As always there is detailed information about the culture and history of Thailand. However, for many the focus is on the practicalities of finding accommodation and getting where you're going (once you have used the handy maps to figure out where you are). Particularly useful are the suggested itineraries which give an idea of what you can fit in whether you are staying for a couple of weeks or several months. For those wanting to concentrate their stay on the main attractions of Bangkok and Thailand's coastal regions, Lonely Planet: Thailand's Islands and Beaches is perhaps a better bet. However, if you fancy being a little more adventurous and seeing more of Thailand, Lonely Planet: Thailand is certainly a good place to start. --Caroline Butler

I'm not going to complain, like a previous reviewer, that the book assumes you can speak and read Thai. The authors always warn you if a particular restaurant has no English menu or sign, for instance, so if you can't read the language, you know to choose another restaurant. I do think, though, that the authors should take into account that prices tend to be much higher for lots of commodities - taxis and tuk-tuks, above all - if you happen to be a non-Thai-speaking foreigner. I've set out a couple of times on a journey which Lonely Planet has assured me will cost 30 baht by public sawngthaew (pick-up truck), only to arrive at the bus stop as the only customer and find drivers insisting that I charter the vehicle for 500 baht. You would need good spoken Thai and good haggling skills to avoid these sort of situations. Of course if you travel to a country where you don't know the language things are bound to be difficult at times, but I think Lonely Planet should take those difficulties into account.

Of course the chapters on Southern Thailand will now have to be updated in the light of the recent tsunami tragedy, not to mention continuing unrest in the Muslim-majority provinces in the far south. But no guide book can keep pace with events such as those.


Excellent account of the whole picture   October 9, 2002
 19 out of 28 found this review helpful

This is an excellent guide book for those interested in all aspects of Thailand, not just for tourists looking to have a fun fortnight on the beach. It is written by someone who clearly understands and loves the country.
Those who complain that he refers to places where no English is spoken should take into account that English is not spoken in most of the country. However, I believe English is spoken widely in Blackpool and Benidorm.


New LP Thailand a mixed bag   February 9, 2002
 10 out of 18 found this review helpful

LP's latest edition of its Thailand guide is useful in its maps, info on transport infrastructure, and in some places its accomodation suggestions, apart from that it bears all the hallmarks of a book compiled by Joe Cummings from an office in Bangkok: much of the information has not changed since the last edition and some is inaccurate.......As with most LP's though, its worth [it] just for its back up potential while you're on the road


Great Book! Vital for the Traveller!   January 15, 2002
 16 out of 17 found this review helpful

The book is great in terms of getting about, interesting things to see and places to go....... Never use the book to heavily plan a trip - it won't happen. In Thailand, as in all SE Asia, transport is unreliable and departure times, as with prices, regularly change... but relax and you'll get there eventually. It is a must for the traveller and is a lot better than any of the competition (in my experience)


Absolutely Horrendous   April 16, 2001
This has to be the worst guidebook I have ever used in any of the countries I have visited.

Mr. Cummings, the author, can read and write fluent Thai (Kudos to him) but does not appreciate that most of those using his book neither have the time or inclination to study the language effectively. A number of places he recommends for either shopping or eating are only of use if one can speak Thai, as he mentions that there is no English spoken, nor any English menus etc. Furthermore he will recommend places that do not have English signs, yet fails to put the Thai name in the book, making even finding some of these places extremely difficult. One might try to argue that the phrasebook part of the book would make up for this inadequacy, but far from it. It adds to the confusion. Mr. Cummings decided to use the most bizarre method of transliteration known to man. It requires a doctorate in cryptoanalysis to try and work out how he has used those characters in the Latin script to resemble the sound in question. For example a hundred in Thai would be transliterated Loy or Loi by most people, yet somehow Mr. Cummings thinks Rawy is the easiest way to write it, where did he learn English?

The maps in this guidebook are also absolutely horrendous. Their inaccuracies are so bad that one must wonder whether Mr. Cummings even visited the places. The scales are often so wildly out that six kilometres appears as one kilometre on the map for a small town that maybe only measures about six kilometres from one end to another.

The only good thing about this book is that its inadequacies prompted me to learn basic spoken and written Thai. The paper in this book is not even very absorbent, so it missed its true calling.