The Bangkok Podcast (Greg Jorgensen & Ed Knuth)

This is Part 2 of Ed’s interview with friend and expat extraordinaire David Cluck. The guys pick up where they left off, discussing the holy grail: living in Thailand but making a Western salary. David explains how he began to get work in Thailand and for a while balanced a life in L.A. with one in Bangkok. He shares numerous anecdotes from his work on the Hua Hin Film Festival, which eventually led him to intersect with the cast and crew of “Only God Forgives” and a meeting with Ryan Gosling.

David then explains how he got a unique opportunity to work as the assistant director on a black and white silent film, shot in L.A. but written and directed by French filmmakers. Wholly unexpectedly, the film, “The Artist,” went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, among many other accolades. And believe it or not, the Cluckster has some of the only spoken lines in the film!

The boys wrap up by diving deep into the advantages that Thailand brings to foreign film productions, from excellent crews to fantastic scenery as well as tax incentives and rebates. Suffice it to say that you can add film production to your list of all the cool things going on in Thailand today. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg interviews Renaissance-Expat Extraordinaire Dan Fraser, an old friend of both Greg and Ed and a former guest of the podcast in season 1. As both the star of a Thai TV show called ‘Long Ruk Yim’ and the owner of Smiling Albino, a high-end adventure travel company, Dan is afforded some really unique opportunities for understanding Thai culture, and seeing things from the inside.

Among the topics discussed in this episode - part 1 of a two-part show - Dan discusses the difficulties involved in filming a television show where he must explain his adventures in Thailand, in Thai to a Thai audience, and the logistics of putting a weekly show together while running a mid-size company with a few dozen staff. He also goes into detail on some of the incredibly awkward situations that he often finds himself in while filming, and how he uses them as tools to better understand Thai culture.

Suffice it to say, if Greg and Ed have had ‘interesting’ lives in Thailand, Dan has had something that’s hyper-super-mega interesting. Approximately. 

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Most of us have used one type of expat group or another, so you know that they’re often a chaotic mix of helpful advice, strange questions, and angry debates. Helpful? Sometimes. Boring? Never.

On this episode, Greg interviews Blake Sibbitt, the creator of a relatively new Facebook group called Bangkok Informed, who talks about what goes on behind the scenes. Blake explains the basic goal behind his forum: to split the difference between highly curated forums where participants must follow a strict set of rules and wild west style forums that quickly devolve into vulgar nastiness. According to Blake, most people want something in the middle, and that’s the service he is trying to provide.

Greg and Blake discuss some of the common problems - trolls, how to define ‘offensive’, and members who are determined to be offended no matter what they read. Blakes overall advice is simple - members should focus on just posting content they would like to see, causing the forum to naturally head in the direction they would like.

Although he’s had to deal with a few problematic members, Blake maintains quite a Zen attitude and refuses to be bothered by the troublemakers. As all of us need to be reminded now and again, the Internet is not the real world, and there’s no reason to to get too bent out of shape. :)

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Support us and get cool stuff!

The thought of spending a few days on an island in Thailand sounds about as close to paradise as a westerner can get: blue water, white sand, the works!

But the reality of it is a little different than the picture in your mind, and you might want to adjust your expectations a bit when visiting an island in Thailand.

And speaking of Thailand as a great vacation destination, we really do want to meet you when you come through Bangkok. Please reach out and we’ll see if we can get our schedules to align so we can grab a beer, coffee, or even a meal together. We love it!

Of course, we love the listeners who support us with a small financial contribution most of all. People like Jeremy Winterson, an actual race car driver and illegal taxi driver. (One of those statements is true).

If you want to get the show early, get some cool swag, and even have Greg come up with fantastical tales of your life, support us if you can!

And on Love, Loathe, or Leave: long-time expats who still can’t pronounce Pattaya correctly. Don’t sound like a noob, please?

Thanks for listening. Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter, or LINE with your qwaments, kestians, or whatever you want to share.

It’s Greg’s turn for some reverse culture shock as he relates his return to Thailand from the Great White North of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Ed first notes the differences between his situation and Greg’s: he still has family in Ohio, while Greg’s family are no longer there. Plus, Ed’s habits tend towards the international, such as Starbucks and Subway, so he can feel at home around the world. 

For Greg though, Calgary is really another place entirely, especially in the winter, and he reacted similarly to Ed in Ohio: Why do human beings even live in this environment? Apparently, twenty years in the tropics changes a man.

The boys then discuss some of the big differences noted on Greg's trip, from dull malls and rough-looking locals (something Ed noticed on his trip too) to the abundance of weed dispensaries and the sheer joy of bantering with waitstaff in your own language.  

Listen in for some deep thoughts on being a stranger in a strange land that used to be home. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg begins by explaining the momentous time we live in: soon there will be a general election in the Land of Smiles. He turns to Ed, allegedly a professor of political science, to give a primer (long ‘i’) on the upcoming election scene, but with a focus on how we got here in the first place. 

Ed begins by going all the way back to the elections of 2000, when Thailand was reeling from the economic crisis of 1997 and straddled with billions of dollars of debt to the IMF. On to the scene marched a nouveau riche Thai billionaire, Thaksin Shinawatra, who confidently promised to repay the government’s debts early (which he did, as a matter of fact). Thaksin formed a surprisingly broad coalition of Isaan farmers and a fairly sizable chunk of the Bangkok middle class. After an economically successful but otherwise controversial first term, he was re-elected in 2004 in more or less a landslide.

However, this apparent ‘success’ led to a backlash in the form of a coup d'etat from a conservative establishment in 2006, followed by years of political turmoil. After Thaksin’s sister Yingluck won an election in 2012, another coup followed in 2014. Since then, the military has held a firm grasp on the government, but lo and behold, Thaksin’s daughter Paetongtarn is the leading candidate in the upcoming election. The more things change, the more they stay the same in modern Thai politics.

