Stephen Leather was a journalist for more than ten years. He began writing full time in 1992 and his bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. In Thailand, Stephen Leather is well known for his book Private Dancer of which Chicky Net published an introduction of last week. Private Dancer is one of our all time favorite books about Thailand and we were naturally curious to know a bit more about Stephen, about his book Private Dancer and what his thoughts are on living in Thailand.
About me
I was born in Manchester 55 years ago, went to university in Bath, worked as a journalist in Exeter, Glasgow, London and Hong Kong, and have lived in Baltimore (US), Paris, Dublin and now Bangkok. Married to a Thai and my daughter goes to school here.
What makes you tick?
I live to write. That’s pretty much it. Though I enjoy flying (I have a private pilots licence.)
Where do you get your book ideas?
From what I see going on around me and what I read in the newspapers and see on TV. Most of my thrillers are grounded in the real world. I spend a lot of time talking to police officers and the like, and base many of my books on real events.
What is your favorite book?
It’s like asking which is your favourite child. Once you have more than one the answer has to be that you love them all equally!
What project are you working now?
I am rushing to finish my ninth Spider Shepherd thriller, he’s an SAS trooper turned undercover cop who now works for MI5. I hope to finish it by the end of the month but I still have 40,000 words to write so that’s probably a bit optimistic.
What has been the hardest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I tend not to listen to critics other than my editor. I get a lot of compliments about Private Dancer, mostly along the lines of ‘you’ve written the story of my life’. But I don’t tend to dwell on compliments or criticisms. I write the sort of stories that I want to write, and so long as people buy them and enjoy them I am happy.
Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Write every day. And read as much as you can. The only way to learn to write well is to read well-written books.
Where did you get the idea to write Private Dancer?
I spent a couple of years sitting in a bar called Jool’s Bar in Soi 4, just listening to what was going on around me. This was before the internet so much of what I heard was new. Most of the stories were about foreigners getting ripped off by bargirls and I thought it might be interesting to tell a story like that but to include the viewpoints of the girls, because I was very aware that in Jool’s Bar I was only getting half the story.
Who is the girl on the cover?
She was a dancer in Angelwitch Bar in Nana Plaza. The photographer and I sat at the entrance to the plaza for several hours looking for girls with long straight hair and unblemished skin. Most that fitted the criteria turned outto be ladyboys, but eventually we saw this girl and she agreed to be photographed. I borrowed the cut-throat razor from my hairdresser, who coincidentally was called Joy, the name of the bargirl in Private Dancer.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
Everything in Private Dancer has happened to somebody in Thailand at one point or another. That is why the book strikes a chord with so many people. It sells well because any single guy coming to Thailand on holiday is advised to buy and read the book before they get off the plane. It could save their life and will certainly save them money.
Did you also talk to bar girls to find out their point of view and to talk about their lives and experiences?
Sure, but you have to understand that almost everything you hear in a bar is a lie! Okay, that’s taking it to extremes, but you’re unlikely to get the truth from a bar girl, unless you have known her for a very long time! Yes, I spent many hours sitting in various bars, but I learned much more from just watching what was going on and listening to the conversations around me.
What was your favorite part to write and why?
I like the viewpoint of the sister in the book, Sunan. I think she has the most realistic expectations and her view is the most honest.
If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your book that you would change?
No, I think it’s fine as it is. I did have recipes (of Thai dishes) in a very early version and I do sometimes consider reinstating them. Food is referred to several times in the book and in a very early draft I included the recipes. I thought people might be interested to know how to prepare the food that was being discussed. But eventually I decided that it slowed down the story too much!
What makes your book stand out from books with a similar theme?
It’s real, but not sensational, and it gives many different views of the same situation so that you can see what is happening from lots of angles. I wrote it in the Nineties but it hasn’t really dated, what happened to Pete in Private Dancer is happening to men all over Thailand right now.
Why did you move to Thailand and how long have you been living here?
I’m here most of the year now, I first came to Thailand twenty five years ago when I was working in Hong Kong. Then I started spending more time here about fifteen years ago. It’s an easy place for me to write, and I do enjoy writing books set here. I’ve written several thrillers set in Thailand (The Solitary Man, The Tunnel Rats, Live Fire) along with Private Dancer and Bangkok Bob and The Missing Mormon. I’m here now primarily because my daughter goes to an international school here.
