Ghosts, superstition and semi-sorcery are all the stuff of daily life in Ban Somboon, a tiny village. in far flung Isaan, Thailand's poorest province. Far from Bangkok and the country's famed sun, sea and sex resorts Ban Somboon sees few foreigners (farang). Nestling close to the Cambodian border the village is a community where ancient Khmer traditions and customs linger. When a farang of pensionable age from Britain arrives to make his home in the village he faces a steep learning curve. First Tales of a Thai Village chronicles the myriad shocks and surprises, discoveries both of delight and dismay, clashing cultures and struggles with an impenetrable language that he experiences. Along the way he burrows into Buddhism, encounters some scary Khmer magic and fends off the wiles of would be brides