Recently author Barry Eisler wrote on his website that his previous publishing contracts were amicably terminated thereby giving him the rights back. That meant no more “ridiculous compromises” to use his words and so the Rain play-on-words titles, which had nothing to do with the stories, have all been changed to more meaningful ones.

The fourth Rain novel; ‘Killing Rain‘ (2005) has now been retitled ‘Redemption Games‘ and whilst in Bangkok earlier this year I tracked down a few locales. Usually when I book a trip to anywhere I do my research which is less-guidebook and more-movie locations in style. This is usually topped up by checking if any locations in that vicinity featured in any of the ‘Rain’ books. Thankfully this is easier than you’d expect as Eisler’s website has a list of locations, restaurants, bars and hotels used. However, this time I forgot to follow this regular planning step but still managed to inadvertently grab photos of a few Bangkok places from Rain #4.

The blurb on the back of this book reminds me that Rain has a new employer, the Mossad, who want him to fix a “problem” in Manila with the aid of new partner, expert sniper Dox. Rain hopes that by using his talents for something good he might go some way for making up for all those lives he has taken. For once though his conscience results in him messing up the assignment and as a result he finds out that he is indeed the Mossad’s next target.

* As just mentioned, things start off in the Philippines but after the botched job Rain and Dox reconvene (page 67) in Thailand at Baan Khanitha Restaurant (below) on Sukhumvit 23 which is an eight minute walk from Sukhumvit or Asok stations on the MRT and BTS lines respectively.

My wife had been saying that she didn’t want to just eat street food all the time (as is our style when in Bangkok) so I decided to take her for lunch (below) at this place which won some kind of award for being the best restaurant back in 1999.

The squalid and mouldering Miami Hotel (below) at the top of Soi 13 near Nana station is referenced on page 68. It went up in the later 1960’s to house U.S. troops on R&R and now sticks out as a bit of an eyesore when compared to the richer, upscale Bangkok growing up around it.

Not so far from there is Thermae Bar & Coffee House (below) (page 69) which used to house women to service the soldiers staying at the nearby Miami Hotel. In need of a refreshment break I was hoping to take my wife for a coffee at this place but sadly it wasn’t open when we passed by.

Patpong, Silom Road (under Sala Daeng BTS station), Sukhumvit Road, the Sukhothai Hotel, Brown Sugar Jazz restaurant, Bamboo bar at The Oriental and Surasak all get mentioned before (or possibly just after!) the two anti-heroes meet for lunch up on the 63rd floor of the State Tower (page 99); the same place (below) which years later would be used extensively in ‘The Hangover Part II‘ (2011)

After a trip of sorts to Phuket, the guys arrive back in Bangkok and check into the Grand Hyatt Erawan (page 174) on Ratchadamri (below).

After that they take in a spot of Thai boxing (page 176). Next, an elaborate Surveillance Detection Run (SDR) to make sure that no one is following them, takes them through Chit Lom and Phloen Chit (below) stations. We stayed very close to the latter for the first part of our Bangkok trip at the end of December last year.

Eventually they move on to Lumpini Boxing Stadium (below) which may or may not have appeared in ‘The Man With The Golden Gun‘ (1974)!!

* This post was updated in September 2016

Bonus: No real place to stick this location but as it’s from the same book as the Bangkok locations here seems like the most obvious location. During my Hong Kong trip in May 2012 we passed the Old Bank of China Building on Bank Street. The China Club on its 13th floor featured in part three (page 248) of the fourth Rain novel.

For other John Rain entries please click on the following:

Rain Fall Film      Rain Fall Film Review      Prelude      Part I      Part II      Part III         Part IV     Part V     Part VI     Part VII     Part VIII     Part IX     Part X