Pattaya Pains Audiobook By Jonathan Finch cover art

Pattaya Pains

Essays, Observations, Stories & Real-Life Tales from Thailand & Its Fun City, Pattaya

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Pattaya Pains

By: Jonathan Finch
Narrated by: Nigel R. Gore
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.95

Buy for $14.95

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Thailand, the land of smiles and golden dreams, is languishing, and Pattaya, its biggest fun city, is succumbing to a thousand ills. Pattaya Pains is about living in Pattaya over the long term. Even though the collection of essays, stories, and observations herein would relish the golden dream of painting Pattaya as a romantic hotspot where Thais and foreigners bond, it can’t do so - not only because East is East and West is West, but also because Thais just don’t see foreigners in a good light. Sure, we bring in the bucks to the Land of Smiles, but we are aliens who do not understand Thai ways, Thai culture, and Thai traditions. There is another problem, as well. Thailand is deeply conservative, and its education system is worlds apart from a Western one.

Thailand sides with uniformity of thought and behavior, going out of its way to dismiss other modes of thinking. The country has profound pockets of poverty, and despite examples of countries with social mobility, Thailand operates a tacit, accepted caste-system, reinforced by conformity, uniformity, and its undemocratic leaders who regularly threaten “outspoken” people with punishment while claiming to be lenient.

“I will hit you with this law but remember I have not hit you with that law because of my great clemency.” Your average Thai looks at foreigners with contempt and resentment, is patriotic, self-serving, irresponsible, and thoughtless.

Pattaya Pains finds these matters and many others, like the death rate on the roads, painful...to say the least. As the nameless crone at the beginning of the book cackles, “Go on, luvvie, give yourself a treat. Learn why Thailand isn’t the Land of Smiles. Learn why Pattaya is Pain City not Fun City!”

©2020 Jonathan Finch (P)2020 Jonathan Finch
Asia Travel Writing & Commentary City
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Pattaya Pains

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Grew on me…

When I began listening I thought the author was an overly jaded and pretentious British git. But over time I had to concede he does make some thoughtful remarks and shares some interesting insights about the life of an ex-Pat in Thailand. Despite his cynicism, I felt he does love the country and his criticisms were not mean spirited. In the end i was glad I listened to the audiobook.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!