Sheba Suphannahong
I (Judy) have written books about Thailand using the nom-de-plume; Sheba Suphannahong. 

On the left is a picture of the Suphannahong Royal Barge celebrating the King’s 60th year on the throne.  Click on the pic for a short PDF about the Suphannahong.

The book cover, Bangkok FreeStyle has an artistic interpretation of the mythical figure Suphannahong (Golden Swan in Thai)

Bangkok FreeStyle
I love this megalopolis.
Perhaps the basic reason that I find this city so special is that in Bangkok most people have choice about how they wish to live their life:

• The possibility to “live in harmony with nature”
• A vibrant/effervescent city-center
• Street markets providing all essentials at affordable prices
• Healthy food available everywhere
• An exotic culture blending with the best in eastern traditions
• The most spectacular shopping on earth
• A wide array of public transportation
• And much more -- including the kindness of the Thai people*

I wanted to share the pleasure that I found in this city with others and that was the start of writing this book.  The eBook format, with hyper-links, website links are a great way to include additional information; Bangkok FreeStyle contains a lot of information for the curious visitor.
I prepared a PDF file for some friends.  This shows the first 40 pages in the book and by clicking on the Bangkok FreeStyle book cover, you can download this file (6.7 mega).

This video provides a glimpse of Bangkok – that is, the Bangkok that you can discover through Bangkok FreeStyle!

You can find more information about this book on my website –
click here

Thriving – LifeStyles with Love!
It has been a delight living among the Thai people these years and I wanted to convey the kindness that I felt to a larger audience.

I hope that through describing the lives of some of the people (and/or recounting my special “sagas” with others) readers will find inspiration.   These stories are about people that are happy – some of them havevery little and yet they are always willing to stretch themselves a little further to provide help.
I consider this book a “pepper-upper”; short stories that make one realize how much there is to appreciate in life.

This youTube video is a pleasant way to sit back and watch an overview of the many people that grace the pages of Thriving – LifeStyles with Love.

You can find more information about this book on my website –
click here

Frontier Towns on the Mekong
I lived in Nakhon Phanom, Frontier Town on the Mekong, for two years (about 700 kilometers north-east of Bangkok).
The years on the Mekong were a total contrast from Bangkok and I was glad to have the time to delve deeper into the local history and culture. 

This region is called Isaan (meaning north-east direction) – when Siam/Thailand first assimilated these various tribes; they referred to the people as “Isaan-people”, and the acceptance of this name made it clear to them where the power/government was located.

Some of the history can be traced back to the 5th millennium BC.  The history in this region is very different from the rest of Thailand and I wanted to share that which I learned

Frontier Towns on the Mekong is in eBook format, however, most of the local people do not have eBook readers, therefore, I printed a small brochure so that they see some of the pages that concerned them.  If you click on the Frontier Towns book cover, you can download the brochure made for the locals. (2 mega).

This youTube video provides an overview of this book and it also give you a taste of the spirit of this Frontier Town on the Mekong. Life is very different in Isaan, (on the Mekong) and that is obvious through the video.

You can find more information about this book on my website –
click here

Rua Fai Festival
Nakhon Phanom / Frontier Town on the Mekong remains very attached to the many traditions of the various ethnic groups.  The most spectacular of these traditions is the Rua Fai Festival. 

The Naga-spirit plays an important role in the lives of most people along the Mekong.  The local people were/are always seeking ways to keep the Naga-spirit happy; for example, at the port in Nakhon Phanom there is a sculpture depicting the Naga-spirit dominating the view over the Mekong (see Frontier Towns book cover, above).

Already a few hundred years ago, the locals felt that they should make a parade of beautifully lighted boats, to appease the Naga – and each year they continue to prepare amazing boats that float down the Mekong on the night of the last full moon in October.  I made a small brochure with the history, information about how these huge Rua Fai (boats lighted) are made and, of course, pics of these gorgeous boats.

Temple Etiquette
As mentioned above – keeping the Spirits happy on the Mekong is of prime importance, and there are also many Wats/Temples catering to all needs.  Many of the Wats are considered as pilgrimage destinations and they provide a constant flow of visitors to the region.
There are, of course, rituals that the practicing Buddhists follow when visiting these Wats; knowledge about the “mudras” is another subject linked to the many spiritual images. 
I found it interesting to bring together some elements of these Wat/Temple visits that would encourage people to learn more / appreciate their visit to the Wat.
Click on the picture to the left for the PDF. (508 kilobyte)

More information about my books can be found at:
www.indochinapeninsula.org.