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Many--if not most--Bangkok hotels will offer discounts to locals although not many publicize it. Thais know it can be commonly obtained by simply asking. I don't think it has anything to do with worthiness and I don't begrudge those who receive it.

It's one thing to be engaged by a tout outside the venue he represents. Some are informative, entertaining and they'll never forget your face. But letting a tout take you off the soi is not a journey that will end well. Count yourself lucky that you lost no more than you did. But it's a lesson that will serve you well in the future.

They may not represent the reason why most members travel to Bangkok but they're an intricate part of the local gay scene. They delight the largely Asian audiences from every show bar from Soi 4 to Patpong and even in Moonlight. This article explores their achievements in finding their place in LGBT communities and the discrimination that complicates their lives. From the Bangkok Post What is it like to be a transgender person in Thailand, a nation that seems to be friendly to the LGBTI population? Each person would probably reply differently depending on personal experiences they've had navigating their daily lives. But there remains a common theme of discrimination and prejudice -- found both at a personal and legal level -- that all of them face regardless of where or who they are in this society. This month, the movement for transgender legal recognition took a leap forward when a group of transgender women led by Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, CEO of JKN Global Media, introduced their newly-founded Life Inspired For Transsexuals (Lift) Foundation to advocate for an inclusive society free of gender-based barriers and to support legal gender recognition of transgender people. Representatives of the group visited parliament last Thursday to push for a bill that would allow transgender people to change their title after they undergo sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Society is somewhat against the idea, with illogical reasoning to back their argument. Some fear criminals would take advantage of the law to change themselves and avoid paying for their crimes. They somehow fail to acknowledge that, if this were the case, it's way easier and more sensible to change one's name and get the surgery done to their face, not genitals. Others fear transgender women will take this opportunity to fool men into marrying them. A lot of the ideas are born from stigma, as well as the lack of understanding on the lengthy process of SRS, which takes both counselling with psychologists and medical professionals for hormone replacement therapy and surgery. It is certainly not something that can be achieved overnight, and unfortunately not by everyone due to financial and health limitations. These limitations also raised concerns that pushing for title change only after undergoing SRS can be problematic for many who can't afford it for various reasons. Does physical appearance trump how a person identifies themselves? Also, with no legal recognition or title change allowed, Thai transgender people continue to face problems in different areas from receiving healthcare to travelling abroad. Continues at https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/social-and-lifestyle/1720675/the-right-to-title-change

From the Bangkok Post Free travel on Blue Line extension The Blue Line train is offering free travel between the five new stations during a two-month trial run that started on Monday. Transport Minister Saksiam Chidchob on Monday said commuters can ride free of charge on the section between Wat Mangkorn and Tha Phra until Sept 28. The other three stations on the route are Sam Yod, Sanam Chai and Israphab. Sanam Chai is delicately decorated to be one of the most beautiful subway stations in the country. Continues at https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1720871/free-travel-on-blue-line-extension

From the Bangkok Post The Transport Ministry is considering piloting a 15 baht flat-rate fare, which is estimated to require at least 700 million baht in subsidies per year, on three electric train routes, according to two service operators. The Tao Pun-Bang Yai section of the Purple Line and the Airport Rail Link are most likely to be picked for the pilot phase of the ministry's policy to cut the cost of travelling by electric train, said Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand governor Pakapong Sirikantaramas. "These two routes are operated by the government and do not have legally binding agreements with any private parties," he said. The government already subsidises the Purple Line at a cost of about 1 billion baht a year, according to Mr Pakapong. Another route that is seen as suitable for piloting a flat rate fare is the Red Line's Bang Sue-Rangsit section which is due to begin operating by 2021, according to Mr Suthep. The Airport Rail Link carries about 90,000 passengers per day while the Purple Line serves about 50,000 per day, according to the ministry, while the Red Line is expected to have between 70,000 and 100,000 passengers per day. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1720575/transport-ministry-mulls-b15-flat-rate-on-three-train-routes

