ANGKOR
Claude Jacques and Michael Freeman
T he Khmer civilization centred on Angkor was one of the most
remarkable in Southeast Asia. Between the 8th and the 13th
centuries, a succession of Hindu and Buddhist kings created
magnificent temples in stone adorned with elaborate carvings. Ancient
Angkor embodies the fruits of a collaboration between renowned French
scholar, Claude Jacques, and photographer Michael Freeman.
Temples are grouped into easy-to-visit itineraries, and with compre-
hensive plans, useful hotel and travel information, Ancient Angkor is an
invaluable companion guide.
UPDATED AND REVISED EDITION. BEWARE CHEAP FAKES!
RUINS OF ANGKOR
Cambodia in 1909
Piere Dieulefils
Texts by Louis Finot &
Lunet de la Jonquière
152 pages, 210 x 275 mm, Hardback
Over 200 duotone illustrations
ISBN 974 8225 80 1
O ver a century ago, when the French, through the l'Ecole
Francaise d'Extreme-Orient, managed Angkor and its
environs, the temples were magnificently photographed by
Piere Dieulefils and expertly documented by Louis Finot.This important
record allows us to compare past and present.
TONLE SAP – Heart of Cambodia’s Natural Heritage
T he Tonle Sap is also known as Cambodia’s Great Lake.While in
the dry season the lake ‘only’ extends some 150 km in length and
around 20 km in width. at the peak of the wet season, the Tonle
Sap can expand to some 250 kilometres long and in places more than
100 kilometres wide, giving a total increase from 2,500 to about 13,000
square kilometres.
Colin Poole, Director ofWSC Asia, examines all aspects of this
fascinating and beautiful lake – environment, fauna, history, culture
and future – accompanied by evocative and memorable photographs by
Eleanor Briggs.
41
Cat 1-43:Layout 1 9/13/10 7:43 PM Page 42

CAMBODIAN DANCE
Celebration of the Gods
Denise Heywood

144 pages, 250 X 230 mm, hardback

300 illustrations with 208 in full colour
ISBN 978 974 9863 40 4

This isn’t simply a book for everyone interested in South Asian

dance, though it is certainly that.This is a book for everyone
interested in dance.
Bill Harpe, DancingTimes, September 2009

I n Cambodia, classical dance is the quintes-

sence of the country’s identity. An art form
that was religious in origin, its traditions date
back more than a thousand years to the great
Khmer empire. Dancers performed in temples at
Angkor and were the living embodiment of those
celestial dancers carved on the temple walls.
The history of Cambodian dance, the rela-
tionship with Siamese costumes, the role of the
French in introducing the dancers to the west, the
Reamker epic from which many of the dances are
drawn and the stories of dancers who survived the
dark period in Cambodian history to revive classi-
cal dance today are all related in this fascinating
and beautifully illustrated book.
Denise Heywood lived and worked in Cambo-
dia for many years, making a special study of
Khmer dance.

ANCIENT LUANG PRABANG

Denise Heywood

214 pages, 240 x 170 mm

Paperback
315 colour and 63 b/w photographs
ISBN 978 974 9863 66 4 (English)
ISBN 978 974 9863 65 7 (French)

In addition, the author discusses the architec-

H igh in the mist-shrouded mountains of

northern Laos, cut through by the
Mekong river, is Luang Prabang, a
remote town of Buddhist temples and barefoot
monks. Luang Prabang is a treasure trove of sacred
art dating from the 17th century. 36 important
Buddhist temples, elaborately carved and exquis-
itely frescoed and gilded are described and illus-
trated.
tural contributions of the French colonisers.Today,
the combination of traditional Lao architecture
and elegant colonial buildings have made Luang
Prabang one of the most beautiful and best pre-
served towns in Southeast Asia, well deserving of
its designation as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
Denise Heywood is a freelance lecturer, journal-
ist and photographer specialising in Southeast Asia.

