Rattawut Lapcharoensap, Sightseeing, 2004

A lively and colourful collection of stories of everyday Thai life, all set in either Bangkok or the beaches of Thailand, where the demands of Western tourism define the lives of some of the disenfranchised locals. Lapcharoensap, an Americanised Thai, writes in such a refreshing and uncomplicated way that even the worst fates to befall his colourful characters are somehow given a redeeming twist, portraying his people as unremittingly optimistic in the face of considerable personal adversity. One down side is that several stories are left open-ended and feel like the opening chapters of unfinished novels, nevertheless, he’s clearly a very promising writer to watch.  PY