This week we take a closer look at why Thailand's national dish -- pad thai -- isn't actually very representative of Thai food. But first, an innovative way to get out of a traffic ticket in Thailand when it happens to you. Evo tested. Evo approved.

Before we get started with the meat of the show, we have to tell you the story of Evo getting ticketed for a traffic offense he really didn't commit. Which meant he lost his license and had to then go argue his case in person at some some tiny cop-shop in the far northwestern corner of Bangkok. And by "argue", we mean smile, stay friendly, and then don't go away until the police officer gets sick of the whole situation, leading him to tear up the ticket and hand over the license. (Note: The Bangkok Podcast does not endorse this behavior. Drive safely, please!) But that's not what we're talking about today. Instead, we're covering the classic, quintessential dish that everyone has to have when they visit Bangkok -- pad thai. Only... what if it's not all it's cracked up to be? To get to the bottom of this, Evo put on his investigative journalist hat once again and looked into the national -- or perhaps ultra-national -- dish of Thailand. Some fascinating things you'll learn about this dish when you listen to this episode of the Bangkok Podcast:

• It's not ancient and came about from a nation-wide competition
• It was designed to showcase Thailand's entrance to the western world
• It's either the most un-Thai Thai food or the most-representative-of-Thai-culture Thai food, depending on your perspective
• A dozen or so dishes that are much tastier (and spicier!) than pad thai (we recommend laab moo)
• The best Dairy Queen Blizzard you can't get in your home country
• How to make your grandmother shudder by putting sugar in her beef stew. Unless she's Thai.
• How two farang think you should apply the best spices from the kruang prung collection the next time you visit Thailand (or your local Thai food joint)
• The easiest way you can show your support for our show (and get cool stuff) via Patreon.

Love, Loathe, or Leave

Middle aged men in Thailand have a natural, built in air conditioner that the two of us really need to get behind. You might have heard of "buddha belly", but I don't think you mean the same thing. How do we feel about these large dudes and their makeshift midriff? Listen this episode and find out.

Want More Bangkok Podcast In Your Life?

If it's your first time experiencing The Bangkok Podcast, you really should get our show downloading to your phone automatically every week. If you use iOS, it's a breeze to listen via Apple Podcasts. Android users are be able get the show any number of ways. And for bonus points, leave us a review on those platforms or however you listen to the show. We'd love to hear from you, either on the contact form on our website or through a comment or message on our Facebook page. You can Tweet to the show @bangkokpodcast or follow Greg's tweets of snarky Bangkok goodness. Evo chronicles his Bangkok adventures on Instagram from time to time, if that's your thing. And as mentioned, we now have a LINE account! Yep. Just for the Bangkok Podcast. Join us over there, too! See you next time on The Bangkok Podcast!

(Direct download .mp3)