The King of Bangkok (ethnoGRAPHIC)

The English translation of this best-selling graphic novel tells the story of Nok, an old blind man who sells lottery tickets in Bangkok, as he decides to leave the city and return to his native village. Through reflections on contemporary Bangkok and flashbacks to his past, Nok reconstructs a journey through the slums of migrant workers, the rice fields of Isaan, the tourist villages of Ko Pha Ngan, and the Red Shirt protests of 2010. Based on a decade of anthropological research, The King of Bangkok is a story of migration to the city, distant families in the countryside, economic development eroding the land, and violent political protest. Ultimately, it is a story about contemporary Thailand and how the waves of history lift, engulf, and crash against ordinary people. "Based on a decade of interviews and archival research, the English translation of this best-selling graphic novel tells the story of Nok, an old blind man who sells lottery tickets in Bangkok, as he decides to leave the urban capital and return to his native village. The King of Bangkok follows Nok as he walks the streets of the city for the last time, trying to get rid of his last five lottery tickets. With each ticket he sells, he encounters something that brings him back to a period of his life, from his arrival in Bangkok all the way to the Red Shirt protests of 2010. Through an alternation of reflections on contemporary Bangkok and flashbacks to his past, we reconstruct Nok's story, the love story with his wife Gai, and the ups and downs of their migrant lives, as well as those of an entire country around them. This is a story of migration to the city and distant families in the countryside; economic development eroding the land, and of political protest choked in blood. Ultimately, it is a story about contemporary Thailand and how the waves of history lift, engulf, or crash two ordinary people. A perfect entry into the history of contemporary Thailand, this book is essential reading for both students and travelers."-- Provided by publisher "Based on a decade of interviews and archival research, the English translation of this best-selling graphic novel tells the story of Nok, an old blind man who sells lottery tickets in Bangkok, as he decides to leave the urban capital and return to his native village. The King of Bangkok follows Nok as he walks the streets of the city for the last time, trying to get rid of his last five lottery tickets. With each ticket he sells, he encounters something that brings him back to a period of his life, from his arrival in Bangkok all the way to the Red Shirt protests of 2010. Through an alternation of reflections on contemporary Bangkok and flashbacks to his past, we reconstruct Nok's story, the love story with his wife Gai, and the ups and downs of their migrant lives, as well as those of an entire country around them. This is a story of migration to the city and distant families in the countryside; economic development eroding the land, and of political protest choked in blood. Ultimately, it is a story about contemporary Thailand and how the waves of history lift, engulf, or crash two ordinary people. A perfect entry into the history of contemporary Thailand, this book is essential reading for both students and travelers."--Source inconnue Dedication 6 Contents 8 Foreword • Nick Sousanis 8 Preface 12 Prelude 14 Chapter One 19 Chapter Two 55 Chapter Three 89 Chapter Four 131 Chapter Five 163 Acknowledgments 222 Appendix I: Timeline of Events 224 Appendix II: Interview with the Authors 230 Appendix III: Reading Guide 240 Appendix IV: Further Readings 244 Appendix V: This Is Not an Essay 248 Appendix VI: The (In)Visible Process of Building a Narrative 256 Appendix VII: Point of View 262 This Beautifully Illustrated Graphic Novel Tells The History Of Contemporary Thailand Through The Life Of A Blind Man Who Walks On The Streets Of The Capital For The Last Time.