Greg and Ed discuss whether or not any of this really matters to expats in Thailand. We can’t vote, so why bother going deep? The guys offer differing perspectives on the issue, leaving it up to each expat to decide on their own. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg interviews Ilya Smirnoff, the director of Childline Thailand, an NGO dedicated to the rights of children in Thailand. Ilya begins by explaining his early life as a monk, and how he eventually left the monkhood and began doing charity work. The basic genesis of Childline Thailand was to provide a single phone number for children to call to gain access to information about all the government services that are designed to help children in trouble. The organization was able to get the simple phone number ‘1387,’ which is still their number today. Ilya notes that there are actually an array of services of great variety, but that a single access point makes it much easier for children to navigate the system. 

Greg then asks Ilya to walk him through an example call, where a child who has run away from home calls in. Ilya says the first step is to assess whether the child is in immediate danger; if so, Childline will immediately call the police so that they can intervene and hopefully render assistance. If a child seems to have a skillset that perhaps allows them to live for a while on their own, Childline will do a further assessment to determine the appropriate services for that child.

The fact that up to 70% of Thai children have a grandparent as their primary caregiver, and the difficulties that can bring, exacerbates the situation, making their biological parents harder to track and them perhaps more willing to run away. The generation gap between grandparents and children is often vast and a communication breakdown often makes violence more likely. 

Greg and Ilya continue to discuss the emotional difficulties of the job, its great rewards, and complexities of navigating the various services available in Thailand. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the interview next week.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

As all expats know, Bangkok is a gigantic, sprawling metropolis, but it does contain dozens of identifiable neighborhoods, each with its own personality, vibe, and reasons to go (or not to go) for a visit.

On this show, the guys dive into the Ekkamai area, the long, skinny section that stretches from Sukhumvit to Petchaburi along Sukhumivit Soi 63. Not only does this include Soi Ekkamai proper, but also the many side sois that snake and wind and tumble west, toward Thong Lor, and east, toward Sukhumvit 71, which hide great apartments, cool coffee shops, and other little surprises. Greg and Ed go over some of their favorite places to eat, drink, and shop, while also discussing how Ekkamai fits into the big puzzle of Bangkok.

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Ed interviews Max and Jo Hellier of Root the Future, a small social enterprise based in Bangkok that promotes sustainable living and plant-based diets. Max and Jo begin with their origin story: Jo, a vegan and former model, and Max, a ‘video dude,’ developed a business concept for a boutique hotel in Thailand that had to be abandoned during COVID. Subsequently, they combined their talents and started producing social media content expressing their concerns over climate change and their preference for a plant-based diet.

One thing led to another and soon ‘Root the Future’ was born. (Don’t ask about the name - just roll with it.) Their Instagram-friendly content soon developed a large following among expats in Thailand, and over time they developed relationships with Thai partners, including vegan restaurants and local producers of plant-based food. Max and Jo explain that their driving ethos is ‘accessibility’: showing that being planet friendly is quite an easy thing to do, simply by moving what you eat more in the direction of plants as opposed to animal products. 

The couple discuss their love of Thai food and how easily it can be converted to being wholly vegan, the pros and cons of ‘jay’ food in Thai culture and society, and their promotion of sustainability ‘markets’ that, god forbid, are NOT the same as farmer’s markets. 

Check into their Instagram feed at instagram.com/rootthefuture/ or their website at www.rootthefuture.com to see some quality planet-loving content by two expats in Thailand. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

This episode of Bangkok Podcast comes a bit late due mostly to the fact that both Tony and Greg have new jobs and are working like crazy men. Crazy men! But thankfully this nutty city still gives us enough to talk about. On this episode we're joined by Ali Weiner, who is organizing an amazing event for a very good cause. In an effort to raise awareness of the dangers and realities of human trafficking and to meet their goal of raising $100,000 dollars for various charities, her, her friend, and as many others as want to join, are going to walk from Bangkok to Three Pagoda's pass on the Thai Burmese border. That's right - walk the whole way. Ali tells us how the idea came about, describes the route she'll take, and lets us know how we can help. In fact - if you want to join her on her walk, feel free!

Greg and Tony also talk about three news stories that have been burning up the news lately - the incredible amount of rain Bangkok is has been getting of late (which hopefully won't be enough to cause more floods this year); a reduction in the price of the poorly-conceived airport rail link to help boost ridership (the reduction is only good for a few hours during the middle of the day); and the newest beauty product to hit the market, vagina whitening cream (note to girls everywhere: No. No. No).

And don't forget to check out our sponsor, the Bangkok Tree House, which goes above and beyond when it comes to serving amazing meals using locally-grown ingredients.

In this show Greg and Ed respond to the opinions of our, ahem, massive group of followers on LINE about prices in Thailand: specifically both what is cheaper than you would expect and what is more expensive than you would expect. Ed starts things off with a general mini-rant about fruit. In semi-tropical Thailand, wouldn’t it make sense that fruit was both plentiful and cheap? Not so Ed claims, even for such famed Thai fruits as the mango, which can be quite expensive off season. Greg opines that it depends where you go.

The comments from listeners certainly run the gamut, with most examples being things that are more expensive than expected. Examples include imported textbooks, gourmet food, public transportation, gym memberships, coffee, pizza, and the old classic, wine, due to insane import duties. 

While a lot of things are cheap in Thailand, a few things are even cheaper than one would expect. Examples from our listeners are public utilities such as water, gas and diesel fuel, boob jobs (!), laundromats, and domestic airline flights. 

The general consensus seems to be that the cost of living has risen, but Thailand still manages to shine as a total package compared to most other options for expats. Hence, we’re staying. :) 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg interviews Benjamin Lord, an American who moved to Asia straight out of college at NYU. He is on the show to discuss life as a gay man in Thailand. After spending several years in Vietnam, where the pressure to hide his status was suffocating, he eventually relocated to Bangkok. At first, the prevalence of gay bars, trans people, and apparent acceptance of a gay lifestyle led Benjamin to believe that Thailand was a kind of gay paradise, a moniker often placed on the Land of Smiles.

