“A veritable masterpiece of the genre… Very Bangkok is a sophisticated treatment that gives ultimate respect to the reader… The standard from which any future examination of Bangkok, if any dare attempt it, will be measured by… Cornwel-Smith’s book is a celebration of a city that can be seen anew in its pages. It is also an honest look at the perverse distortions caused by this type of primate city.”

Like a drone hovering over the City of Angels, Philip Cornwel-Smith’s new book Very Bangkok records, synthesizes and ultimately reveals a high-definition view of the city. It’s a fun read during normal, happy-go-lucky times. In this challenging COVID-19 era, the book becomes a secret revealer: a dense up-to-date reference point of the Bangkok phenomenon. Cornwel-Smith leaves almost no names out (and they are all the right names), and that is perhaps why it took him over a decade to complete it after Very Thai.

The book starts and finishes on the river, from the city’s origins as a trading post and sacred island to today’s riverside creative resurgence. In between, we get to explore its many contradictions, whether chic or street, elite or pop, ancient or futuristic.

We encounter vivid subcultures, such as the informal markets, youth tribes and ethnic identities, from Muslims and Mons to the majority Thai-Chinese. Behind the myths of Thainess, we discover the essence of Bangkokness.

Reference to Very Bangkok.

“The chapters are all about as long as an in-flight magazine article, and while they’re densely packed with information they’re written in a very engaging and readable prose. Often, even a witty prose… These are books you’ll still be referring to twenty years down the road… Nobody but Mr. Cornwel-Smith takes dives this deep. I salute you. And I thank you, because you’ve done a huge favor for all of us.”

“The beautiful, bad and ugly stories from Bangkok are very well captured here, presented in in-depth historical, political, social and cultural context, which link with its current, contemporary state. [This] can also give you contextual sense of the very recent youth-led pro-democratic rallies in the city, which tourists who picture Thailand as a paradise might find puzzling. You are in for some surprises thanks to Cornwel-Smith's deep insight.”

You are in for some new surprises about the city thanks to Cornwel-Smith’s deep insight into the place, aided by multi-sensory description methods which, again, live up to what he promises readers in the title.

The historical and political account can also give you contextual sense of the very recent youth-led pro-democratic rallies in the city, which tourists who picture Thailand as a paradise might find puzzling.

“Expertly explores how every hidden secret and cultural anomaly catches our senses and tickles our curiosity.”

“Guiding you down smelly canals, letting your mind stroll around fragrant gardens, and unmasking your misinterpretations on polluted highways, this well-written and deeply insightful guide is a coffee table must. His prose unapologetically frank, full of whimsy, and deliberately evoking.”

“As always, Cornwel-Smith is a master in articulating the unexplainable and shining a light on the invisible.”

A valuable guide to the sorts of Bangkok one can experience without necessarily forcing the reader to agree with the author. …It represents a remarkably comprehensive view of Bangkok’s social phenomena as may be encountered in the street.

“Cornwel-Smith is able to provide a more well-rounded view of Bangkok than a Bangkokian who’s lived in only one area of the city. [He is] is interested not in simply providing niche knowledge on various historical landmarks but in getting under the city’s skin and making sense of its DNA. Many of the observations… might not be the most flattering, but they are honest and important ones that many Thais haven’t dwelled on or even noticed, partly because they are so ingrained in us.”

“Introduce yourself to the Thai capital’s quirkiness with a look through Very Bangkok (2016) by Philip Cornwel-Smith. It’s a follow-up to his similarly captivating Very Thai (2005), with both of these works honing in on the details that give the Thai capital a character found nowhere else. They share the pop culture, superstitions and unexpected style of everyday Bangkok and Thailand.”

“Why do Bangkokians love malls so much and why do they call some Western tourists “bird shit Whiteys?” These answers can be found in in farang Thai expert Philip Cornwel-Smith’s new book “Very Bangkok,” something between a tourist guidebook and an anthropological encyclopedia. …He wants to hold up a krajok hok dan, or six-sided mirror, to the city of eight million.”

“The coverage is remarkable for its range and its depth… Very Bangkok is crammed with information, but delivered like a friend in an informal chat rather than a teacher with a script. This tone invites readers to think about Bangkok but also about cities in general and especially about the new breed of Global City. Apart from anything else, this book tracks the transition from parochial to global beautifully… What comes across, and what makes this a great book, is that love.”