From South China Morning Post Gay Chinese find a place to be themselves on ‘Rainbow Cruise’ to Vietnam Workshops, talks and advice on LGBT issues are on offer during five-day return journey from Shenzhen to Da Nang With more than 1,000 gay Chinese and their families on board the ship, it’s also a place for some to come out On the deck of a cruise ship in southern China, two grey-haired men stood in silence, shoulders touching, looking out to sea, as other passengers bustled on board and settled in for the journey to Vietnam. Among them was Yang Yong, a 35-year-old banker who boarded the Costa Atlantica with his elderly parents. He told them he got a cheap deal – his mother was pleased, but his father was less enthusiastic. For Yang, it was important that they join him, so he did not say much about the trip. They thought it was just a family holiday. Aged in their 70s, Yang’s parents had been worried about their unmarried son, even arranging blind dates for him in the hope he would meet someone and settle down. Sitting with them after breakfast on the second day, Yang dropped the bombshell. “I want you to know, this will have an impact on our lives,” he said, tears welling in his eyes. “I thought about not telling you, but I want us all to live together in the future, so I have to say it.” His mother asked if he was ill. His father asked if he was attracted to men. They were on the “Rainbow Cruise” from Shenzhen to Da Nang, along with more than 1,000 gay Chinese and their families. During the five-day return voyage, they could attend workshops, talks and activities including speed dating on board the cruise ship, and get support and advice on LGBT issues. It was also a place for some, like Yang, to come out. In its third year, the annual event in June was organised by PFLAG China, an NGO based in Guangzhou that supports the LGBT community, their parents and friends. It is held on a cruise ship because it is difficult to find a venue for a mass LGBT event in mainland China, where homosexuality is not openly discussed. It was illegal until 1997 and was removed from an official list of mental disorders only in 2001. Attitudes towards homosexuality remain generally closed in Chinese society, in part due to a traditional Confucian emphasis on marriage and having children. Although the LGBT community is estimated at 70 million people and vibrant gay scenes do exist in the mainland’s large cities, for many it is a struggle to be accepted by their families and society. Stories are rife of people being forced to have so-called conversion therapy or entering into sham marriages. The theme for this year’s cruise was “Be yourself, discover a brand new world”. For Yang, it was inconceivable that he could “be himself” when he was younger, a time when he felt ashamed of being gay and wanted to keep it a secret. But that all changed after he moved to Guangzhou for work eight years ago and came across PFLAG China. Continues at https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3020289/gay-chinese-find-place-be-themselves-rainbow-cruise-vietnam

On the fourth floor of Silom complex you'll find several major banks that have branch offices.

Assume that you're talking about the location on Surawong, opposite Patpong. Regularly see black guys sitting outside there. Another example of the many opportunities that spontaneously arise in BKK to those who simply just look around.

Narita airport: https://www.narita-airport.jp/en/service/svc_06 Haneda airport: http://www.haneda-airport.jp/inter/mo/en/premises/service/delivery_temporary.html

I believe that Christianpfc may have posted about this site on his blog a few years back. From the Bangkok Post The Makkasan train depot in downtown Bangkok used to be the country's main centre for locomotive maintenance. It means more than a final resting place for old locomotives and carriages as it has preserved the architectural integrity and beauty of a bygone era and united the spirit of the railway staff. (Photos by Patipat Janthong) The idea of an adventure walk through a run-down train yard overgrown with tall trees may not be everyone's cup of tea. However, under the partially obscuring canopy lies what once was the country's main train maintenance hub. Indeed, the 497-rai Makkasan depot has retained its significance even today, albeit for quite a different reason. Peeling off the depot's rusty facade reveals its charming architectural designs inherent in the old maintenance building while the sheer size of the place that has fallen into neglect and been taken over by trees makes its one of the city's largest green spots. However, a blueprint is on the State Railway of Thailand's drawing board to commercially develop the area. The plan could very easily spell doom for the depot's architectural charm, its green existence as well as the communities living there. To avert doom, the rail worker unions and architectural experts have agreed that developments do not always have to equate to the destruction of what came before and should be preserved. Having marked the 109th anniversary of its establishment late last month, the depot is being integrated into the 220-billion-baht high-speed train project linking three gateway airports -- Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao. The Makkasan depot is eyed as a hub for the high-speed train scheme. Earmarked for development is Zone A, which is home to the maintenance operations. Most of buildings at the depot showcase striking architectural beauty with the oldest building, the Ror For Por 2465, having served as the maintenance centre for steam locomotives in the bygone era and for the diesel engines today. Old maintenance tools are kept at the buildings while two nearby warehouses store many types of hard and precious woods, including teak, phayung (Thai rosewood), shorea, and hopea, which were formerly used in railway construction. Continues at https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/1719855/back-to-the-railway-future-