However, over the years he has developed a much subtler view of the acceptance of homosexuality in Thai society. Although Benjamin doesn’t fear for his physical safety in the same way he did in his birthplace of Arkansas, he is now aware that many Thai families stick to ‘traditional values’ and reject and may even disown their own children who are gay or trans. 

Further, the lack of true legal equality for LGBTQ people in Thailand has become more apparent in many ways, the most obvious of which was the recent Constitutional Court decision that stated that marriage is only between a man and a woman. Greg and Benjamin discuss the reaction of the LGBTQ community to the ruling and how a lack of ‘positive rights’ demonstrates that Thailand really is a very conservative society in many ways, regardless of the ‘niceness’ on the surface.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

ZOOM! That was the sound of a whole year going by! 

It was in May 2010 that Tony and Greg put up the first episode of the Bangkok Podcast, and it's been a fun, interesting (and sometimes frustrating) year. This episode marks the 50th weekly show for the Bangkok Podcast, and to celebrate we thought'd we take a look back at the topics we've covered in the past 50 weeks by updating you on what our past interview guests have been up to; where the important issues we discuss have ended up; and how some of the interesting developments that have taken place in Thailand have affected Tony, Greg, and the people they know.

From Scientology to bird crap, beaches to heart attacks, and boobies to weddings, we give you the lowdown on what the past year has shown us.

Also don't forget to join us on MAY 15 to celebrate our birthday at Q BAR. Thanks to their generous support, a 500 baht cover gets you free flow drinks from 8-10pm. Spend the night at Bangkok's hippest night club (in the swanky, upstairs lounge, natch) with all who have made Bangkok Podcast such a success over the past year!

Now that we’re both legally licensed drivers in Thailand, we take a little extra time to tell you about the process we went through… and why not one bit of it actually prepared us for driving in Bangkok. Plus we'll share a new way you can show your support for our show. Because you love us!

Before we get to driving in Thailand -- legally or otherwise -- we should talk about Patreon, a new way to let you, dear listener, help fund our efforts. If you're a fan of the show and want to show your appreciation, just go to Patreon.com/BangkokPodcast to make it happen. For just a buck a month (that’s only ฿34), you help us out and get some cool stuff in return. Check it out. We’ll love you forever! As a frequent listener of the Bangkok Podcast, you already know that Thailand is the second most dangerous country in the world to drive in - right behind Libya! - but despite that, both of us are licensed to drive. Evo just got his motorbike license last week, and Greg has had his automobile license for about a decade now. On this episode, we’ll tell you in great comedic and exasperating detail the process that we went through to be legal drivers in Thailand. Spoiler alert: it’s maddening. But funny! And a great example of “Thainess”. Many (perhaps most) expats living in Bangkok don’t even bother getting their licenses, opting instead to pass a few hundred baht to the cop when (not if) they are pulled over. But that seems to be changing, with a slew of new initiatives that are compelling cops all over Thailand to start cracking down on bad behavior, actually impounding bikes and issuing actual fines. If you think getting your license was a challenge in your own home country, you have to listen to this episode to see how it compares to Thailand. For fun, check out the test online and see how you fare. Keep your eyes out for tanks and race cars! And if you’re also expat-ing in Bangkok and have gone through the pain, please share your experience with us in the comments, our social sites, or with your own network. (And use the #thaipod hashtag!)

Did We Mention Patreon?

If you love the show we produce every week, we’d love -- as in really, really appreciate -- your support. Patreon makes it very easy to support the creators you love (hey, that’s us!) for just a buck or so a month. As an incentive, we’ve put in a few fun rewards in the mix, from bonus content to t-shirts to live events. Thanks in advance for your support. Just check out Patreon.com/bangkokpodcast to help us out.

Love, Loathe, or Leave

Are the girls on the BTS vampires or stoned? Probably neither, but the cheap colored contact lenses that are all the rage sure make them seem that way. Not that either of us have an issue with an effort to change your appearance or be unique (let your freak flag fly, people!), but this can’t be healthy. And it can be a little terrifying. Surprise? We’re not fans. How do you feel about it? Are you as creeped out as we are?

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)

Every Bangkok newbie has places that are near and dear to them, and which play a role in their early days of getting settled and finding your groove in Bangkok.

Greg and Ed discuss some of these Bangkok institutions that meant a lot to them in their early days, but have since been torn down and paved over. Ed notes that Bangkok is famous for turnover in the restaurant and bar space, but certain places do stand the test of time: Saxophone Pub on Victory Monument for example. Unfortunately, a bunch of places Greg and Ed THOUGHT they would be enjoying forever subsequently closed. 

Ed begins by discussing the somewhat eccentric Check Inn 99, a ‘cabaret’-style bar that used to be on Sukhumvit between Soi 3 and 5. An entire show would be needed to explain its unique place in Bangkok nightlife; suffice it to say both Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra once partied there. Greg then talks about the classic pub The Dubliner, that seemed to embody all the positive traits that Irish pubs are famous for. 

Listen in to this somewhat nostalgic look at Bangkok of old as the guys discuss such fabled establishments as Woodstock bar in Nana Plaza, Suan Lum Night Bazaar, Sukhumvit Soi Zero, and the grand Scala Theater. Can these places be replaced? Not exactly, but the guys discuss the available options. 

And for more nostalgic places from yesteryear, check out Justin Dunne’s post on Twitter.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

This week Greg and Ed take a page from a regular segment on the bonus show and challenge each other with some trivia questions, spanning Thai history, geography, religion, pop culture, and language. 

The guys begin by trading questions about Thailand’s provinces, Ed with a question about provinces bordering Cambodia, and Greg with a question about provinces bordering Bangkok. Next is language, with Ed bringing up the source of Thai script and Greg coincidentally asking about the discovery of the stone upon which the script was found.

