ABSTRACT

The Intersection of National and Transnational Narratives Driving on the new Bangkok highway just before reaching the town of Sri Racha (on Thailand’s eastern seaboard), I remember that in the 1970s there were a few restaurants with gardens catering to highway traffic. Today it is dotted with colorful billboards advertising office constructions and residential compounds, some already built. Large cement buildings house businesses, restaurants, and even a formal clubhouse for evening entertainment that shows off the most up-to-date transvestite performers.