Rating: 
Summary: Not much of a revision
Review: I was surprised to see that this revision contained very little additional or revised information. During my travels up north, for example, I found in several cases that certain lodgings that had been shut for several years still appeared in the "new" edition. Coupled with other dated or inaccurate information, it appears that the authors actually visited and researched few of the locations that were off the beaten track. It is almost as though Lonely Planet have cornered the travel book market for Thailand, and there is little incentive to put a great deal of effort into the new revisions, since it appears that nearly everyone going to Thailand buys the LP guide anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: best LP guide I've used so far
Review: I recently completed a trip through India, Nepal, Thailand and China, and used Lonely Planet guides for all four countries. They all had their ups and downs, but I thought the Thailand one was the best, by far. First it was the most accurate, that is the info was closest to what I actually encounted while travelling around. And second it had the most evocative and confident prose. One could really sense the authors' strong affinity for the country. Like another reviewer wrote, Cummings doesn't talk down to his readers yet he doesn't pander either. I felt very much as if I had my own personal guide leading the way with the Thailand book. The other three seemed more like compendia of information gathered without regard to any central zeitgeist. The Pattaya reviewers must have tourist businesses in that city! The authors seemed very even-handed in their treatment of the city nonethess. Furthermore 12 pages on any destination seems plenty to me, however, so I don't understand tte complaint. I also used LP's Thai Phrasebook and found it very useful.
Rating: 
Summary: watch out for some of these reviewers...
Review: Some of these reviewers work for other guidebooks; these guys are pretty unscrupulous, as their guidebooks reveal. Joe Cummings wrote the Lonely Planet guides to Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Laos. His insight into the societies and politics is unsurpassed, and I recommend his guidebooks for that reason alone. (Sometimes LP authors are a little condescending; Joe is not at all. This is important to me.) However, I had the old guide and I recommend you get this newer one (it came out while I was gone). I didn't give it five stars just because, for Christ's sake, it's a guidebook, not War and Peace.
Rating:
Summary: As thorough as they come
Review: Having this guide book on hand was like having my own personal guide. I especially liked the tips on what NOT to do and say in this magical land of smiles. Thailand, as friendly as this country may be, has ancient customs that should be respected be visitors at all times. I'm glad I knew ahead of time what was expected of me. Don't leave home without it. Joy Loverde is the best selling author of The Complete Eldercare Planner: Where to Start, Questions to Ask, How to Find Help (Times Books)
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Summary: webmaster of inchiangmai.com book review
Review: It's true Joe Cummings can speak Thai and there are many ways or writing Thai in English and it is true that many places he mentions do not have English signs but do not let that take away the fact that this book, given the size of he task, is well written and full of useful information. This book will get you around Thailand and help you discover places that most guidebooks don't even know about. OK the information may be out of date and as the prologue says, "prices change" but if you are visiting Thailand then buy this book and bring it with you. Sure you are going to see a lot of other people with the same book in places it talks about but that is called success not a point of derision? If you want bang up to date information such as no book can provide then the web is the place to be. inchiangmai.com is a great site about Chiangmai:-) Whichever way enjoy Thailand. DW
Rating: 
Summary: A Disappointment
Review: We were really disappointed in the book overall. It was difficult to access information and we often found ourselves thumbing through a section for 15 minutes trying to remember what sub-heading the information was in. We ended up earmarking the pages with sticky notes like "Accomodation/Bangkok" just so we could easily reference several different pages. The maps were also difficult to read and we had problems utilizing them as a resource. You are better off buying a good map of the area rather than relying on the book. Additionally, the section concerning the Thai language was completely useless. It was impossible to decipher the pronunciations due to the lack of any phonetic spelling. We also purchased the Lonely Planet Thai Phrasebook which was equally awful. It took us over an hour to figure out how to pronounce "hello" in Thai, and even then we weren't sure if we were saying it correctly. We learned more about the Thai language within fifteen minutes of our arrival, than anything we grasped after hours of studying the book. Also, it appeared that every other tourist in Thailand had a copy of this book, so don't expect to find any "secrets" here. Don't waste your time and money.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Horrendous
Review: This has to be the worst guidebook I have ever used in any of the countries I have visited. Mr. Cummings, the author, can read and write fluent Thai (Kudos to him) but does not appreciate that most of those using his book neither have the time or inclination to study the language effectively. A number of places he recommends for either shopping or eating are only of use if one can speak Thai, as he mentions that there is no English spoken, nor any English menus etc. Furthermore he will recommend places that do not have English signs, yet fails to put the Thai name in the book, making even finding some of these places extremely difficult. One might try to argue that the phrasebook part of the book would make up for this inadequacy, but far from it. It adds to the confusion. Mr. Cummings decided to use the most bizarre method of transliteration known to man. It requires a doctorate in cryptoanalysis to try and work out how he has used those characters in the Latin script to resemble the sound in question. For example a hundred in Thai would be transliterated Loy or Loi by most people, yet somehow Mr. Cummings thinks Rawy is the easiest way to write it, where did he learn English? The maps in this guidebook are also absolutely horrendous. Their inaccuracies are so bad that one must wonder whether Mr. Cummings even visited the places. The scales are often so wildly out that six kilometres appears as one kilometre on the map for a small town that maybe only measures about six kilometres from one end to another. The only good thing about this book is that its inadequacies prompted me to learn basic spoken and written Thai. The paper in this book is not even very absorbent, so it missed its true calling.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Horrendous
Review: This has to be the worst Guidebook I have ever used for any country. Mr. Cummings seems to have absolutely no appreciation of how a guidebook should be written or how to cater for the tourist/travellers needs. His transliteration for the Thai phrasebook is unbelievably confusing (merely to decipher his use of the latin alphabet needs a degree in cryptoanalysis). Mr. Cummings is fluent in Thai and as such has no appreciation that most of those going to Thailand will have basic knowledge of the language at best. As a result his recommendations of restaurants and shops are ridiculous, considering that many he recommends do not speak english or have english menus, etc. Some he recommends do not even have English signs yet he fails to write the name in Thai to make it possible to find these places. The maps in the books are so innacurate as to beggar belief as to whether the author even visited the towns in question. The scales at time being incoreect to imply that a distance of six kilometres is less than one kilometre, which makes trying to decide whether to walk or use transport to places difficult. The only good thing about this book was that it prompted me to learn Thai, both spoken and written as the book was horrificly useless it was necessary. I can recommend this book in any way, as the paper is not very absorbent, which means that it missed it's real calling.