And it's not just foreigners who get scammed. From Bangkok Post A 32-year-old woman has been arrested in Phayao on charges of fraud arising from an online romance scam in which a man was conned out of more than 2 million baht over two years. Nithiwan Ruangthippawan, alias Bai Por, was wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court on July 25 for fraud and inputting false information into a computer system that may damage others, said Pol Lt Gen Terapon Kuptanond, the Tourist Police Bureau (TPB) commissioner. The arrest came after the victim, identified only as Non, filed a complaint with the Phlapphla Chai 2 police station in Bangkok. He said he had fallen victim to a good-looking young woman using the name “Bai Por” on the Line chat application. The online relationship lasted for two years, during which the man transferred a total of 2.3 million baht into the woman’s account. However, the pair never met. The man told police that the woman kept making excuses, saying her father was sick, or she was busy with work. The truth emerged after the man met the young woman whose photo had been used in the profile of Bai Por. She said her name was Nong Gee and that she definitely was not Bai Por, who had chatted with him via Line. Mr Non then filed the police complaint after learning that he had been swindled. The police investigation subsequently shed light on the real name of Bai Por. By that time, Ms Nithiwan had fled into hiding in Chiang Mai. A police team was sent there to arrest her but she had fled again to Phayao, where officers took her into custody in front of a house on Friday, said Pol Lt Gen Terapon. During interrogation, police said Ms Nithiwan admitted she had used Nong Gee’s photo for her profile picture. She said she had spent the money transferred by Mr Non for her personal use. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1719935/man-conned-out-of-b2-3m-in-romance-scam

From Bloomberg Financial Thailand Has a Developing Economy and a Big First World Problem Getting old can be hard under any circumstances, and harder still when you’re poor. That’s the predicament for Thailand, the developing country first in line to face the consequences of a first-world-style baby bust. Data published last month by the United Nations show births in Thailand have dropped to a level on par with Switzerland and Finland, two ultra-wealthy countries with which it has almost nothing else in common. Those numbers mean that more than a quarter of Thailand’s people will be over 60 by 2030—and most will be poor. The International Monetary Fund says a shrinking labor force will hold back economic growth by as much as a full percentage point every year for the next two decades. Rapid-aging is a condition that, until now, has really only afflicted the richest nations because low birth rates tend to go hand-in-hand with higher incomes. The best-known exception is China, where the one-child policy (abandoned in 2015) has set the stage for a population squeeze around mid-century. But it’s Thailand that is breaking new, treacherous ground by becoming the first big country to get old before it’s had a chance to become prosperous. “Clearly this is going to be an issue for Thailand and a challenge,” said Chua Hak Bin, an economist who covers Southeast Asia at Maybank Kim Eng Research Pte in Singapore. “Thailand is kind of stuck in the middle: It’s an emerging country and yet it faces the demographic headwinds you see in advanced economies.” For years, economists and government planners assumed that overpopulation was the world’s main demographic worry, not population loss. But that idea may be wrong. In the last 50 years, birth rates have dropped in every country on the planet. The change is happening as people move to cities, where women have more access to education and contraception. Fewer babies is good for many families and also the environment, but there are economic consequences, too: fewer consumers, workers and tax payers, and fewer people to care for the elderly. Since 2000, Thailand has urbanized faster than any other big country besides China, which is the main reason fertility rates are falling now. But the push to have smaller families started back in the 1970s, when an anti-poverty program swept the country led by an activist named Mechai Viravaidya, who became known as “Mr. Condom.” Over two decades, Thailand’s fertility rate plunged from 6.6 to 2.2. Young kids meet Mechai Viravaidya, aka Mr. Condom, in 1990. Photographer: Taro Yamasaki/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images One potential source of relief, though, may come from Thailand’s openness to immigration—an attitude that separates it from other places with population problems like South Korea and Japan. Foreigners make up 10% of Thailand’s overall workforce, with higher numbers at the biggest companies. “Foreign workers are more than willing to fill the gap,” said Pakpoom Srichamni, president of Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction Pcl, a Bangkok-based firm of 10,000 workers, 30% of whom aren’t Thai. Even so, the country is already becoming a regional laggard, with average annual growth dropping every decade since the 1990s, from 5.3% to 4.3% to the mid-3s now. In the first quarter, growth clocked in at 2.8%, the slowest in more than four years. And with inflation stuck below 1%, interest rates under 2% and a rapidly appreciating currency, parts of the country’s economic profile are starting to resemble aging Japan more than developing neighbors like Indonesia or the Philippines. Continues at https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-thailand-baby-bust/