When it comes to history, Ed turns to the famous Victory Monument, and Greg nails that it commemorates Thailand’s victory over the French in a brief war in Laos. Greg instead stumps Ed with a question he should have known about the history of Thonburi. In response, Ed asks Greg about the most important Buddhist holiday, Visakha Bucha Day, and Greg retaliates with a question about the temptations the Buddha faced under the Bodhi tree. Last but not least, Ed asks a pop culture question about the movie ‘Suriyothai,’ and Greg turns to the popular Miss Universe pageant to close out the show. 

If you thought being challenged on your knowledge of Thailand was fun, become a patron and check out our regular Trivial Thai segment. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

On today's episode we're joined by Brett Whiteside, one of the few foreigners in Thailand who teach Thai. Brett's road from wide-eyed tourist to competent speaker, translator, consultant and tutor is unique in that the only person he had help him was himself. Brett tells us the methods he learned to drill the new language into his head, from returning to the same restaurant over and over again, to refusing to learn transliteration, to watching Thai soap operas.

Brett also explains why he doesn't think there's any such thing as 'bad Thai', and how a mnemonic story he created about a boy, a chicken, a turtle and a fish have helped all of his students become competent Thai speakers much faster than they expected.

Tony and Greg also talk a bit about food delivery in Thailand, and why Pizza Company - despite protests from some - has the system nailed.

Greg interviews writer, commentator, and Muay Thai fighter Matt Lucas about the life of a foreigner in Bangkok practicing the Thai national sport.

Matt begins with his background story - living in San Francisco and choosing between working in a bar and being becoming a drunk or practicing Muay Thai and only drinking on weekends. :) Muay Thai won out, and he Matt became serious about the sport, travelled to Thailand, and eventually relocated here. Matt is not only a fighter, he’s also a chronicler of the sport, a proper ‘Muay Thai journalist.’ Matt talks about how Muay Thai has changed over time, moving out of the pure gambling context into the world of being a popular sport, and a form of entertainment.

Greg and Matt talk about the difficulties he’s faced as a foreigner practicing the national sport of another culture, the natural barriers expats encounter, such as use of Thai language, and the way the Muay Thai is ingrained in the culture of the rural countryside, which also makes it hard for foreigners to participate directly.

He also discusses the difficulties that foreigners have when trying to understand the world of Muay Thai, including some of its problems (like injuries to children), while lacking a deep understanding of Thai culture in general. Foreigners, as he points out, don’t always know better. :)

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Just for a bit of fun, we're releasing this week's bonus episode for all our listeners! Patrons of the Bangkok Podcast get the regular show + a bonus show every week. To learn more, go to https://www.patreon.com/bangkokpodcast

Greg and Ed - still trying to digest the news from last week’s show with attorney Jerrold Kippen - discuss the significance of the (hopeful) changes to Thailand’s work permit laws. Just for a bit of fun, Greg also goes through the professions prohibited to foreigners, realizing that most seem to center around protected Thai cultural arts and crafts - although there are a few surprises in the list (gem polishers! Architects!).

And to wrap the show up, the boys address the news that the National Legislative Assembly is considering legalizing medical marijuana (!), which (if it comes to pass) would make Thailand the first country in Asia to do so (!!).

• Amazing and immediate access to healthcare
• Not paying $65 or more for a massage
• No seasons or extreme weather
• Having cheat codes for bad traffic (see: motorbike)
• Seeing the Chao Phraya river every day
• A pleasant income tax experience
• Never moving furniture
• Ying, the greatest housekeeper ever. (Seriously, get in touch with Evo if you need a great and reliable housekeeper!)
• The Skytrain/BTS
• … and finally, spending time with you every week as the co-host of the Bangkok Podcast. You are awesome!

On this show Greg and Tony welcome back past guest Paul Garrigan who joins us to talk about his new adventure as a muay thai fighter. While always harbouring the dream of stepping into the ring Paul was reluctant to start training as a fighter believing he was too old. However he learned that once he got into the ring and overcame a series of injuries, boxing became a form of meditation for him. 

Bangkok’s a big city that’s got her own rules. You can try to fight them, but in the end, in certain situations, no matter how much you beg and plead, Bangkok wins, and you lose.

Greg and Ed discuss ten ways Bangkok can own you: frustrating ‘gotchas’ that are devilishly difficult to avoid. Even veterans of the city with tons of experience still sometimes forget the nuance or fail to think about the what-ifs and end up standing there like a fool, muttering under their breath. This still definitely happens with Greg and Ed, so if you don’t want to get burned on your next visit to Thailand, keep these in mind - learned from cold, hard experience.

From sidewalk squirts and freezing aircon to improper documentation and lack of change in a taxi, Greg and Ed recount multiple ways you can get ‘got’ in the Land of Smiles. Sometimes you beat Bangkok, but sometimes the city owns YOU. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

In the wake of the 2022 World Happiness Report - which saw Thailand drop by quite a few spots - Greg and Ed jump into the fascinating topic of the happiness of Thailand compared to other countries. How can you possibly measure something like the ‘happiness’ of a country? Well, wannabe social scientist Ed claims it can be done, and Greg walks through the data from the report to discuss. 

The boys go through factors such as GDP per capita, social support, and life expectancy, among others, that the researchers used to figure out how happy people were in various countries. So what of Thailand? Well, its ranking was 61 out of 146 countries which could be worse, but it turns out Thailand has slid 28 spots in the last few years! Ouch.

The guys then discuss various possible reasons for the drop, with of course the military government being a prime candidate, given that Thailand’s long slide started in around 2015. Could Thailand possibly no longer be the Land of Smiles? Well, at the very least, the hosts of the Bangkok Podcast are still smiling, so Thailand has that going for it. :)

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Welcome to season 5! Greg and Ed discuss the new season, which admittedly is mostly a continuation of the last season - if it ain’t broke, etc. But some nostalgia is warranted, and the guys reminisce about the last two seasons since Evo’s departure. Ed can’t believe he’s done 150 shows plus, and both guys make some modest suggestions for changing things up. Maybe some shows should include video, at least for the patrons? Ed suggests revisiting earlier topics and updating them with new info. Greg concurs, and talks about some plans he has to get some higher-profile guests. 

