Setin1950andbasedontheseriesofautobiographicalshortstoriesbyArchinPanjabhan,thebeginningfindsArchinexpelledfromBangkok'sChulalongkornUniversityinhissophomoreyear.HeispackedofftosouthernThailand,wherehesupposedlyhasajobwaitingforhim.It'sinaremote,mountainousjunglethatdoesn'teven"rateaspotonthemap",aplacethatislittlebutall-consumingredmudandseeminglyendless,torrentialdownpours.Archinarrives,letterofrecommendationinhand,attheminingcompanyoffice,onlytobetoldthattherearenojobs.Thecompany'ssuperintendent,Sam,asternAustralianveteranoftheDeathRailwaywhoasksArchinifheiswillingtodomanuallabor.Archinanswerstotheaffirmativeandhe'shired.He'sevengivenahouseofhisown,(whichhappenstobehaunted).Everyone,fromthelowliestMalaysianlaborerstoJohn,theburlychiefoftheminingstaff,deridesAjinasa"Bangkokboy"whoisn'tfitforhardworkandArchinisconstantlyputtothetest.Eventually,hebecomesatrusted,integralmemberofthecompany,workingasasurveyor.