42 43
 The Moon PrinceSS
Memories of the Shan States
Sao Nang Mya Sanda has, at the wonderful
age of 80, graced us with a remarkable
memoir that rides on history’s elephantine
Sanda Simms
back out of Burma’s northern hills and
across the world... Its reach extends far from
the Shan mountains to touch on matters of
great historical and social importance - and
matters of the swelling heart as well.
310 pages, 240 x 170 mm Paul Dorsey
Paperback, 162 b/w illustrations The Nation, March 2, 2008
ISBN 978 974 9863 37 4
It is a personal account of a family caught up in
N arrated by the eldest daughter of Sao
Shwe Thaike, The Moon Princess is both an
autobiography and at the same time
provides a fascinating memoir of her father who,
in 1948, became first President of the Union of
political turmoil which led to the loss of a brother
and a father, the first during the coup and the
latter, in military custody. Studying at Cambridge,
Sanda, met her English husband, Peter Simms and
Burma. Shedescribes growing up in the Shan later they lived in Rangoon against a background
States and records the changes that occurred dur- of political upheaval until the end of democratic
ing the periods of British colonial rule, war and rule forced them to leave their home and their
Japanese occupation, the return of the British ad- country, never to return.
ministration, the troubled years after Burma’s in-
dependence and the military takeover in 1962.
The Shan – Culture, Art and Crafts
It is beautifully produced and written... worth buying for the illustrations
alone: not just for the colour photographs of Shan arts and crafts but also for
t h e
wonderful collection of historical black and white photographs that the author
has assembled. The book also makes a valuable and fascinating scholarly
contribution to a little studied and poorly understood part of the Tai world.
Martin Stuart-Fox
Journal of the Siam Society, 2007Vol. 95
T he culture of the Shan peoples of Burma and their rulers
is extensively explored in this volume. Shan courts
flourished in the late British colonial period and here rare
Susan Conway
early photographs, never before published, document life in the
courts and in the hill regions of Shan dominion. Textile historian
Susan Conway focuses on dress in the Shan states as well as on
historical chronicles, to define a fascinating people of old Burma.
212 pages, 280 x 215 mm
Hardback Over 300 colour illustrations
Lavish illustrations bring to life a rich cultural tradition of
ISBN 974 9863 06 2 mainland Southeast Asia.
44
early landScaPeS of MyanMar
Elizabeth H. Moore
The cornucopia of newly published dis-cover-
ies, skillfully woven together with more well-
known material, makes this essential reading
for those interested in the early history of
Myanmar and mainland Southeast Asia. As
such, it is a landmark that one hopes will en-
272 pages, 240 x 170 mm
Paperback, over 400 colour
courage similar publications.
and 60 b/w illustrations Donald Stadtner
with 44 maps and plans Journal of the Siam Society Vol. 97, 2009
ISBN 974 9863 31 3
T his book describes the emergence of the
Buddhist landscapes of Myanmar. The au-
thoritative text is framed by the artefacts,
sites and ecology of Upper and Lower Myanmar,
The author's extensive fieldwork with Myan-
mar academics over the last decade provides an
original perspective on the catalysts that structure
landscape interaction, enabling expansion of agri-
with coverage of the Paleolithic, Neolithic, culture, resource utilization and international
Bronze-iron chiefdoms that preceded Hindu-Bud- trade networks. The archaeology is linked to
dhist walled polities of the first millennium AD. Yunnan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and South
Views and descriptions of sites, many not pub- Asia. The central theme, however, remains the re-
lished in English before, include Letpanchibaw, lationship between man and the environment.
Htaukmagon, Moegyobyin, Badigon, Ta- gaung,
Halin, Sriksetra, Thaton and Dawei.
Shwedagon – Golden Pagoda of Myanmar
Elizabeth Moore,
Hansjörg Mayer and U Win Pe
192 pages, 245 x 223 mm
Hardback, 235 illustrations
175 in colour
ISBN 974 8225 46 1
Archaeologist Elizabeth Moore and Burmese
F or centuries the golden stupa of the
Shwedagon, the pagoda enshrining the sa-
cred hairs of the Buddha, has dominated
the landscape of Rangoon becoming the spiritual
symbol of the entire Burmese nation. Few other
scholar U Win Pe discuss the history of the
stupa, illustrated by many old pictures and plans,
while a typical visit is captured in photographs by
Hansjörg Mayer.
countries have a shrine such as this, ancient yet
so much a part of today.
45
 ManTleS of MeriT The SecreTS of SouTheaST
Chin Textiles from Myanmar, India and aSian TexTileS
Bangladesh Myth, Status and the Supernatural
David W. & Barbara G. Fraser The James H W Thompson
288 pages, 280 x 215 mm Foundation Symposium Papers
Hardback, 650 colour illustrations Edited by Jane Puranananda
ISBN 974 9863 01 1

216 pages, 275 x 217 mm,

...the authors have exceeded expectations.Their photographs of textiles, Paperback with over 300 colour illustrations
textile production, people, and environment are both beautiful and ISBN 978 974 9863 38 1
informative.The book bears witness to the exquisite sublety and beauty
tiles) Gillian Green (Cambodian hangings), John Guy,
of the textiles of the Chin, for whom textiles are the primary art form.
Rebecca Hall,
Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 126.4 2006
F fifteen renowned scholars discover the meanings
behind traditional textiles, which played an im-
portant role in concepts of power and kingship and are
Roy Hamilton and Robyn Maxwell (Indonesian textiles),
Susan Conway (the Shan), Barbara and David Fraser,
also closely associated with religioous beliefs. Vibha Joshi and Piriya Krairiksh (minority groups in

