The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen Abridged Version

This outstanding classic of the Thai language is an entertaining folk epic set in the social panorama of traditional Siam. The tale is a spectacular love story rich in romance, adventure, violence, farce, and magic, and ending in the tragic and enigmatic death of its heroine.

Written in lively prose, this new, abridged edition retains every scene, incident, and significant dialogue from the full prize-winning English translation, except for one short section.

The great Thai linguist William Gedney believed that “if all other information on traditional Thai culture were to be lost, the whole complex could be reconstructed from this marvelous text.”

The translators

Chris Baker formerly taught Asian history at Cambridge University and has lived in Thailand for over thirty years. Pasuk Phongpaichit is professor of economics at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. Together they have written A History of Thailand, Thailand: Economy and Politics, Thaksin, and published several translations.

The translators are winners of the A. L. Becker Southeast Asian Literature in Translation Prize (2010).

What others are saying

“An excellent English translation of a Thai classic, which in its depth, quality, and readability might very well count as a landmark in Thai studies.”—Peter Skilling, co-editor of How Theravada is Theravada?

“Spellbinding”—Jeff Kingston, professor of Asian Studies, Temple University, Japan

Highlights

Abridged edition of the full translation published in 2010
Retains all the scenes and dialogues from the full edition, except for one section
Includes over 30 distinctive drawings from the full translation