Guidebooks do not always convey the full picture of a country. In 2000, Robert Wilson set out to live and teach English in Thailand, discovering its rich diversity of cultures, traditions, languages, and foods. He shares his impressions in Monks, Monkeys, and Misty Rice Fields: Journeys and Discoveries in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Rice is part of the culture and is grown everywhere, constituting the main ingredient in any dish, and is even eaten with fruit salad. Noodles are also popular. Buddhist temples and teachings are a notable feature, but the Hindu faith is also influential, and shrines abound. The author points out that while religious beliefs are respected, they are not always strictly observed. Thai culture is status-oriented, and social interaction is based on age, earnings, and profession. Disagreement means disrespect, and confrontation is avoided. Thai people acknowledge the spirit world, with its related myths and superstitions. Saving face, good luck, and charitable deeds are also embedded in Thai culture. They are a soft-spoken people with a sense of community. There are festivals, firecrackers, and candles. The author traveled by train, bus, taxi, bicycle, and on foot, making a habit of getting lost. He also visited nearby Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Brunei, and Cambodia, and was married in 2002 in a traditional wedding.

Monks, Monkeys, and Misty Rice Fields is not a conventional travelogue because Robert Wilson lived and worked in Thailand for three years and could observe and evaluate local customs firsthand. It also serves as a memoir. The narrative is a reflection on Thailand that goes beyond describing tourist attractions. It includes captivating accounts of daily life in rural areas where the pace of life is somewhat different, with beautiful scenery and friendly people. The account is interspersed with local history, while ceremonies and rituals feature prominently. The author contrasts the old with the new, questioning which provides a better quality of life. The writing style is engaging and frank. He describes his colleagues, some local and some from abroad. The colorful photographs add depth to the overall impression, while the images of his wedding are particularly charming. The author provides a balanced look at Thai culture through the eyes of a Westerner with hands-on experience, removed from the seedier side, but not ignoring it. This fascinating book is highly recommended.

Monks, Monkeys, and Misty Rice Fields: Journeys and Discoveries in Thailand and Southeast Asia by Robert Wilson is a delightful journey into a culture, environment, and society that few of us will ever experience firsthand. When the author decided in 2000 to move to a medium-sized town in Northern Thailand to work as a teacher, he had no real idea of the enormity of the move and even less of the deep impact it would have on him. Friends had told him two starkly different perceptions of what to expect in Thailand: either it was the perfect tropical paradise or a den of sleaze and corruption. Ultimately, he discovered the truth lay somewhere in between these two extremes. Whilst the author fell in love with the country, people, and culture, he was continually wracked by the stark contradictions the culture presented. As it is a predominantly Buddhist society, he wondered how a violent activity such as kickboxing could be taught by pacifist Buddhist monks and how having fun was deemed to be so important in a culture that believes life is suffering. Ultimately, though, he found the most important thing a young man could search for: love.

Monks, Monkeys, and Misty Rice Fields is a wonderful look at the author’s three years in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Robert Wilson has perfectly captured the culture shock that confronts Westerners when we first arrive in Asia. The story resonated with me, as I have spent the last fifteen years in Southeast Asia and could easily identify the conundrums and seemingly stark contradictions that Westerners often encounter. This journey reminds us that human nature and people in general are universal in their aspirations and challenges in life. Although skin color, culture, and religion may differ across continents, in our essence, human beings are all alike. I found the author’s anecdotes immensely amusing and certainly could understand his trepidation as he set forth on his journey into the unknown. This book is both a travel guide to Southeast Asia and a sharp reminder never to judge another’s culture by our own cultural mores and definitions. This incredibly well-written and easy-to-read journey flows from one fascinating encounter to the next. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend it, especially to anyone who has ever wondered about the mysterious East, its culture, people, and simple day-to-day life.

In his memoir Monks, Monkeys, and Misty Rice Fields: Journeys and Discoveries in Thailand and Southeast Asia, Robert Wilson shares the decision to leave California to teach in Thailand, seeing Thai culture through its paradoxes—reverence for nonviolence alongside enthusiasm for kickboxing, and deference to hierarchy balanced by informal social warmth. He talks about distinctions between central Thai and northern Lanna traditions and education rooted in temple discipline. He introduces us to everyday exchanges marked by status awareness, as well as wai greetings, and concepts like sanook and mai pen rai. Beyond Thailand, he makes his way through places like Malaysia, Borneo, Brunei, Laos, and Myanmar, each with its own completely unique way of life. Throughout, Wilson speaks on this and so much more as he walks readers through the day-to-day experiences of a man choosing to forge his own path.

