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Tom Vater

Writer, Publisher & Editor

Tom Vater is a writer, publisher and editor working mostly in Asia.

He has published four crime novels and is the co-owner of Crime Wave Press, a Hong Kong based crime fiction imprint. He is also the co-founder of book-coaching service The SandScribes.

Tom has published some twenty non-fiction books, including the bestsellers Sacred Skin with Aroon Thaewchatturat & Cambodia: A Journey through the Land of the Khmer with Kraig Lieb.

His work has appeared in a wide variety of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Times, The Guardian, The Nikkei Asian Review, CNN, Marie Claire, Geographical, and The Mekong Review. Tom is a Daily Telegraph destination expert and has authored several guidebooks on Thailand and Cambodia.

He is the co-author of three documentary screenplays, including the highly praised The Most Secret Place On Earth, a feature on the CIA’s secret war in Laos.

Tom works as a consultant for a range of organizations providing background on the political, cultural and social landscape of South and Southeast Asia.

He is represented by London-based literary agency Marjacq.

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Portfolio

(Crime) Fiction

Crime Wave Press / Exhibit A
06/29/2012
The Cambodian Book of the Dead

As soon as Maier, detective and former war reporter, arrives in Cambodia, his journey leads into the darkest corners of the country’s history.

Exhibit A/Crime Wave Press
03/25/2014
The Man With the Golden Mind

Detective Maier is sent to Laos to find a legendary CIA file crammed with Cold War secrets.

Crime Wave Press
11/01/2018
The Monsoon Ghost Image

In the wake of 9 11, Detective Maier finds himself in Thailand, thrust into the heart of the United States’ War on Terror and the CIA’s extraordinary rendition program. From Bangkok’s concrete canyons to the country’s remote jungles and hedonist party islands, Maier races against formidable foes to discover some of our darkest truths and to save his life into the bargain.

Feature Stories

Nikkei Asian Review
05/29/2020
Thai tropical paradise finds opportunity in adversity

KOH PHANGAN, Thailand -- In the late afternoon sun, a long line of sandals snakes down the beachfront road in Thong Sala, the main town on Koh Phangan, a tourist island in the Gulf of Thailand famed for its scenic settings and laid-back beach life.

Nikkei Asian Review
02/06/2019
Hard choices in the Andaman Islands

In late November, an American missionary attempted to bring Christianity to the Sentinelese people, a remote community in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an Indian territory in the Bay of Bengal. Circumventing Indian authorities, John Allen Chau paddled a kayak to North Sentinel, the community's island home. The Sentinelese killed him.

Illustrated Books

Visionary World Publishing
07/01/2011
Sacred Skin | Thailand's Spirit Tattoos

A beautifully illustrated book introducing the mysterious world of sak yant, spirit tattoos said to bestow protective powers upon their bearers.

Publishing & Documentaries

Publishers
03/01/2012
Crime Wave Press

Asia's only independent English language crime fiction imprint! 33 books published, from Asian noir to historical crime fiction.

ARTE
09/01/2001
Kumbh Mela - The Greatest Show on Earth

In the footsteps of Alok Sharma, the top policeman in charge of the Maha Kumbh Mela in India, the largest gathering of people on planet earth, ever!

Travel Guides

The Daily Telegraph
04/14/2012
Bangkok destination expert

Bangkok City Break Guide. Songkran celebrations, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, unspoilt islands, festivals and events.

Moon Travel Guides
10/02/2018
Moon Angkor Wat: Including Siem Reap & Phnom Penh

With Siem Reap & Phnom Penh The ancient temples at Angkor Wat are unlike anything else on earth. Step back in time and take the trip of a lifetime with Moon Angkor Wat.

Reise Know-How Verlag
10/07/2019
Southeast Asia Guidebooks

Current titles: Thailand Handbuch - Best-selling German language Thailand Guidebook. Inseltrip - Bestselling guide to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan & Koh Tao. Citytrip - Guide to the Angkor temples in Cambodia. Kulturschock Thailand - Introduction to ethnic minorities in Thailand.

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