Inserted are interviews with our gracious former co-hosts, Tony Joh and Evo Terra. Tony and Greg reminisce about the let’s-see-if-this-works experience of season 1 and gives a few updates on his current status in Canada, planning a return to Japan and/or Europe, and re-launching the Tokyo Podcast.

Evo then talks about his life in Arizona, and his insistence on using Thai in every Thai restaurant he can find in the States. Turns out Evo has is keeping very busy as a podcast producer extraordinaire and making his own show, Podcast Pontifications - unsurprising from one of the earliest podcasters on planet Earth. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

The guys discuss the sticky situation of what it means to lose your job in Thailand as an expat, and the relative insecurity that all of us have, no matter how long we’ve lived here. 

Ed gives a quick overview of the law: if you have a non-immigrant ‘B’ visa connected to a work permit and a Thai company, and your work permit is canceled, then your visa is also automatically canceled and you have exactly 7 days to leave the country. Now it may be possible to re-enter as a tourist, of course, but even that can cause significant life disruptions because it is not possible to get a new work permit with a tourist visa!

Greg jumps in with a personal story of losing his job last year due to the ravages of COVID on the travel industry. He was in a particularly scary situation given that he is married with a kid, and even with all his years in Thailand, he would have been subject to the same 7-day rule as everybody else. Thankfully he had some luck and found a new job. Bullet dodged. 

Greg and Ed discuss the fairness (or more accurately, unfairness) of the rule and if there are any possible ways around it, and in general lament the harshness of some Thai laws as they relate to expats, as opposed to tourists. Suffice it to say that they don’t call Thailand the ‘Land of Smiles’ because the expats here are always smiling.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg interviews James Fahn, the Executive Director of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network. Greg begins by opening a discussion about James’ book “A Land On Fire,” which was published in 2003, after James worked as the environmental editor at The Nation newspaper in Bangkok in the 1990s. James explains that at The Nation, he wrote extensively about environmental issues in Thailand and Southeast Asia, including doing investigative reporting on corruption and corporate malfeasance that damaged the environment. James even tells a story of how he narrowly avoided interviewing a Burmese strong man who likely would have put James on his hit list.

Greg then asks James about how Thailand has changed over time, and whether there is any reason to be optimistic. James notes several things that have gotten better, from public transportation to air pollution to public parks, but then also raises several areas where Thailand still needs a lot of work, such as protection of coral reefs and in the excessive use of plastic. Overall, however, James remains an optimistic, which we are certainly glad to hear at the Bangkok Podcast. 

James concludes by making his case that we don’t have to choose between a free market that is pro-business and economic growth and a heavily regulated market that protects the environment at the expense of the economy. Experience in the States shows that preserving the environment can actually boost the economy if done right. Is James eligible to run for Thai Prime Minister? The Bangkok Podcast wants to know!

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

As is tradition, Greg and Ed spend the first episode of the brand new season 6 (!) looking back, looking forward, and discussing podcasting as a whole. 

When Greg and Tony first started speaking into their panty hose-covered mics (seriously) in 2010 they had no idea they’d be laying the groundwork for such a long-running show. From the days of hauling gear to a rented room to record face to face, to taking advantage of online recording and discovering new ways to streamline the workflow and work with new digital tools, it’s been one big learning experience.

The boys also discuss why they think season 6 will be a particularly interesting one, as Thailand comes face-to-face with some pretty big issues that can’t be ignored, and the world (hopefully) starts to come back to spend money at bars, hotels, beaches and malls and help Thailand get back on its feet. 

They also manage to complain about their lack of coverage by the New York Times and premier a new segment called Would You Rather. Here’s to a brand new season!

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

When you are a kid, you are taught to look on the bright side of everything. In that spirit, Greg and Ed search for any possible positives in their lives as a result of the lockdown (which, generally speaking, SUCKS). Ed begins by noting that his relative lack of social life has given him more freedom to experiment with his diet, which consequently resulted in him losing 5 kilos. Greg notes that the increased time home has meant more bonding with his son and many priceless moments that otherwise might not have happened during more normal times.

Next, Ed notes the rather mundane but still meaningful fact that while staying home, he simply spends less money. At the end of the month, there’s actually money left in his account! You can’t argue with that. Greg then brings up the convenience of finally being able to fix troublesome aspects of his condo, those little niggly things that bother you for years cause you are too busy to focus on them. Well, thanks to the lockdown, he can tamp down that annoying nail that sticks up from the floorboard!

Last, Ed appreciates the new restaurants and food he has discovered while searching for food to order for delivery. With most restaurants closed to walk-in customers for most of the last two months and an unfinished kitchen, delivery has been a godsend. For Greg, his extra time hanging out in his condo has allowed him to meet and get to know more of his neighbors. Little did he know, there’s actually a cool community of peeps that’s been right under his nose this whole time. :)

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

The big news of the day is of course the coronavirus, something Greg and Ed have talked about frequently on the bonus show, which goes to our patrons. But on this show, though, the guys dive right in and address the Thai government’s bizarre and inconsistent public declarations about the virus and the government’s policy towards it. 

Ed does his best to recount the government’s statements of the last few days: first, an apparent mandatory quarantine of all travelers from nine countries, followed by that statement disappearing and radio silence from the government. Then, a new statement indicating an ‘optional’ quarantine of travelers from fewer countries, followed by a new statement from TAT apparently discouraging tourists to travel to Thailand from high-risk countries.

The boys lament the fact that bad PR by the Thai government would be laughable in some circumstances, but in the case of coronavirus it is potentially deadly. At the very least, hundreds of thousands of tourists - not to mention Thais in the hospitality and service industries - are affected by Thai governmental policies, so professionalism and clarity are of utmost importance.

To wrap things up, Greg and Ed discuss various theories to explain the government’s strange ineptitude at communicating with the public. Greg introduces a theory that it could be be partly due to Thai cultural communication styles, while Ed considers a more mundane explanation: military-bureaucratic incompetence. 

