In the temples, slums, and gated estates of late-20th century Bangkok, ‘Welcome Me to the Kingdom’ exposes the schemes and strategies, the lies and betrayals, that inch its characters tantalisingly closer to ‘the good life’. Wildly imaginative and ambitious, Mai Nardone’s immersive debut announces the arrival of an extraordinary new voice, and captures the growing discrepancy between Thailand’s smiling self-image and its ugly reverse. Seen through a haze of covert agreements and cigarette smoke, these unforgettable stories capture a kingdom caught between this world and the next.