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Beads on a String: A Novel of Southern Siam
"Spellblinding" family saga novel set in Southern Siam. "Profound, sensitive and attuned to cultural gravitas. Beads on a String captures a sense of historical urgency during a momentous period in Siam and the southern peninsula" Kong Rithdee, Thai media.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
658 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 22, 2021
9 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Paul Wedel
5 books1 followerPaul Wedel has spent more than 40 years in Asia as a journalist, teacher, administrator, consultant, and writer. Fluent in Thai, he also speaks Indonesian and Lao. He has written extensively on Thai politics, the Thai monarchy, the language of newspapers and business as well as social and political change throughout the region.
His published books include "Beads on a String: A Novel of Southern Siam," and "Radical Thought, Thai Mind: A History of Revolutionary Ideology in a Traditional Society," written with his wife, Dr. Yuangrat Wedel.
He has also written parts of "King Bhumibol Adulyadej, A Life’s Work: Thailand’s Monarchy in Perspective" and co-authored "English by Newspaper" with Terry Fredrickson.
"Dark Karma," a sequel to "Beads on a String" is scheduled for release at the end of April 2024.
Paul grew up in a small town in New Jersey and was the first in his family to graduate from college. With a degree in English literature, he taught English in a rural southern Thai school as a member of the US Peace Corps and produced programs on an educational television channel for two years for the Bangkok government.
Returning to the United States, Paul won a scholarship from the Columbia School of Journalism. He earned a master of journalism degree, writing his master’s degree paper on the violent political struggles in Thailand from 1973-76. After graduation, he won a six-month traveling fellowship awarded by Columbia to write about the aftermath of the Indochina War.
Paul then spent the next 14 years working in the region as a reporter for United Press International. Some of his work focused on the Communist insurgency in Thailand, the Communist victories in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and the later shifts to market economies in those countries. He also reported from Burma, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Paul later served for 19 years as executive director and ultimately president of the Kenan Institute Asia, a Thai non-profit organization that seeks to improve the quality of education, strengthen public health systems, and make free enterprise work more effectively for development. He taught courses on Southeast Asia as an adjunct professor for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
With Terry Fredrickson, he wrote "English by Newspaper," which showed English learners how to use the language and style of newspapers to improve their reading.
Working together, Paul and his wife, Yuangrat, wrote "Radical Thought, Thai Mind" on the history of leftist political thinking in Thailand and collaborated on a number of other articles. In 2012 Paul was one of the co-authors of a definitive biography of the long-serving Thai king, "King Bhumibol Adulyadej, A Life’s Work."
In 2019 Paul and Yuangrat published a completely updated, revised, and rewritten edition of "Radical Thought." The following year they completed "Beads on a String," a historical novel set in southern Thailand at the end of the reign of King Chulalongkorn. The book tells the intertwined stories of four families beginning in 1896 as they struggle for love, identity, and status amid rapid social, economic, and political change.
Paul and Yuangrat also write a blog on the bond between Thai history and current events. Their work can be found at https://www.yuangratandpaul.online/
They enjoy biking, ballroom dancing, and working with their daughters Jinda, a digital marketing expert and magazine writer, and Pailin, an award-winning documentary film-maker.
His published books include "Beads on a String: A Novel of Southern Siam," and "Radical Thought, Thai Mind: A History of Revolutionary Ideology in a Traditional Society," written with his wife, Dr. Yuangrat Wedel.
He has also written parts of "King Bhumibol Adulyadej, A Life’s Work: Thailand’s Monarchy in Perspective" and co-authored "English by Newspaper" with Terry Fredrickson.
"Dark Karma," a sequel to "Beads on a String" is scheduled for release at the end of April 2024.
Paul grew up in a small town in New Jersey and was the first in his family to graduate from college. With a degree in English literature, he taught English in a rural southern Thai school as a member of the US Peace Corps and produced programs on an educational television channel for two years for the Bangkok government.
Returning to the United States, Paul won a scholarship from the Columbia School of Journalism. He earned a master of journalism degree, writing his master’s degree paper on the violent political struggles in Thailand from 1973-76. After graduation, he won a six-month traveling fellowship awarded by Columbia to write about the aftermath of the Indochina War.
Paul then spent the next 14 years working in the region as a reporter for United Press International. Some of his work focused on the Communist insurgency in Thailand, the Communist victories in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and the later shifts to market economies in those countries. He also reported from Burma, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Paul later served for 19 years as executive director and ultimately president of the Kenan Institute Asia, a Thai non-profit organization that seeks to improve the quality of education, strengthen public health systems, and make free enterprise work more effectively for development. He taught courses on Southeast Asia as an adjunct professor for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
With Terry Fredrickson, he wrote "English by Newspaper," which showed English learners how to use the language and style of newspapers to improve their reading.