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

A listener suggestion drives this show as we talk about which smartphone apps we use to make living in Bangkok that much easier, on this extra-long episode of the Bangkok Podcast. Oh, and Evo is terrible at his job. But he’s getting better, and it makes for a funny story.

We launched our Patreon page last week, and it’s working! People are supporting us! Not a huge number, but some. Which means you love it. Wanna help? We’d love it. We even recorded cool video for you. Actually, we had to re-record that video, as you’ll hear later. But enough about us begging for money (but seriously, a buck or two each month goes a long way) and let’s get on with the show proper, shall we? The topic of this week's episode was sent to us by listener Amy. She asked:

"What apps do you use that are especially useful as expats in BKK? I'm visiting for the first time in 9 years (!!) next month and I know the city is going to be VERY different than when I lived there. Anything I can use to make it easier?"

We thought it best to break the conversation into various app categories. And even though we’re spoiling it here in our show notes, be sure to listen to the episode to hear why we recommend them, as well as a few tips and cautionary tales. Oh, and where possible, we’ll link to the developer website to make this as applicable to everyone as possible. Getting around Bangkok

• Google Maps
• Uber
• Grab
• DLT Check-In (which, as you'll hear, has apparently stopped working)

Getting food in Bangkok

• foodpanda
• Uber Eats
• Eatigo
• TripAdvisor

Getting News about Bangkok (and back home)

• Google News
• Reddit
• Twitter
• Flipboard

Communicating with others in Bangkok

• LINE
• Facebook Messenger
• WhatsApp

Finding entertainment in Bangkok

• Apple Music
• Spotify
• Netflix
• imgur

Thai Language

• Thai-English
• ThaiDict (aka Talking Thai)

Special Use

• Express VPN
• XE Currency
• Currency
• Voice Map

Got A Favorite App We Missed?

This is the type of topic where we know we can’t be right all the time, so help us out by adding your favorite app in the comments or through one of the many social media outlets listed below.

Love, Loathe, or Leave

We know it’s incumbent upon us to to learn Thai, not the other way around. But still, it’s a little off putting and jarring when “YOU! YOU! YOU!” is how someone here wants to get our attention. But do we hate it enough to make us want to leave? Probably not, but you should listen and see if you agree.

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!

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Greg and Ed look at a few recent world rankings to see where Thailand fits into a world with nearly two hundred different countries. First, Greg brings up the ‘Global Power City Index,’ a comprehensive ranking of 48 large cities around the world that focuses on a city’s ‘magnetism’ or ability to attract visitors and expats. Greg outlines some of the factors measured, including livability, environment, economy and cultural interaction. Ed guesses that Bangkok will probably rank fairly low based on these criteria due to the bad traffic, air pollution, and relative lack of cultural resources. Greg reveals that in fact Bangkok ranks 40th out of 48.

The guys discuss the fairness of the rankings and compare Bangkok to closely ranked cities such as Tel Aviv and Kuala Lumpur. Greg and Ed consider the ‘low’ ranking fair with the caveat that the competition is stiff and certainly doesn’t imply Bangkok is not worth a visit. 

Next, Greg brings up the Internations Expat City ranking which claims that 79% of expats in Bangkok are satisfied with living in the city. Both guys consider this an impressive showing. The Forbes ‘Quit Your Job and Move Abroad’ list is next, and Thailand ties with Italy as the ninth best country in the world to escape to. 

Last, Greg and Ed take issue with a survey that listed Thailand as the 4th cheapest country in the world to visit. Ed notes that this can only be true with multiple caveats, especially the fact that the actual poorest/cheapest countries in the world are places that no one would really want to visit anyway. And Greg notes that general ratings of Thailand can be misleading because the cost of visiting Bangkok or tourist venues throughout the country is significantly more expensive than the ‘real’ Thailand that most Thais live in. So for most visitors, they are unlikely to find the cheap prices mentioned in the article. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg and Ed discuss the ‘delivery lifestyle,’ the habit of staying at home and relying on delivery services to bring food and products straight to your doorstep. Both guys admit to slipping into this habit, but Greg enjoys getting out more and tooling around town in his fancy automobile, so it’s Ed that has really embraced this habit. The question is this: Is it good or bad? 

Ed begins with some obvious pros: it’s super convenient and allows you to avoid the stress of traffic and crowds, something Bangkok is infamous for. The options for delivery are endless, such that it’s possible to basically order ANYTHING you want, whether from within Thailand or from China. And the actual costs of delivery are low.

But what are the downsides? Greg brings up the danger of becoming a homebody and missing out on the social interaction of shopping and running errands in a city that’s simply just fun to explore. Ed concurs that the expat bubble is already bad enough and actually forcing yourself to interact with Thai people in malls and markets is probably a good thing. Other risks include overspending and dealing with frustrating miscommunications and logistical snafus. 

Last, Greg brings up the problem of misleading marketing by delivery companies that front as ‘restaurants’ when they are really just ‘ghost kitchens’ without public space at all, which can be a psychological letdown to someone yearning for a bit of social activity at their favorite restaurant only to find it’s simply a kitchen with a lineup of Grab drivers out front.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

When it comes to characters, Bangkok has them in droves - people who have been places, eaten things, talked to people, and lived adventures that would make your mother put her hand to her mouth and proclaim, "Oh my" with a frightened little squeak. On this episode of the Bangkok Podcast we're happy to have one of these epic characters on the show with us - Mr Alan Platt, who, as it happens, has just released a book about his adventures entitled Foreign Fool.

