Intelligence for us.

About Blackbook

A free weekly intelligence brief for Black residents, visitors and professionals in Bangkok: what changed, why it matters, who it affects, and what to do about it. Intelligence for us.

Why it exists

Blackbook started in a WhatsApp community for Black folks in Bangkok. Every week the same things came up: a rumor about a visa rule, a screenshot of an announcement nobody could confirm, questions about whether a new law actually applied to us. And the same practical questions came up again and again, like “does anyone know a good barber?”

The answers usually existed somewhere: in an embassy notice, a Thai-language government announcement, or a community list most people didn't know about. But they were scattered, unverified, or impossible to find when you needed them. Blackbook pulls them together: the information that matters, checked, in one place, and short enough to read on your phone.

How we work

  • Official sources first. Thai government agencies, embassies and Bangkok city authorities, plus credible Thai- and English-language news.
  • Every item is labeled. Official, reported, community report, analysis, or unconfirmed, so you always know what kind of information you're reading.
  • Verified, sourced and dated. Each item links to its source and shows when it was last verified.
  • Updated when things change. During a crisis, like the September 2026 floods, the brief is updated daily.
  • Human-checked. I use automated research tools, including AI, to scan sources. Every item is checked and edited by me before it's published.
  • Corrections are made openly. If we get something wrong, we fix it. Spotted a mistake? Let us know.

Blackbook is independent and isn't affiliated with any group or organization.

Who's behind it

Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones

Founder and editor

I'm a member of Bangkok's Black community, and Blackbook brings together the things I've spent my career on.

  • Briefing and analysis. A military veteran and a Master's in International Policy and Practice from George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, focused on Southeast Asia, including a semester at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
  • Languages. I speak Thai (not yet fluently), so I can check Thai-language sources and government announcements directly, often before they're reported in English. I also speak Russian.
  • Building things. A web development degree and more than 10 years as a software developer, at large and mid-size companies, as a contractor on a military program and at two startups. I built Blackbook myself.
  • Life abroad. I've traveled extensively and know firsthand how hard it can be to get reliable information in a country that isn't your own.

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