Fabokan
(Known in various international editions as The Politician and Other Stories)
By Lao Khamhom (the pen name of Khamsing Srinawk)
A Special 90th Anniversary Edition
Fabokan is an indisputable masterpiece of Thai literature—a timeless collection of short stories that serves as a visceral chronicle of poverty, injustice, and the enduring resilience of the marginalized. Since its initial publication in 1958, this work has been translated into numerous languages, yet its relevance remains undiminished. Over sixty years have passed, yet the fates of its characters—trapped in a cycle of systemic oppression—resonate as powerfully today as ever. It posits a harrowing truth: the sky does not conspire against humanity; rather, it is those who claim the heights of power who hoard authority and enforce subjugation.
This collection is a profound inquiry into inequality and the structural sorrows of Thai society. It functions as a "formal grievance" filed by the common person against an indifferent world.
Selected Excerpts
On the Fabrication of the Divine:
"Sacred beings did not create humanity; rather, humans created the sacred to ride upon one another's backs."
On the Futility of Fear:
"Fear does not provide sanctuary from the thing that is feared."
On the Nature of Sovereignty:
"He absorbed and revered 'The Lords' with all his heart; yet the lords he knew were the spirits of the forests and the mountains. Now, I shall speak to him of 'The Lords' who are but men."
Though decades have passed, the destiny of the people in Fabokan has not shifted; instead, the seeds of deprivation and resentment have only taken deeper root. If this injustice were a perennial tree, its rings have merely thickened, hiding the core of the problem within its hardened heart. This is a work written with the soul of the commoner—a demand for the felling of ancient, oppressive structures.
Details
▪️Format : Paperback
▪️Piyavit Tepumnuaysakul : Editor
▪️Designed by ● SM STUDIO | Chirawat Rotaim ●
▪️Published : December 2020
▪️Length : 240 pages
▪️ISBN : 978-616-562-020-8
▪️Dimensions (cm) : 10.8 x 17.8
▪️Price : 250 THB