When I left BKK two weeks ago, work was still going on. But it certainly appeared to be all-hands-on-deck. From what I could gather, the major refurbishments are new bedding and installation of manufactured wood floors, both of which can be accomplished relatively quickly. The new water storage tank had been installed and the driveway was ready for resurfacing. Wouldn't be surprised if they spruced the rooms up with new towels and linens but I'm just guessing on that count. The hotel is just a five-minute walk from Patpong.

From Nikkei Asian Review Found in translation: Thai literature reaches West New translators lead contemporary authors out of the global margins BANGKOK -- For years, the Thailand sections of Bangkok's English-language bookstores have been dominated by a colorful yet shallow mixture of popular and academic history, travel guides, coffee-table cookbooks and expatriate-penned thrillers that amplify the country's less-savory aspects. What they have sorely lacked, in other words, is Thai voices. Slowly, however, that is changing: From an earthy bildungsroman to an unremittingly lyrical love story, contemporary Thai literature in translation is making its presence felt as never before. "Bright" and "Arid Dreams," by Duanwad Pimwana, one of Thailand's most acclaimed female authors, were released in English in the U.S. in April. Both were translated by Mui Poopoksakul, a Berlin-based former lawyer who is also behind cult author Prabda Yoon's two English-language short story collections, "The Sad Part Was" and "Moving Parts," which were published by the U.K.'s Tilted Axis Press in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Together with two-time Southeast Asian Writers Award winner Veeraporn Nitiprapha's "The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth," released by Thai publisher River Books in late 2018, these titles have brought the number of translations of Thai novels in the past two years to a grand total of five. While that figure might seem modest, it qualifies as a milestone for a country that readily gives itself up for foreign consumption in fields such as cuisine, tourism and film but has proved oddly inert in exporting literature. According to the University of Rochester's Translation Database, which tracks original works of fiction and poetry published in the U.S. in English translation, Japanese literature leads the way, with 363 books since 2008, followed by Chinese, with 254, and Korean, with 141. Even Asia's laggards fared better than Thailand: 18 Indonesian, 12 Hindi and nine Vietnamese books made the list over the same period while Thailand, prior to the release of "Bright" and "Arid Dreams," had none. "Our main challenge in putting it together was that Thailand lacks good [translators]," said editor Pariyapa Amon-Wanitsan, a cultural officer at Thailand's Ministry of Culture. To overcome this lack, she and her co-founder, British editor James Hatton, came up with the BKKLIT Translation Prize, an award that offers a modest cash prize. "We wanted to dig translators out of the woodwork -- and it worked," Hatton added. "We met a few through the competition that turned out to be really good. Two of them had never even tackled literary works before." Their discoveries include Thais, such as Noh Anothai and Wichayapat Piromsan, and non-Thais, such as Dylan J. Hartmann, each with their own niche spheres of literary interest. Together, these releases are introducing English readers to some of the characters and narrative strains that have populated Thai literature in recent years. Inhabiting a heightened tropical realm of the senses, "The Blind Earthworm" is a feverish love story that only Thailand -- and a writer highly attuned to it -- could produce. By contrast, Duanwad's "Bright," about a young boy whose father has abandoned him in a tenement housing community, strays into raw social realism territory, as do the 13 stark tales of the working class that comprise "Arid Dreams." The Bangkok Literary Review, meanwhile, is steeped in the playful postmodern surrealism that Prabda popularized in the country; its short stories introduce us to shape-shifting ravens and couples who swap lives, among other uncanny characters. Noh, who won a BKKLIT prize for his translation of Chiranan Phitpreecha's tightly metered poem "Firefly," said one of the biggest challenges "is the way a character's choice of pronoun encodes so much information about how he or she views him or herself in relation to the world, and how little articles can completely change the tone of a passage." And then there are the politics of translation to consider. "You can complicate matters even further," he added, "by considering the relationship of the source text and receiving language, the positionality of the translator relative to the original author, the text's place within a particular canon or tradition, and the ethics of representation." Chicago-based translator Noh Anothai Continues at https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Arts/Found-in-translation-Thai-literature-reaches-West

