Chariots of the Sun: An Informal History of a Siamese Family
Shane Bunnag
River Books: 2022
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In the tropics, heat and humidity are the enemies of history. They destroy physical traces of the past, replacing them with thick undergrowth, mildew and mould. In Thailand, the climate’s ravages are compounded by a tendency for the Thai people to discard the past, believing as Buddhists in fate and the impermanence of all things. It is against this considerable set of obstacles that Shane Bunnag has set out to explore his family’s history.

In this intimate and beautifully written memoir, the author is not put off by decay and absence—indistinct and faded photographs, homes overgrown or demolished, courtly old Bangkok replaced by office towers and shopping malls. ‘Remembrance has its own time,’ he states at the outset: ‘casting dappled light on expansive clearings’.

• Tags: Issue 27, Michael Vatikiotis, Shane Bunnag, Thailand