About the author

The wandering ghoul Jim Algie (left) consoles a weary weirdsmith at the Phi Ta Khon ("Ghosts with Human Eyes") Festival in 2007

Jim Algie has been chronicling the dark and sexy side of Thailand for the past 17 years in publications including Bizarre magazine, the International Herald Tribune, National Geo Traveler and the Japan Times.

His short fiction has picked up several awards, including as a co-recipient of the Bram Stoker award. He was a co-founder, chief editor and senior writer of Southeast Asia’s most gonzo publication, Farang Untamed Travel magazine. His most recent books include the travel guides Spotlight on Bangkok and Spotlight on Athens (AA Publishing, London, 2008), as well as Off the Beaten Track in Thailand (Bosphorus Publishing, Bangkok, 2009).

During the ‘80s he toured the world and recorded with seminal Canadian bands including pop-punksters the Asexuals and alt.country rockers Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra. Now, Toronto’s entertainment weekly, referred to his musical doppelganger Blake Cheetah as “the musician who has reinvented dangerous rock ‘n’ roll maneuvers onstage in the 1980s”.

After quitting the music industry, he has spent large chunks of time living in Barcelona, Berlin, Casablanca and Bangkok, where he daylights as the editor of two big travel magazines.

He has also written for the stage and the silver screen. His latest documentary film script, Closing a Deadly Gateway, will premiere at the  Global Tiger Summit in Russia in late 2010.

11 Responses to About the author

  1. Ian says:

    Hi Jim

    Greetings from an old ‘Farang’ contributor. Any chance of an autographed copy to give away to the readers of iamkohchang.com? Cheers, Ian

  2. Ken Hansen says:

    Wow Jim, it’s been a busy 20+ years since we last were face to face. Did you make it to Russia yet? Or is it still to come? We really need a hot quiet hot over some cold drinks to catch up someday. I am sure Thailand wouldn’t be out of the question for Toni and I to come vist someday, soon, I hope!

    Take the best of care,
    Ken

  3. Dear Jim,

    Congratulations on Bizarre Thailand. Looks like great fun and terrific insight – a powerful combination. And a good review by Chris Moore is a wonderful endorsement. Sorry I missed you launch party (just back from France), hope it was a great success.

    I’d like to speak with you outside of this public forum. Could you call please send me an email?

    Thanks and best wishes,
    Paul
    Paul

  4. Greetings Mr. Jim Algie,

    I am a currently in the midst of a creative uprising
    of energy, empowerment, and strange acute focus.
    I read about your short fiction work and struck up the
    idea with some creative cohorts on the unimaginably
    fabulous possibility on getting the opportunity to
    visually visit the world you wrote about, and create a film
    based on your book.

    I am a young high spirited artist, currently living in Tucson, Arizona. I have
    a network of close friends (many already distinguished working artists)
    and feel I could: 1) work with you, to collaborate with you to achieve what you would
    like to see/ experience in a film based on the culture you write about 2)
    collect a close working film unit to undertake the production and
    3) creatively find the means of investment to carry out the films’ completion
    and quality.

    Please, if you get the chance to read my into interests and feel any curiosity
    on the issue do not hesitate to contact me. Thanks.

  5. Pingback: Now on Amazon.com: Bizarre Thailand -- Newley.com

  6. Julian Anderson says:

    I recently bought this book on a whim and couldn’t put it down, infact I just got back from Thailand and already read half of it on the flight back.

  7. Hi Jim, I contributed to Farang some while back and met you in Bangkok, have found your site whilst looking for info on the mag. Just wanted to say that your publishing my story (biking through Malaysia) had no small effect on my life, if you read the about page on my site you will understand why! many thanks for providing the impetus for a change in direction! Congrats on the book, am off to order a copy now…

    Cheers, Rich

  8. Darren Bentley says:

    Hi Jim,
    Just finished reading your excellent book “Bizarre Thailand”. I bought it at Asia books during a recent visit to Thailand. Enjoyed all the stories and made me remember some of my own interesting experiences in the land of smiles.
    Hope to read more in the future.
    Best Wishes
    Darren

  9. Dave Wood says:

    Love the book. Had many laughs with my Thai GF about all the ridiculous stories you so deftly tell. Bizarre Thailand has everything in it, but the thing I’d say I like most about it is how it give a window into the crazy, laid back Thai world. Way rich in experiences, history, culture and zaininess in a county that the author has obviously come to love. The book reminds me of all of the great times I had in Thailand and why I can’t stop from going back every chance I get.

    Wish I could convey how much of a treasure this book is, guess you’ll just have to give it a read yourself. Don’t know how someone could read this book and not be dying to see Thailand for themselves.

  10. Dear Jim,
    All women in EMPOWER, especially in Patpong as well as singing trainers, appreciate your writing and they are very glad to learn that at lease someone has got it right about what empower is doing.
    Thanks, and I enjoy reading your writing.
    Chumpon

  11. Bizarre Thailand?

    I had a humiliating experience in Thailand which keeps on haunting me and wonder how ‘bizarre’ and it really is. Here a short summary what has happened, which I took from my Yahoo-group home page:

    ‘It is a fact that Thailand is a paradise for western males. It is less known that also white girls pay for fun with thai gigolos. In 2007 my German girlfriend (now wife) was bedded by a thai guy during our holidays in Bangkok. The young resolut thai sensed my helpnessness in the foreign environment and when he quickly suffocated my weak resistance in front of my girl, he impressed her very much. He became her holiday lover and forced me to retreat. I wonder, how many westeners must go to a similar humiliating situation and have to accept to share their white girl with a young self-confident asian, who enjoys the rare opportunity to have intercourse with a white girl and does not hesitate to live on the western couples holiday budget. ‘

    So far I found only one farang male who went to a similar experience and dared to go public with it?
    But I still wonder if this are the true figures….
    Any comment?

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