This is all a shame because Joe Cummings is definately a real Thai guru and knows more about the place than I will surely ever know - with Joe's knowledge and Bangkok's amazing intensity and variety this book could be so much better.

LP could and should make this guide more detailed, more accurate and revert to their old style. Until then I would recommend getting the Thailand country guide and then, if you are staying in BKK for more than a week, getting the Time Out Guide to Bangkok to give more in depth city info.


Lonely Planet is still the best; Joe is one of their top 3.   April 5, 1999
 3 out of 8 found this review helpful

Any travel guide is out of date before it's printed, L.P. is no exception. L.P. Bangkok is still compact, very current, and speaking as a resident in the Pacific Rim, quite useful. The City Guides blend a "coffee table" book feel with useful info for backpackers, ex-pats, and "silk sheet set" tourists.

Any Thai guide must address the flesh trade without sounding a dinner bell for sex tourists, and Joe seems to walk this line nicely. (L.P. always seems to discourage travel for sex & drugs, though rock and roll seems to always merit it's own section.)

RE: Other L.P. Thai guides The On A Shoestring guides are always the most bang-for-your buck, and always a damned good idea for border excursions. If you've got the bucks, I don't think that all 4 formats (City Guide, Travel Survival Kit, On A Shoestring, and Phrase Book) are excessive. My only regret is that the Tokyo City Guide is now in a "standard" format, not the "shirt-pocket" size of the previous editions, nor the "mini" of the phrasebooks. I hope that the other guides retain their current size.