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This article on the evolution of Thai comic performance investigates its symbiotic rela-tionship with Buddhist belief in the Middle Way, the nonextreme mode of existence. From the ritualistic comic performance of Buddhist monks to the modern genre of Westernized stand-up comedy, Thais celebrate the value of sanuk (fun) and the achievement of social harmony. However, while older comic forms mock stupidity, inferiority, and vulgarity, the popular stand-up comic Udom Taephanit avoids confrontation and criticism and therefore does not portray the extremes of society needed to fully appreciate the value of the Middle Way.