Czechast: Martina Šmídová and the generation without borders

In this episode of Czechast, we meet Martina Šmídová—a young Czech woman who has made a new life for herself in Thailand. Born after 1990, she’s part of the Millennial generation whose worldview is shaped by digital life, global mobility, and personal freedom. But as she tells us, some old clichés about her country—and even her accent—are hard to shake.

When Martina Šmídová tells people in Thailand that she’s from the Czech Republic, the answer she often hears is: “Oh, Czechoslovakia!” More than three decades after the Velvet Divorce, the old name—and the outdated assumptions—are still alive and well.

“We kind of bump into it a lot because most of my friends are European and they do feel like Czech is Eastern European. Many of them think it's still Czechoslovakia, so that's another issue. We still do, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And so many people in Thailand, they ask me, where are you from? I'm like, from Czech. They're like, Czechoslovakia. And they're like, oh, yeah, I know. So it's still there. After all those years, it's still there.”

Now living on the island of Koh Samui, Martina runs a popular lifestyle Instagram account aimed at a Czech audience. But even after a long time abroad, she still gets comments about her origins—especially her Moravian accent.

“It's kind of funny, I realize it now, because I started this Instagram account for Czech people. About my life in Thailand. And I get so many comments on my accent and the way I appear that she's Moravian from these Prague people. So I was like, is it that bad that people actually realize that? So I'm getting this feedback, so I'm sensing that much more than I used to before.”

Martina’s story may look like a carefree modern adventure—and in many ways it is. But as we hear in Czechast, life for Millennials and Generation Z is not necessarily easier or more carefree than it was for previous generations. It’s simply different—and worth listening to.

Listen to the full interview with Martina Šmídová in the latest episode of Czechast, our podcast in English about all things Czech.