Monks, Monkeys, and Misty Rice Fields by Robert Wilson is part memoir, part travelogue. I appreciate his thoughtful perspective on life as an American man in Southeast Asia, showing all through the vantage point of an observant, immersive expat. Wilson writes with an eye for detail that turns everyday encounters into meaningful moments, from temple wakes that link sorrow with laughter to processions brightened by colorful fireworks. The most interesting part of the entire book to me is his journey into Myanmar, which has been, and remains, a place that very few tourists venture. His painting of Yangon as a city with low-rise structures dominated by golden zedis is spectacular. In all the countries he visited, Wilson’s observations on ceremony, belief, and community show how ordinary people find continuity and comfort in tradition. The result is a book that feels warm and grounded, written with genuine thought and appreciation.

As many expats who live in Thailand do, Robert Wilson became an English teacher at a Thai college in the northern province of Lampang. This allowed him to immerse himself in the local culture, far away from the tourist areas of Bangkok and Pattaya. By doing this, he experienced the real Thailand and lived like a local. Teachers get large chunks of holidays, and Robert put these to great use by visiting neighbouring Southeast Asian countries. He begins by traveling around Northern and Central Thailand. He goes to Malaysia and Borneo, does a quick hop across the border to Myanmar, and spends time in Laos. His experiences in Cambodia are just incredible, as is his return trip to Myanmar. His travel memoir Monks, Monkeys, and Misty Rice Fields details his three years in Southeast Asia and gives readers an insight into life in Thailand as a foreigner.

This book has a special place in my heart as I’ve been living in Thailand for the past nine years—I relocated here permanently from Australia. The experiences Robert had are very similar to mine. I also worked as an English teacher in a small town, and he also visited some of the same places I did. However, he went to others that are still on my list and provided me with valuable insights on what to do there. What I love most about Robert’s way of traveling is that he doesn’t go for package deal holidays complete with English-speaking guides. Instead, he jumps on a local bus and wanders around small villages, making friends along the way. It’s absolutely the best way to see these countries. I loved reading Robert’s travel stories, and they’ve inspired me to do more of my own. For anyone who’s ever wanted to visit the temples of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Borneo, or has an interest in Buddhism or Hinduism, Robert Wilson’s travel memoir Monks, Monkeys, and Misty Rice Fields is perfect for you.

Monks, Monkeys, and Misty Rice Fields: Journeys and Discoveries in Thailand and Southeast Asia by Robert Wilson chronicles his experiences after moving from the U.S. in 2000 to teach in northern Thailand. As a teacher in a modest Thai town, Wilson finds himself both fascinated and puzzled by the region’s rich culture and spiritual contradictions. He loves how the Buddhist temples teach kickboxing and how it is a thriving society that cherishes fun yet believes “life is suffering.” However, nothing confuses him more than the Westerners’ conflicting views of Thailand as either paradise or vice. Through friendships, teaching experiences, and travels across Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Malaysia, and Brunei, Wilson slowly unravels the cultural fabric of Southeast Asia. His journey deepens further when he meets and marries a Thai woman, fully immersing himself in the local way of life and customs.

Robert Wilson gives readers the full experience of his travels, journeys, and life in Southeast Asia. I don’t think I have ever had a more direct look at these countries. I loved how Wilson brings Southeast Asia to life through vivid storytelling, gentle humor, and honest opinions. His observations go beyond surface-level tourism, revealing both the beauty and complexity of the cultures he encounters. The narrative balances cultural curiosity with self-awareness as Wilson examines his own biases and growth while adapting to a world very different from his own. The narrative is candid, gives a warm feeling, and is like listening to an old friend sharing his travel stories with me. Monks, Monkeys, and Misty Rice Fields is a fabulous book for any traveler who wants to have an on-the-ground feel of Southeast Asia. It was highly entertaining and I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!

Mr. Robert Wilson a very down to earth man and a thinker.
This is honor knowing him for quite long w.
Sincerely
David