by Lang Reid
Another
long-time expat has been published in Bangkok by Heaven Lake Press. John
Hail, an American journalist who has been in SE Asia for 30 plus years,
has taken 10 years to write his novel Bangkok A-Go-Go (ISBN
974-91588-3-0), which covers the turbulent 70’s and 80’s. It is
fiction, but set in the factual circumstances of the political struggles
that were common in Thailand in those days.
The coups were aplenty then, with one of the
characters, Floyd, describing them, “So they have a coup. So what?
Nothin’ changes man. Just some brass hats playing musical chairs. Hey,
last year the prime minister had a coup against himself!” (Certain words
used by armed forces, starting with f and referring to procreation have
been omitted!)
The skepticism that is always apparent in male banter
just keeps rolling through the book, such as Floyd discussing the
Communist threat, saying, “See how you like it when the commie tanks
come rolling down Sukhumvit.” “Yeah, right,” was the retort. “Like
to see them try it at rush hour.”
The story begins in an American owned bar in Patpong,
post Vietnam, with flash-back reminiscences even recalling Lam Morrison
(one of my favourite guitarists and still (re)living in that era). That
era also had the infamous ‘revolution’ at Thammasat University, and
the main character, US Army deserter Jerry Norpark, is part of that
action. This leads to his being forced to assume the position of being on
the ‘other side’ having been tarred with the brush of Communism, as
were all the students or anyone who dared criticize the current
administration, no matter which one it was that week!
Our man Jerry describes the disintegration of the
‘Leftist’ movement, not being beaten but everyone, other than the
hardliners, just becoming slowly disenchanted. However, Jerry Norpark has
the misfortune to get on the wrong side of an ambitious mafia warlord and
much of the book relates to his continuing battle with the bloodthirsty
Satahn, who wants to see Jerry die from lead poisoning, preferably
administered by a .38.
Intertwined with this are various other characters,
including international newshounds, Kung Fu comrades, various Thai girls,
assorted bars, American congressmen, the Cambodian refugees, Vietnamese
guerrillas, Bangkok bordellos, flop houses and mansions, tuk-tuks and the
orange crush.
This was one helluva book. It held my interest right
the way through to the last page. It keeps the reader enthralled because
despite the apparent outlandishness on the surface, this novel was a
Thailand that anyone who has lived here for some time knows and
understands. This is not the ‘exposing the dark underbelly’ type of
literature, this was telling life like it really was, or should I say,
‘really is’? An excellent book that deserves its place in Thailand’s
expat writing community.
The review copy was sent directly from Heaven Lake Press, and full
scale distribution of the book will start early next year, but advance
publication copies should become available in major bookstores, with an
RRP of 495 baht. Go looking for it. A first class read. I just hope his
next one won’t be 10 years in the gestation.