Bravo! Great report. I fondly remember the vivid descriptions of his Thai adventures that he was kind enough to post on this board. If any members have recent experience in Brazil, sure would enjoying reading about them.

A agree that this proposal seems far-fetched when you consider that there is still no agreement on the much needed additional terminal at Swampy. Nakhon Pathom (one of five provinces that comprise the greater Bangkok region) is a two-hour drive from downtown Bangkok and prone to traffic delays. It doesn't seem that it would be an attractive destination for travelers bound for the city. The topic of the new Swampy terminal was initially covered in a post DivineMadman started and provides good background information.

From Coconuts Bangkok Seven years from now, Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi may not be the only airports welcoming passengers in Bangkok with word that construction of a third is being considered to alleviate overcrowding. Presented as the antidote to painful congestion at Bangkok’s two major airports, plans for a new airport in western metro Bangkok’s Nakhon Pathom province, the capital’s third air travel hub, were announced Saturday by government aviation officials. Deputy director-general of the Airport Department, Jarun Meesomboon, said a proposal for the 560-hectare (3,500-rai) airport was being rushed for approval by the Transport Ministry. It would straddle Nakhon Pathom’s Bang Len and Nakhon Chaisi districts. He very optimistically predicted it would cost THB20 billion (US$65 million) and take four years to complete. Under best-case circumstances, the department would begin construction in 2023 and open the airport by 2026. Jarun predicted that more than 1 million passengers would use the new airport in its first year and that could become a key regional gateway such as those in Kohn Kean or Surat Thani. Officials are proposing the new airport could be geared toward international travel from South Asia and Southeast Asia. Travel from the Indian subcontinent has spiked in the past year, offsetting losses in arrivals from China. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/third-bangkok-airport-proposed-to-ease-overcrowding-pain/

We're not getting any younger so preference should indeed be the primary driver of decisions like this. A friend from home recently asked me why I traveled far and so frequently to Bangkok. "Doesn't that cost you a lot of money in your retirement?" "It does," I replied. "I can do it now or I suppose that I could wait until I'm 80 to do what I want."

Factors behind the strong baht are varied and extend beyond Trump's policies. The real power broker is the Central Bank (Thai's federal reserve). The wealthy and influential Thais who control the banking industry have an interest in a strong baht. Pitted against them are the Thais who control the export-driven industries who seek monetary easing and lower interest rates. The bankers have had the upper hand until now but that may be about to change. Actually, as little as quarter to a half-percent shift in the current interest-sensitive environment could change direction. The monetarists favor something in the range of 33 baht to the dollar. You're right, Peter, about the overall direction of tourist arrivals. A glance at the chart shows higher "highs" and higher "lows". Just as in stock prices, this is a positive indicator of future growth.

