Jingreed Haeng Muang Si Thao (The Cricket of the Grey Town)

Published on February 11, 2008

He might be better known for his songwriting and sweet singing, but Trai Phumirat is also an author. His previous book, "100 Songs of Loneliness", was a compilation of his 100 lovely, lonely songs, and here we have "The Cricket of the Grey Town", which is more like free-form poetry.

Using conversational language, Trai has constructed beautiful stories about simple subjects, many deriving from childhood.

A straightforward reading is very enjoyable, but if you take your time there is much to discover between the lines.

One passage notes that people smile at passers-by even though they're strangers, not because they want to but because they feel they have to. Everyone has this in common: They're enchained by the same pressure.

The illustrations in each chapter are, again, not direct interpretations of the text, but a careful reading of the words, and thoughtful study of the pictures reveals how they complement one another.

SEAwrite award winner Ngamphan Vejjajiva has praised Trai's writing here for its ability to move the reader despite its simplicity.

Some might think that loneliness is becoming a thing of the past now that young people are in constant electronic touch with their friends, but this book shows otherwise.

30 Top Thai Brands

Interviews and editing by the Thai Brand Marketing Journal editorial team

Published by Plan Printing

Available at all bookstores, Bt250

Whether you're a marketing student, novice entrepreneur or a business veteran, this book could be your marketing bible. It's an account of 30 Thai brands that struck gold.

The book opens with "Koh Kae", the peanut-intensive snack brand that began in the kitchen of a private home just outside Bangkok four decades ago. The founding couple who flogged their snacks around the neighbourhood still owns the brand today, and the products are sold around the world.

Then there's Sieng Pure, a long-established soothing balm that was in danger of extinction because its marketing wasn't keeping up with the times. The younger members of the family that owned it modernised the look and the sales pitch and sales surged once again.

Other brands featured in the book are household names - Bangkok General Hospital, Captain Paint, CAT Telecom, Farm House, Mama ... and even The Nation.

Each of these companies has its own key to success that can be adapted elsewhere, and at the same time, the book can serve as an inspiration for local investors to create new brands.