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Now I know what you're thinking, and it's the same thing we think when we hear self-published book by a farang in Bangkok, and that is, "Oh, yes, another one for the dusty back section of Asia Books, along with all the stories about hard-boiled detectives, heart-of-gold prostitutes, and love gone bad." But no - that's not what this book is about at all. In fact, take it from me (Greg), who has read the book - this is one hell of a fun read, and is actually - get this - really well written. From Saigon to Bangkok to Panama to London to Honolulu, Foreign Fool tells of, as Alan puts it, the bumbling misadventures of a doofus. I'll just let the first two paragraphs of the first chapter say it themselves:

In Saigon, many years after the war was over, long after the city was declared safe for tourists and when even the hookers were becoming almost discreet, I was kidnapped. That does sound a bit dramatic, I admit. Technically, it was more an abduction. But however one puts it, any mention of that sort of thing floods the mind with images of some poor guy being jumped by thugs, bundled into the trunk of a car and splattered across the tabloids with a screech of tires and the burning of rubber. None of that happened to me. I was kidnapped on a bicycle.

Alan discusses how he went from sunning his broke ass on a Los Angeles beach to the top of the New York ad world, how the book took shape, and a few of the stories - both in the book and not - that keep him looking ahead to the next trip. Visit the book's website at ForeignFool.com Buy Foreign Fool on Amazon.

In this episode, Greg fills us in on all the special concerns of being a parent in Bangkok. As if being a parent on its own didn’t have enough surprises, it turns out there are several things to keep in mind if you are expecting or even just bringing a child to the Big Mango. Pre-eminent is of course the issue of proper schooling, be it Thai or international or some combination of both. Greg explains the 3 C’s - cost, commute, and curriculum - that all new parents must build their life around.

As Ed sits by in ignorant awe, Greg runs through other parental revelations, such as malls (of all things) actually being good things that can function as safe, fun, air-conditioned havens for kids. While Ed preaches the value of NOT driving in Bangkok, Greg lists all the advantages of having a car when burdened - er, blessed - with a child. More cool insights follow (did you ever consider looking at the size of the wheels on your stroller?), including a few lessons in cultural sensitivity. 

Bangkok may have the reputation of a hedonistic city of fun and frivolity, but when the stork comes calling, you probably want to listen to this episode. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

In a return to our Thai history series, Greg tells the story of a massive truck bomb in Bangkok - that never exploded. In March of 1994, a U-Haul-style truck pulled out of the parking lot of Central Chidlom department store and accidentally struck a motorcycle driven by a 21-year old named Boonsern, who will become the unlikely hero of our story. The truck tried to flee, but a number of other motorbike guys forced the truck to stop.

The driver of the truck was a foreigner and couldn’t speak Thai and convinced Boonsern and other witnesses to let him go into Central Chidlom to make a phone call. However, the driver never returned and effectively disappeared into the ether. However, when police opened up the now-abandoned truck, they found an insanely huge bomb that most likely would have decimated much of downtown Bangkok! 

Although the exact target of the truck bomb has never been proven definitively, Thai police eventually focused on two suspects, one of whom was captured and served 4 years in prison. It is surmised that most likely the terrorists were targeting the Israeli Embassy, which was not far away.

Although ‘almost’ stories usually aren’t too exciting, in this case we are happy that the climax never actually happened and Bangkok dodged a massive tragedy. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

This week is a special on-location show at a Pizza Company restaurant in a highly secret, undisclosed location (to ensure the BP hosts are not mobbed by adoring fans), where Greg and Ed kick things off by daring to try the new ‘durian pizza.’ Alas, as anyone who listened to last week’s bonus show might know, neither Ed nor Greg are huge durian fans, so - what’s the verdict? You’ll have to listen to find out.

The hosts then discuss the best places (in their not-so-humble opinions) to eat farang food in Bangkok, opinions accumulated over their nearly 40 combined years of living in Bangkok. Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese and and Japanese will all appear in a later episode, but pizza, burgers, Mexican, and Lebanese are all covered in great detail. From tiny little joins at the ass-end of long sois to bright, centrally located places known by many, it’s all in here. Did we miss some? Most certainly, but these are the ones that tide us over best when we jones for something other than Thai.

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Every Westerner knows that when you're hurt back home, you call the emergency number and get taken to the hospital, but things in Bangkok work a little differently. Today we talk with Marko Cunningham from Bangkok Free Ambulance, a service that he has run for many years - at his own expense, no less - that provides free ambulance services for those who need it, Thais, tourists and expats alike.

In between his regular day job and finding time to enjoy Bangkok, Marko and his team respond to emergency calls, dealing with everything from lost snakes to mangled corpses. Marko gives us the inside scoop on how Thai emergency services work, what happens when an ambulance is stuck in traffic, the scary truth about how much training EMT's in Bangkok have, and why he's usually the first person on his team to touch a dead body.

We are also joined by Wendy Edney from SCAD (Soi Cats and Dogs) who tells us about her efforts to rescue, save, clean, and support the thousands of cats and dogs that run around Bangkok. SCAD arranges everything from spaying and neutering to overseas adoptions, and is a great service to our furry friends that are often overlooked in the Big Mango.

Ooooh, topical! This week, Greg and Ed discuss the unique role of teachers in Thai society, where educators occupy a uniquely reverential role, often in stark contrast to western countries, where it is ‘just another job.’ Ed notes that the issue of how teachers are treated is near and dear to his heart, given that he has spent the last twenty years teaching Thai students.

But Ed makes clear that (in his opinion) there’s a contradiction between the type of independent-minded graduates that Thailand would like to create and a traditional education system that requires this level of reverence for teachers. It’s almost as if critical thinking and independent thought actually depend on disobedience (at least a little anyway).

Greg reads an interesting passage on the history of Thai education that notes that monks originally worked as teachers, which leads to his theory that some of the extreme respect afforded monks was transferred to the concept of “a teacher” as they split off into their own profession. Ed concurs and adds that Chinese culture is steeped in Confucianism’s reverence for social hierarchies, and Thailand likely was affected by the spread of Chinese culture across Asia.

Either way, there’s no need to listen to us - the Thai students protesting now are pretty much saying the same thing!