Rating: 
Summary: If you want companny
Review: I went to Thailand accompanied with the Lonely Planet book, and everywhere I went, I found people carrying the same book--sometimes in different languages. If you want to take the road MOST travelled, then buy this book and go to all the restaurants and hotels they recommend. If you only want to see other "Lonely Planet people", then this is the book for you. I was so frustrated, I stopped reading the book 5 days into the trip and started using common sense. In such a friendly country, common sense is more than u need!
Rating:
Summary: Indispensible for any trip through Thailand
Review: The Thailand LP guide was the first ever LP guide to appear and it is clear that Cummings et.al. still take as much pride in the latest edition as they did in the first. The guide is indispensible for everybody who wants to have a REAL good trip through Thailand, because the best way to do it is by yourself and not on an organized trip. The country is very accessible with a good road system and excellent public transport. There are more than 25 domestic airports and most fares from Bangkok are around $ 100 return. If you want to go even cheaper bus and train provide excellent alternatives Since four years I am living in Thailand and in that time I have, mainly for my work, traveled through the country extensively. Still, I never go out on a trip without taking this book with me and it helped me enjoy very much the places I traveled to as well as given me many good local itineraries. Let me give a few examples. When I was the first time in Pitsanoluk I was intrigued by the guide's description of the Wat Yai and went for a visit. This temple is little known among tourists but it is one of three most revered among the Thai people and if you really want to enjoy Thai religious life there is no better place than this temple. In Chiang Rai I had a day top cover between business meetings and reading the guide decided to travel along the border to the old Kuo Mintang settlements. Apart from the amazing landscapes the villages themselves like Mae Salong were absolutely intriguing. On another trip I had half a day before leaving Chiang Mai and decided, after reading the guide, to go to Doi Inthanon, the National Park. The views at 6000ft were absolutely superb and the whole trip was very enjoyable. I could give many, many more examples but that would surpass the purpose of this review. There are in my view three reasons why every aspirant traveler to the Kingdom should invest in buying the guide. First, it is a welth of information. Apart from the normal stuff, the guide contains many "gray sections" with wonderful information telling you e.g.why the Thais love their kings so much, what the role is of the elephant in daily life, the background of the Railway station in Hua Hin etc.etc. Above all, the info on the various festivals is very good and if you have the chance make sure you participate in one, in particular Loy Kratong. Second, the guide is very practical for planning your trip.The getting around sections are good.The information it contains on hotels etc. is accurate and, because the Thai telephone system has not changed in the past years, most of the telephone numbers of hotels and guest houses are still usable. It is always advisable to pre-arrange lodging. The restaurant information is OK as well. I have tried a lot of the restaurants in Bangkok described in the guide and in most cases the impressions are spot on. Third, it gives good advise on how to behave. Thailand is a very friendly country but not as regulated as some Western countries. The sections on travelling and trekking ( go in groups and not alone, especially if you are female)or which part of the border with Cambodia or Myanmar need to be avoided because it is still controlled by the druglords, must be read. Unfortunately, every couple of monthes in the local papers we see the horror stories of those who did not follow this advise. Also the sections on ilnesses, aids and prostitution may be relevant. There are many lighter sections as well; on the Thai smile, the wai etc., which must be read to understand what to do and to enjoy it. Finally a word on Pattaya. I think the guide gives it exactly the attention it deserves. Pattaya is nice for a short beach break from Bangkok but if you have more than a weekend or if you can afford to fly, the beaches of Samui, Phuket and Krabi are much more exotic and beautiful ( white sand and palm beaches). If you go to Pattaya for the nightlife you do not need a guide; the girls and the neon lights live absolutely nothing to the imagination... In sum, Thailand should be traveled on an individual basis ( proably the easiest one to do that in SE Asia) and this book not only helps doing that but it also makes the planning a lot of fun. Enjou your trip.
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