Thai Lottery... and Other Stories from Pattaya, Thailand

Great stories. I liked it better than Private Dancer.

This is a great collection of short stories with a thread connecting each which exposes the underbelly of Thailand’s Pattaya. Although I haven’t been to Pattaya fro 25 years, Mr Carrell accurately captures the scene that appears to have changed little during the interceding years. Mr Carrall’s writing is articulate and insightful. Highly recommended!

There is a plethora of writing around on the Thai bar scene, and to my mind these books fall into one of two categories.The first type of book revels in the salaciousness of the situation, frequently contains graphic sexual scenes, and reads like it was written to gratify some animal urges of the author rather than for the entertainment of the reader - although I accept there are people around who enjoy this sort of thing, even if it is badly written (which many of these books are). Degradation is a frequent theme.The second type of book takes a more objective, journalistic approach and seeks to understand both the cultural forces at work and the economic and psychological factors involved. Moreover the narrative, rather than lewdness, takes centre stage.The vignettes of 'Thai Lottery' fit firmly within the second category. Carrell paints pictures of damaged, often confused or desperate, people, and gives a taste of the 'real' Pattaya - the misery and delusion behind the mask of smiles.This is a well-written and thoughtful collection of stories, which I am happy to recommend. The more purient reader may want to pass on this, but for those of you who are interested in Thailand, you should grab a copy.

What a great collection of stories from beginning to end. Was sorry when it was all over. Anyone that loves Thailand or has even just been there will enjoy this one. A wonderful insight into the Land of Smiles and its people and even those that go there.Heavily based on the tourist city of Pattaya and all it's intrigue. A great mixed bag of characters and emotions.Matt Carrel is a great story teller. Like the heading says, he makes u laugh, cry and love.Buy it and enjoy.

This book offers a pretty unique perspective on life in Asia. It focuses on Thailand and in particular the relationship between Thai girls and Western (mostly British) guys. These relationships are less than perfect. There are many lies, scams, and other shenanigans that make this an enjoyable read. It's not high literature and the writing could use work, but, in spite of that, I just kept on reading. This is an enjoyable set of stories.