T he rich textile heritage of the Chin emphasizes

grand blankets and intricate tunics of home-
spun cotton, flax, hemp and silk, dyed with
indigo and lac, and woven on a back-tension loom. In
considering Chin textiles the authors describe their
The book represents research by leading scholars
who participated in The James H W Thompson Foun-
dation symposium in August, 2005. Authors include
Diana K Myers (Bhutanese and Southeast Asian tex-
Myanmar), Patricia Cheesman and Linda McIntosh
(Laos), Leedom Lefferts and Suriya Smutkupt (Buddhism
and textiles), Thirabhand Chandrachareon (Thai bro-
cades), and Michael Howard (Tai peoples of Vietnam).

beauty, technical virtuosity and their integral role in Through The Thread of TiMe
the Chin effort to achieve merit in this life and the Southeast Asian Textiles
next. The inter-relationships between the Chin and
The James H W Thompson 182 pages, 275 x 217 mm,
their neighbours are also discussed. Paperback
Winner of the Millia Davenport Publication Symposium Papers
220 full colour illustrations
Award, 2006 for the best book on costume and the R. Edited by Jane Puranananda ISBN 974 8225 76 3
L. Shep Book Award, 2007 as the best book on ethnic
textiles.

Thai TexTileS Silken ThreadS lacquer ThroneS

T his highly-illustrated book presents the insights of 12 cholars
into the textiles of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar,
Thailand and Vietnam. Authors include Mattiebelle Gittenger,
John Guy, Susan Conway and Gillian Green. Topics cover such diverse
subjects as Shan and Thai court dress, Khmer textiles and Cham weaving.
Lan Na Court Textiles
Susan Conway Susan Conway
T he pictorial representations
of Cambodian silk hangings,
pidan, are unique in mainland
Southeast Asia. Many of the few
PicTorial
caMbodian TexTileS

surviving antique textiles visualise Gillian Green

192 pages, 270 x 207 mm
Paperback
160 colour illustrations
ISBN 974 8225 79 8
282 pages, 280 x 215 mm Buddhist themes – a response in silk to
Hardback similar images in other media also used 166 pages, 230 x 250 mm
Over 300 colour illustrations Paperback,
in community religious practice.
ISBN 974 8225 65 8
This book illuminates many facets of 278 colour illustrations
ISBN 978 974 9863 39 8

T hailand’s rich textile heritage ranges from sim-

ple cotton blankets and ceremonial banners to
luxurious silks with gold and silver thread.
T he unique character of the 19th century
Lan Na culture of Northern Thailand is seen
in its sumptuous textiles and court dress re-
flecting a diverse cultural heritage. In addition,
Susan Conway situates this textile history within
Over the centuries weavers from neighbouring coun-
the context of the complex marital and political
tries have further enhanced the variety and quality of
alliances of the time.
textiles and weaving patterns.
these spectacular cloths. Assembling
for the first time a comprehensive col-
lection of pictorial pidan from private
and public collections, many hitherto
Gill Green is to be congratulated on this important contribution to our
understanding of Cambodian textiles. She has carried out this examination
in great detail, with her findings richly illustrated in the high-quality
unpublished, the reader can revel in
plates. . . the book provides an extremely satisfying aesthetic experience.
the wealth of cultural references en-
Milton Osborne, The Asian Arts Society of Australia, Vol. 18, no. 1
coded in the patterns.

46 47
 oxford-duden PicTorial
oxford river bookS engliSh-Thai dicTionary
engliSh-Thai dicTionary
866 pages, 242 x 162 mm
Hardback, over 30,000 line illustrations
Revised in 2009 with ISBN 974 8900 75 4
3,000 new words and phrases.

1,084 pages, 255 x 180 mm

Hardback
ISBN 978 974 9863 79 4

T he result of over 12 years preparation,

this is the most comprehensive English-
Thai dictionary in the world. Based on
the unparelled experience of Oxford University
Press in dictionary making, the Translation Cen-
560 pages, 195 x 130 mm
Paperback
ISBN 978 974 9863 61 9

tre at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok has PockeT oxford-river bookS

produced a dictionary which captures the id-
iomatic, colloquial, spoken and written character
of English. Incorporating over 230,000 words
and phrases, with many helpful in text boxes, a
selection of useful phrases and a list of irregular
verbs, it is a dynamic passport to the English
language for native Thai speakers.
At the same time, it enables advanced Thai
learners to develop their Thai language skills and
includes a section on the characteristics of the
Thai language and a list of all key government
organisations.
engliSh-Thai dicTionary
T his edition which translates the best-sell-
ing Pocket Oxford dictionary into Thai
will provide the best coverage of modern
English-Thai available in a smaller sized diction-
ary. Its accessible, jargon-free style makes it the
first choice for everyday reference needs. 65,000
entries and translations and 75,000 definitions
are given, with helpful labelling of informal and
slang terms designed to improve your command
of the language.

48