From Bloomberg Financial World-Beating Currency Is a Big, Big Headache for Thailand's Tourism Thailand’s tourism minister has blamed a surge in the baht for sapping tourist arrivals into Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy and says he’ll take up the matter with the central bank, highlighting rising concern over the currency’s gains. Arrivals have dropped because of the baht’s strength, Piphat Ratchakitprakarn, minister of tourism and sports, told reporters in Bangkok after he officially began his new role. Piphat said he’ll discuss with the Bank of Thailand and the finance minister what can be done to help support the industry. Thailand’s currency is among the strongest in emerging markets over the past 12 months, and the jump has been a headwind for an economy that’s also being hurt by the fall-out from global trade tensions. The central bank has signaled its concern about the advance, and on Wednesday Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob said he’s tracking the currency closely and is prepared to act. “The Thai baht’s strength is part of the reason why the number of tourists has dropped as those who come would get less money from their currencies to spend,” Piphat said on Thursday. “Tourism is considered to be one of our country’s main revenue drivers. I will do everything I can to make sure that arrivals increase and more revenue is generated than before.” Piphat’s aim to boost the number of arrivals contrasts with the view from his predecessor, Weerasak Kowsurat, who said Thailand should care less about increasing of quantity of travelers and focus instead on improving sustainable tourism to mitigate environmental impacts caused by too many visitors. Tourism is a key component of the economy, accounting for about a fifth of gross domestic product by some measures. Piphat said he was sticking to a recently-lowered target of 39.9 million arrivals but declined to comment on whether Thailand could hit its goal for 3.2 trillion baht in receipts this year. Arrivals in June fell to 2.9 million from 3.03 million a year earlier. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-18/world-beating-baht-is-a-big-big-headache-for-thailand-s-tourism ============================================================================ From Bangkok Post IMF urges Thailand to adopt fiscal reforms, monetary easing to support growth Thailand should adopt an expansionary policy mix, including fiscal reforms and monetary easing to help support growth, which has slowed amid rising global trade tensions, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday. The Thai economy grew by 4.1% in 2018, but growth in 2019–20 is expected to slow as uncertainty over trade tensions weigh on global demand, the IMF said in a statement after a staff visit to Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. Risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside, most notably the escalation of protectionism threatening the global trade system, the IMF said. "To support domestic demand, the team recommends an expansionary policy mix consisting of judicious use of fiscal space, fiscal reforms, and monetary easing consistent with a data-dependent approach," it said. "Given the delay in the enactment of the FY 2020 budget with the transition to the new government and the resulting lack of fiscal stimulus in the remaining months of 2019, as well as the moderation of the financial cycle, monetary easing would help support domestic demand and external rebalancing," it said. The Bank of Thailand has left its policy interest rate unchanged at 1.75% since tightening in December. It will next review policy on Aug 7. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1717271/imf-urges-thailand-to-adopt-fiscal-reforms-monetary-easing-to-support-growth

