{"id":21467,"date":"2022-11-21T11:32:21","date_gmt":"2022-11-21T03:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/?p=21467"},"modified":"2024-04-17T12:13:03","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T04:13:03","slug":"roger-wu-wai-chung-sawadee-krub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/2022\/11\/roger-wu-wai-chung-sawadee-krub\/","title":{"rendered":"Roger Wu Wai-chung: \u201cSawadee Krub!\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Thailand expert from Hong Kong shares his experience after 20 years living in the country.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Carrie Lock<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In every episode of \u201cThai Rogered\u201d, a Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) programme introducing many tourist attractions and restaurants to Hong Kong people, the host Roger Wu Wai-chung always says \u201cSawadee krub!\u201d with a big smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany places in Thailand are yet to be known and explored by Hongkongers as there are 77 provinces in the country, and new trends emerge every day.  So, I have a lot to shoot and share with the audience,\u201dsays Wu, who moved to Thailand 20 years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His programme was broadcasted on Hong Kong\u2019s television channel J2 in 2016. Its seventh season was aired in September this year. Two Thai television personalities, Phakkasupat Pecharawiwat Aomzaa\u2013nicknamed \u201cTom yum mui\u201d or \u201cTom yum sister\u201d\u2013and Sirilak Kwong, cohost the show with Wu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Roger Wu Wai-chung and another TV host of \u201cThai Rogered\u201d, Phakkasupat Pecharawiwat Aomzaa at Wat Bang Chak, a monastery in Thailand. (Photo Courtesy of Roger Wu Wai-chung)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am happy to film the programme with the two cheerful hosts and collaborate with the Thai production team. Working with Thai people is different from working with Hong Kong crews. They do not complain about having no meal breaks during shooting, whereas Hong Kong crews want to have sufficient time for rest,\u201d says the 58-year-old travel expert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Roger Wu Wai-chung\u2019s YouTube channel has over 188K subscribers.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe local production crews and I have worked together for over ten years so we became close friends. As for the hosts, I recruit people who are not camera-shy, fluent in Thai and willing to wear weird T-shirts,\u201d Wu says, noting that he sometimes wears a T-shirt printed with six-pack abs when filming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The show was forced to stop amid the pandemic in 2020. Wu still tries to share updates on Thailand with Hongkongers via Youtube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have been uploading at least one YouTube video every day since the start of the pandemic. I read local news and see if anything is worth doing a story, then I shoot a video and release it on the same day,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forming Ties with Thailand<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wu\u2019s love for Thailand began when he first visited the country in 1990.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI visited Thailand when I had my annual leave. I thought of visiting Japan, but it was too expensive. So I joined a 12-day tour to Thailand, visiting numerous cities including Bangkok, Pattaya and Hua Hin,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThailand has beautiful beaches and sunshine, which I love so much. The low living cost and the polite locals impressed me a lot during my first visit,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wu worked as a researcher at the now-defunct broadcaster Asia Television Limited (ATV) and produced travel programmes. He also wrote for Apple Daily\u2019s travel news desk when it was established in 1995 as a freelancer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He published his first travel guide about Thailand in 1997 for River Bank Culture, a publishing company specialising in travel books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was shooting a travelling programme called \u2018Thailand Has It All\u2019 (\u6cf0\u570b\u4e5c\u90fd\u6709) for ATV in 1993. I could fly to Thailand and gather first-hand travelling information, like the latest tourist spots and local trends so I decided to write travel books about Thailand,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy first book was so popular that a second edition was published. At that time, many travel authors confessed that they wrote their books simply by copying descriptions printed on brochures of travel agencies without leaving Hong Kong. Unlike them, I have first-hand information,\u201d Wu recalls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Roger Wu Wai-chung\u2019s travel book, introducing the tourist spots of Bangkok to the readers, was published in August 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

His contribution to tourism in Thailand is recognised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. He was given the \u201cFriends of Thailand\u201d award in 2000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany Hong Kong people still see Thailand as a poor country and a hub of sex, drugs and gambling. I want to change people\u2019s perception and present an authentic Thailand to them through my work,\u201d Wu says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Many Hong Kong people still see Thailand as a poor country and a hub of sex, drugs and gambling. I want to change people’s perception and present an authentic Thailand to them through my work.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

After seven years of countless flights between Hong Kong and Thailand, Wu decided to settle in Thailand in 2002. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo update information on my travel guides, I had to travel to Thailand very often without sponsorship during the seven years. Those frequent trips cost me a lot. Considering the affordable rent and my strong interest in the country, I decided to relocate to Thailand,\u201d he explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thailand vs. Hong Kong<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Roger Wu Wai-chung enjoying his time in Pattaya. (Photo Courtesy of Roger Wu Wai-chung)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Moving to a foreign place may be difficult for many people, but Wu blends in easily, highlighting that patience is the key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLanguage is not a big problem in Thailand. Many expats in Thailand do not speak the local language but still live happily,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThailand\u2019s living pace is slower so it may be hard for you to slow down in the beginning. As time goes by, you will get used to it,\u201d he continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, some Hong Kong residents have been considering leaving the city for Thailand, one of the popular emigration options in Asia, as the cost of living is much lower. But Wu reminds them that they should also need to consider the country\u2019s business environment and political situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you plan to start a business here, you are legally required to find a Thai national to be your business partner who must hold the majority of the company\u2019s shares. Where can you find such a person? That\u2019s why I know some Hongkongers operating restaurants in Thailand do not abide by the law as it is too hard to find a local partner,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Thailand has seen political turmoil for nearly two decades, including protests and two coups, Wu says it is not a big deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere were several coup d\u2019etat that took place, but so what? After all, that is only a change of leadership and people\u2019s daily life remains unchanged. The society is stable; if not, foreigners will not keep coming and residing in the country,\u201d he adds.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural differences between Hong Kong and Thailand is another factor that should be considered by people planning to emigrate, as Wu says Thai people are very superstitious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn exchange for luck, wealth and better lives, the superstitious Thai people raise child ghosts, wear phrakhrueang (a Thai Buddha amulet) and visit masters for advice frequently,\u201d he says.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo me, I believe in my God\u2013the God of the singer Sam Hui,\u201d Wu says. Hui\u2019s Drifter\u2019s Song, which sings \u201dIf something is meant to happen in life, it will. Otherwise, don\u2019t push it\u201d, is Wu\u2019s motto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His motto is similar to the belief of many Thai people. \u201cThe Thai always say \u2018jai yen yen\u2019 (\u0e43\u0e08\u0e40\u0e22\u0e47\u0e19\u0e46), which means chill out. When you get annoyed by a traffic jam or get in an argument with somebody, just say \u2018jai yen yen\u2019,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sub-edited by Gabriella Lynn<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Thailand expert from Hong Kong shares his experience after 20 years living in the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":21489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2178,79],"tags":[1994,1998,1992,1036],"class_list":["post-21467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-november-2022","category-people","tag-rogerwu","tag-thai-rogered","tag-thailand","tag-tvb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21467"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21639,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21467\/revisions\/21639"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}