Why do you think foreigners move to Thailand?
Some move because of their work and those foreigners tend to do well and then move on. A lot come because they are unhappy with their lives in their own countries and they think they will enjoy their lives more here. They usually end up bitter and disappointed. A lot come here hoping to meet the woman of their dreams and that almost always ends badly, which is one of the reasons that I wrote Private Dancer. I have absolutely no idea why foreign women would come to Thailand if it isn’t to accompany their spouse. The career opportunities aren’t great here and while it is the Land Of Smiles it is also quite dangerous at times.
Interesting comment, you are not the first guy to say that they don’t understand why single western women would want to move here. Why would you say that? Don’t the lack of career options and the dangerous part, in the case of guys potentially getting involved with bar girl, also apply to men?
Men generally don’t come to Thailand because of the job opportunities. And rarely do they come here because they are following their spouse. Having said that I know two men who did move to Thailand because their wives had high-paying jobs here. But they are a rarity. Those men that do come here to work generally would be paid more and have better career prospects back home, or in Hong Kong or Singapore. They choose to live in Thailand because of the lifetsyle here, which can be very attractive to a single man. You are right, it’s a dangerous place for men, and I am surprised that so many do choose to live here because I would say that the vast majority end up being hurt, emotionally, physically or financially – and sometimes all three! If a single woman is looking to work in Asia then the opportunities are far greater in Hong Kong or Singapore. You’d have to ask them why they would choose to live in Thailand! I have to say that I now see a lot more Western women in Soi Thonglor where I live. Fifteen years ago you would never see any, no every time I go out I see half a dozen or so. But here’s the thing – most of them seem very unhappy. It’s the Land of Smiles but rarely do I see a Western woman smiling. So I do wonder why they bothered to move here…..
What is the worst & what is the best thing about living in Thailand?
The worst? The ease with which you can die in a stupid accident. Thailand has one of the highest road traffic accident rates in the world, and a very high murder rate. On a daily basis you can see three people on a motorcycle with the driver on his mobile phone. The driving here is as bad as you’ll see anywhere in the world. The best thing about living in Thailand? I love the fact that sky is almost always blue and that I never have to wear a coat. And that most people here smile at me.
What is the strangest thing that has happened to you in Thailand?
It rained frogs once when I was staying at my wife’s house in Petchabun. I kid you not, for more than fifteen minutes tiny frogs rained down from the sky, covering the windows and roof and were all over the garden.
What is the biggest challenge living here?
It’s not a challenge for me at all. Sabai, sabai. Really, I am totally comfortable here. The defining moment for me was about ten years ago when I was sitting on the back of a motorcycle taxi whizzing through the traffic while I had a conversation totally in Thai on my mobile phone. I realised that I had finally gotten used to the place.
Do you have Thai friends? Do you think foreigners often make Thai friends?
It’s always hard to be friends with someone from a different culture.
How is your Thai?
I can make myself understood and I can understand about a tenth of what is said to me. So not great.
What advice would you have for those considering moving to Thailand?
Remember that while you might change your location, you will remain the same person. Don’t think that by moving to Thailand your life will somehow become more fulfilling or that you will be happier. Any flaws that you have before you move here will be intensified. And if you’re a single guy hoping to meet the woman of your dreams in Thailand – READ PRIVATE DANCER!
Thailand is still a male dominated society but times are changing. What is your opinion about this?
It’s a difficult culture to change, but I’m sure change will come. It would be nice to see more Thai women running businesses and in Government, and it would nice to see that happen through merit rather than family connections. I do wish that the country as a whole would offer more opportunities for young women so that they weren’t forced to work in the sex industry.
What do you think about a website like Chicky Net? Do women in Thailand really need their own social networking site?
I guess so, it’s easier to get advice and support from others in the same situation.
Anything else you would like to mention?
Nope, all good! Maybe mention my website at www.stephenleather.com and that I tweet @stephenleather and that my Facebook page is open to all.