A new gay voice has published his first novel to wide acclaim. From the Wall Street Journal Magazine Ocean Vuong: America “Has Amnesia” About Tiger Woods How do we salvage an Asian-American identity that has been erased by the media? Poet Ocean Vuong poses the question about Woods as part of his acclaimed novel, ‘On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous’—while also examining the experience of immigrants in a culture that conflates conformity with survival The 30-year-old Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong structures his semi-autobiographical debut novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, as a long, devastating letter. It’s written by the narrator, Little Dog, to his mother, who is still shattered by the Vietnam War and living unmoored in America. Little Dog serves as a translator to his mother, who is illiterate. “I took off our language and wore my English, like a mask, so that others would see my face, and therefore yours,” writes Little Dog. The character wants to be seen, and he wants his mother to be seen, so he tries to make sense of their lives as refugees by writing down their story, using words she may never read. Vuong, the author of the shattering, tender 2016 poetry collection Night Sky With Exit Wounds, brings the same magic to his prose. WSJ. spoke to Vuong by phone from his home in Northampton, Massachusetts about both the danger and importance of being seen as an immigrant in America, and why “cancel culture” isn’t the best way to make strides in literature. WSJ. Magazine: Tell us the differences between publishing a novel and poetry. Ocean Vuong: Any poet would tell you that you’re happy just to have a book of poems out into the world so you can tell your mother that you’ve done something with your life in the past ten years. Publishing a novel is a bit more like a parade, and I’m not a parade person. But I know it means that I did my job as a writer, that I made something that seemed interesting beyond my own gains. How much do you talk to your mother about what you do, and how much does she know about the book? I try to tell her but she’s not interested. To some extent it’s a relief. She’s very practical and a lot of the publishing world is almost beyond her imagination. She gets that I do these things; she doesn’t know why. She gets readings. She likes going to them. In fact, she can’t understand the words so she sits adjacent to me and looks at the audience. She says “I like what your words do to their faces.” I love how in the novel Little Dog describes to his mother what writing feels like for him. Little Dog really hopes that his mother would be able to read it, but still he can only say some of the things he says to her in the letter because he knows the chances are slim. It felt like the crisis of the moment for me: As Americans we often ask ourselves “Does my voice matter? Do I have a voice? Does my vote count?” These are obvious concerns on the political level, but it also feels potent on the private, domestic level. What happens when the person we are closest to doesn’t hear us? What happens if we spend our whole lives inches away from somebody and our language fails us, or rather we fail language’s potential? The protagonist is told from a very young age that being Vietnamese means he shouldn’t draw any more attention to himself. It’s a survival mechanism. He’s trying to write, so he’s trying to make himself known while his mother tried to erase him in order to protect him. The urge to blend in and be invisible is very common among refugee, immigrant communities. There’s an old Vietnamese saying: “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.” Conformity as a means of survival is a part of an intergenerational clash in the diasporan experience. Do I say I’m Vietnamese or do I hide it? He realizes that he can only be Vietnamese-American, that it’s not even a choice. Little Dog refers to Tiger Woods as another product of this world that both you and he inhabit. What led you to Tiger Woods? I always knew Tiger Woods had roots in the Vietnam War. His father was a soldier there. How come we don’t hear about Woods’s origin? It’s an American phenomenon, as a culture, that we’re often wary of talking about someone’s pre-history. Because if we go pre- enough we’ll arrive at slavery and American genocide. So understandably, those in power, and those looking at this country in review, have amnesia. The same goes for isolated sports figures and celebrities. They are better as individual phenomenons that exist within the context of the sport. An interesting thing about Woods is that he often has his mother and father standing beside him on the green. That’s rare. We don’t see that in football. But few people have asked about them. How do we salvage an Asian American identity that has been erased by the media? The novel is one of the great places where that can happen. The more I learned about Woods, the more I saw parallels to my own family: the mixed-race identity, veterans coming through trauma after a war. Tiger Woods became more American to me after the research rather than just being a two-dimensional icon. You’ve talked about how you’ve studied writing and now you teach it, and how we can admire the dead white men of the canon of American Letters but also build on their legacy. As a teacher, I get this question a lot: What should we do? Should we cancel everybody? I get the impulse to cancel people because it’s a powerful, sweeping gesture. We can take often racist, often problematic writers off our syllabus and feel that we’ve reclaimed a space for someone else. My concern is that I don’t think that stops Whitman from appearing on the desks of school children for the next hundred years. Rather than elimination, we should focus on being more thorough. Instead of saying “this is the gold standard” we should say, “this work revolutionized American letters in some ways, but there are other places where the thinking fell apart.” Whitman created an incredible poetic line according to the King James Bible in an attempt to preserve the union side by side with Abraham Lincoln. Incredible! Whitman was also racist. We can hold those two truths simultaneously. I see the canon as a very well-curated list of white folks, but when you take the monoliths down into another sector, you can start to build the next sector for yourself. We can look at the canon as a list of white folks, but then we carry on. It’s a less combative approach. I never saw writing as something I had to fight against. I’m fighting against so much in the world. When it comes to writing—the moment where I have the most agency and the most control—I would like that space to be as collaborative as possible, even with the most difficult subjects and the difficult writers who came before. That’s also my approach to history, particularly with negotiating the Vietnam War. Because it was a civil war there was a polemic of polarity, but in fact when you look at the actual lived lives on the ground, it was incredibly messy. Some folks fought for whoever was closest. Some folks fought for whoever gave them food. Some folks fought because their fathers did. The political schema never quite fits into the reality of life on the ground in Vietnam. But the classroom and the page is where we can go to be back on the ground. It’s where we can say “Where does this narrative go wrong?” https://www.wsj.com/articles/ocean-vuong-america-has-amnesia-about-tiger-woods-11559662495?mod=WCP_magazine&reflink=brd_obamp_mag

Next time you find yourself in Lumpini you might want to try watching the guys pumping iron. Not as speedy as your farangs but a couple of decades younger.

You're going to premature ejaculate?

Funny but I'm always surprised by how little they sweat compared to westerners.

Agree. I'm sure the 10-minute walk from Patpong to my room easily falls within the local standard. If raining, a taxi is in order. If a guy is judging me by my expectation that he should be able and willing to walk 10 minutes, fair enough.