Working together, Paul and his wife, Yuangrat, wrote "Radical Thought, Thai Mind" on the history of leftist political thinking in Thailand and collaborated on a number of other articles. In 2012 Paul was one of the co-authors of a definitive biography of the long-serving Thai king, "King Bhumibol Adulyadej, A Life’s Work."
In 2019 Paul and Yuangrat published a completely updated, revised, and rewritten edition of "Radical Thought." The following year they completed "Beads on a String," a historical novel set in southern Thailand at the end of the reign of King Chulalongkorn. The book tells the intertwined stories of four families beginning in 1896 as they struggle for love, identity, and status amid rapid social, economic, and political change.
Paul and Yuangrat also write a blog on the bond between Thai history and current events. Their work can be found at https://www.yuangratandpaul.online/
They enjoy biking, ballroom dancing, and working with their daughters Jinda, a digital marketing expert and magazine writer, and Pailin, an award-winning documentary film-maker.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 12, 2022
An engaging novel that fleshes out the protagonists so well that I’m left wanting to know more of their lives. The story successfully weaves in an historical backdrop that encompasses the various factors at play in southern Thailand in particular and beyond. Very well crafted and immersive, I found it hard to put down.
June 4, 2022
This is a well-crafted novel recounting the lives of a disparate collection of individuals in early 20th century Thailand (Siam). How their destinies intersect is the key plot trope of the novel, and this is delevoped beautifully by Paul and Yuangrat Wedel in their debut novel.
In addition, the historical narrative is brilliantly researched and shows a clear and deep understanding of how Thailand was governed in this period of Thai history, and how the population managed their lives under the corrupt and elitist government they endured -- and still endure even today.
An immensely enjoyable read, particularly if you live in Thailand as I do, or have an interest in how the country evolved under the Chakri dynasty
In addition, the historical narrative is brilliantly researched and shows a clear and deep understanding of how Thailand was governed in this period of Thai history, and how the population managed their lives under the corrupt and elitist government they endured -- and still endure even today.
An immensely enjoyable read, particularly if you live in Thailand as I do, or have an interest in how the country evolved under the Chakri dynasty
November 10, 2025
The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of southern Thailand's diverse cultural landscape, featuring Malay, Thai, Mon, and Chinese communities. Central characters include Abdulkarim (later renamed Pakdee), a Muslim-Malay vendor who rises from humble origins, and a determined young Thai woman who seizes control of the family casino, defying royal bans and engaging in underground enterprises. Their personal ambitions and entangled relationships drive much of the plot.
The novel explores enduring themes such as identity, power, family loyalty, and societal transformation. Against a backdrop of royal authority, religious tradition, and emerging modernity, characters grapple with competing cultural forces and the shifting sands of political influence. The story is deeply engaged with the complexities of ethnic and social identities in a rapidly changing world, bringing forward debates on gender roles and societal expectations as well. "Beads on a String" vividly portrays the mingling of personal ambition and broader historical currents, depicting how ordinary lives intersect with larger historical forces, including economic changes and political unrest that shaped southern Siam’s evolution.
Wedel’s narrative combines detailed historical research with immersive storytelling, utilizing multi-layered characterizations and intricate plotting. The novel offers readers both an evocative emotional journey and an insightful historical panorama, shedding light on little-known facets of southern Siamese history with universal resonance.
The novel explores enduring themes such as identity, power, family loyalty, and societal transformation. Against a backdrop of royal authority, religious tradition, and emerging modernity, characters grapple with competing cultural forces and the shifting sands of political influence. The story is deeply engaged with the complexities of ethnic and social identities in a rapidly changing world, bringing forward debates on gender roles and societal expectations as well. "Beads on a String" vividly portrays the mingling of personal ambition and broader historical currents, depicting how ordinary lives intersect with larger historical forces, including economic changes and political unrest that shaped southern Siam’s evolution.
Wedel’s narrative combines detailed historical research with immersive storytelling, utilizing multi-layered characterizations and intricate plotting. The novel offers readers both an evocative emotional journey and an insightful historical panorama, shedding light on little-known facets of southern Siamese history with universal resonance.
April 23, 2023
Fascinating Historical Fiction
A complex tale, well told, that both entertains and informs, by creating engaging characters to reveal the complex mix of classes, cultures and tensions that still constitutes this poorly understood but vital area of southern Thailand.
A complex tale, well told, that both entertains and informs, by creating engaging characters to reveal the complex mix of classes, cultures and tensions that still constitutes this poorly understood but vital area of southern Thailand.
January 13, 2025
Loved this book and can't wait to read the next one. I enjoyed the short chapters by the different characters. Nice to understand the history of South Thailand through a clever storyline. The glossary and the history timeline was helpful.
February 1, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Having lived in Thailand for 20 years I enjoyed reading about the beginning of the conflict in the south. Shame that nothing much has changed in over 100 years.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews