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Book Review: by Lang Reid
Falangs in Thailand
 Michael
J Baird has become well known in Pattaya (and now Thailand) with his most
insightful cartoons published in the Pattaya Mail. Four years ago, he
was interviewed for the Pattaya Mail and was described as “… often
seen walking through the streets of Pattaya with a beatific smile on his
face, a straw hat perched jauntily on his head with MJB on the hatband, a
small pony tail poking out underneath and the fashionable number three cut
greying stubble. Mike is an artist.”
That was four years ago, but he has not changed, although he may be slightly
more grey! You can still find Mike most days, just wandering around the
streets of Pattaya, watching people and getting the ideas for further
cartoons, and he has now collated 100 of them into book form called “Falangs
in Thailand, Adult Colored Cartoon Book”.
The difference between this book and other cartoon books is that on the
facing page he gives an explanation of how or why the cartoon was done. For
example, he writes “I saw this sign offering drinks at ‘Buy one get one
free’. But the sign said ‘Ladies Night’ so I thought it meant ‘Buy one lady
and you get one free’,” so of course the cartoon has the man with his two
ladies saying, “Thailand, there’s no place like it!” The interesting fact
with this one is this really did happen. The Henry J Beans outlet on Beach
Road did have that sign until the Pattaya Mail published a photograph of it.
True!
Mike Baird can also see some of the sadder aspects of life in Fun Town,
writing, “For some people, life in paradise isn’t so rosy” with the cartoon
showing a small child holding on to flower sellers saying “I wanna go to
sleep. It’s 3 in the morning.” I think we’ve all seen that one too.
Another very telling vignette has the explanation “What is it that women
have, that guys just lose their brains over? If we could bottle it, we could
rule the world.” The cartoon facing it is entitled “The urge to self
destruct is one of the strongest forces known to man.” The cartoon depicts a
drunk at the bar, whilst the text balloons say “I know she’s only 19 but I
truly love her. She’s different from the rest.” Plus another saying “She
wants a 1,000,000 baht dowry and 20 baht in gold as some sort of
commitment.” Unfortunately, this is just so true. You have seen this so many
times.
At 450 baht this is a cheap book of laughs. Mike’s latest is available at
all Bookazine stores and will provide hours of laughs and guffaws for anyone
who knows the bar culture. Newbies who arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport with
pockets full of National Health Service supplied ‘willy stiffeners’ should
read and digest the meanings behind the cartoons before approaching Walking
Street. It is, however, as the title suggests, an ‘adult’ book so there is
the more than occasional coarse language, but I believe that even the
vicar’s daughter would have heard it all by now anyway!
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