Doctor Dang Thuy Tram’s diary in Thai.

(Nhan Dan Online) “Doctor Dang Thuy Tram Diary”, a literature phenomenon in Vietnam, has recently been translated and published in Thai. The 300 – page book was translated by Doctor Montira Rato, lecturer at the Chulalongkorn University.

“Being a woman, my empathy with the main character, also the author of the book has inspired me to translate this art work” Dr. Montira Rato says.

Upon her first reading of the book, Montira had decided that she should translate it into Thai and get it published. However, many publishers turned her down or asked her to cut the book short. Montira was later able to seek support from the Kofbai Publishing House to publish the book in full.

Translator Montira Rato.

Montira wrote as preface to the book, “For years, there has been no book which had made similar literature phenomenon in Vietnam as Dang Thuy Tram’s Dairy, 100 thousand copies of which have been sold. With simple and sincere language, the Diary has left good impressions on the hearts of its readers, from ordinary people to leaders.”

Montira says the Diary helps Thai readers better understand Vietnam and its people. To Montira, the most important thing that Tram’s writing does is to purify her soul, to help provide a review of Montira’s life so far. She consider the translation task an “important exercise of my life”.

Montira Rato calls the diary "a moving story reflecting a real picture of Vietnamese soldiers in the battlefield."

"For those who joined the army during the war, the passages of Dang Thuy Tram are reminiscent of their youth. For the post-war generation, it is a link between them and their country’s history." Doctor Montira says.