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Published on October 28, 2007

Reading: "Consul Koh Singh" ("A Consul in Singapore") by Vasu Saengsingkaew

    "The author is a diplomat who used to be based in Singapore. His book is truly an unputdownable read. Basically, it describes his experiences in the Merlion state from the perspective of the job he has to do as well as his Thainess. Of real interest to me are the descriptions of the living conditions of Thai workers there.

    "In one chapter, Vasu describes in vivid detail the atmos¬phere of Singapore's execution chamber where deathrow prisoners, among them Thai nationals, are executed by hanging. The author gained his firsthand knowledge on the occasions he had to be there to observe the execution process for Thais given death sentences.

    "The accessible text makes for an absorbing read and as one can expect from Vasu, the language is nothing if not extraordinary."