We also take a listener voicemail all about the best pizza in Bangkok! We’re not experts, but our friends at BK Magazine have something to add.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg interviews Khun Weena from the Thailand Clean Air Network, a guest who previously appeared on Episode 66 of Season 4, when Thailand was in the middle of a crazy air pollution crisis. Since then K. Weena and her organization have been hard at work preparing reports for the government on the status of air quality in Thailand. In fact, her group has recently finished a 700 page green paper outline solutions for the Thai government to pursue.

Weena outlines the extensive research she helped organize to prepare the report, which involved consulting with experts in multiple fields and trying to find realistic solutions that suit different entities. She explains that the report outlines steps for the government and private sector companies to take, but also responsibilities that best lie with the general public. 

Greg compliments K. Weena on the almost insane comprehensiveness of the report, but plays devil’s advocate: How do we know that the government will take the advice in the report seriously and actually make changes? K. Weena notes that their research focused on very actionable items, not pie-in-the-sky proposals that are politically infeasible. Further, air pollution in Thailand exacts massive costs on the public in the form of increased health care costs, and smart politicians who want to win elections should realize that people don’t want to get sick and go broke on their treatment. 

Listen in for further discussion of Thailand’s air quality issues with a true professional. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg and Ed begin a new series called “Thailand: Land of Contradictions” with the first installment addressing a fascinating, apparent conflict in Thai culture: how can Thailand have so many temples on the one hand, but also so many ‘working girls’ on the other? 

The Land of Smiles is well-known as a very Buddhist country, in the sense that approximately 95% of Thais identify as Buddhist. Now many might not be strict in the truly religious sense, but there’s no doubt that many aspects of Thai culture and society are informed by underlying Buddhist beliefs. However, the country is also very well-known as providing many outlets for adult entertainment and companionship. The guys note that applying standard Western common sense, these two just don’t seem to fit together.

However, with their combined over 40 years of experience swimming in the chaotic soup of Thai culture, Greg and Ed do their best to explain what’s going on through a Thai lens. Ed notes the contrast between the Western notion of ‘burning in hell’ versus the Eastern concept of ‘bad karma’ as well as the difference between a culture based on guilt versus one based on shame. Greg applies some Google-fu and comes up with some more academic takes on the issue, including one of weighing a sin against one's intentions while carrying out the sin. The boys do their best to make sense of it.

Experts they are not, but listen in for two amateurs with a lot of experience doing their best to resolve this apparent mystery of Thai culture. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

Greg and Ed take up the somewhat grim topic of motorbike accidents in Thailand. As this episode is essentially the Songkran episode for this year, the timing could not be more appropriate because more people die in road accidents during the ‘7 dangerous days’ around the holiday than during any other time of the year.

Ed takes the lead and tries to break down the situation. First, Thai roads in general are just more dangerous than almost anywhere in the world, most likely due to lax enforcement of driving laws. So even if you are not on a motorbike, be very aware anytime you are near or crossing roads. Second, riding on the back of motorbikes is extremely common throughout the country, but especially in Bangkok and on tourist islands. But commonsense reveals that on a motorbike, you are considerably less protected than when in a proper automobile.

Next, many foreigners choose to rent motorbikes and drive them themselves. This creates additional risk, unless you are someone very familiar with operating motorbikes or motorcycles. To make matters even worse, for many different reasons, health insurance often does not cover injuries that are a result of motorbike accidents. Possible reasons include blanket exceptions, not wearing a helmet, or not being properly licensed. The result can turn a dream holiday into a literal health and financial nightmare for tourists and expats (as well as their families). Read this story that Greg’s friend Karla wrote for CNN about her motorbike-from-hell story when she first visited Thailand.

The Bangkok Podcast implores listeners to tell all their friends visiting Thailand to either avoid motorbikes entirely or to guarantee they have proper health insurance coverage. 

Have fun this holiday but always be safe. :) 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. Two of those are legal in Bangkok. Sort of. Legal drugs have a dark side, like people dying from overuse. But illegal drugs -- some pretty serious ones -- might soon be legal in Thailand. What's the deal with all this back and forth?

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(Direct download .mp3) Here’s the reality of living in Thailand: Whenever we -- Westerners or Thais  -- get sick, our first stop is the hospital or the pharmacy. Chances are, either the doctor or the pharmacist will have a remedy in pill form ready for you. And quite often, they’re unnecessary. Got a cough? Take these antibiotics. Can’t sleep? Try this anti-anxiety medication. They’re cheap, so why not? Because they are literally killing us, that’s why. But on the flip side, it’s great for asthmatics to pick up a rescue inhaler without a prescription. Just don’t expect to pick up any Sudafed. Or as they call it in Thailand: the precursor to methamphetamines. Speaking of that… Thailand has a rich history of illicit drugs. But just because there’s a strain of marijuana named for the country, the authorities aren’t too keen on smokers of the herb. And this is Thailand, probably not the place you want to cool it in a cell for a while contemplating your poor choices in life. Yet there are discussions at the highest level of government to consider decriminalizing marijuana. And, as strange and unfathomable as it sounds, meth (yaba, as it’s locally known) might also enjoy recreational status in the future. Go figure. We’re keeping the Love, Loathe, or Leave segment rolling, this time with a discussion about climate change inside the skytrain, and the bane of all who walk on the sidewalk, being brick-flicked. If you're a fellow Bangkokian, you likely have intimate experience with these two items. Drop us a line and tell us what you think. Or if you’ve an opinion on the issues of drugs -- legal or other -- tell us about it in the comments below, or tweet to us at @bkkgreg or @evoterra. See you next week on The Bangkok Podcast!

Greg and Ed interview Ron Weaver, aka ‘AmericanThaiGuy,’ on his life as an expat in Thailand as well as his excellent Thai language skills. Ron begins by waxing rhapsodically about his first visits to Thailand, when he fell in love with the weather, the food, the nice people, and shockingly, the women. Although he loved the country, communication was so frustrating that he vowed to learn the language. But unlike 95% of expats who make that vow, he actually did. 

The guys trade language learning stories and agree that necessity is the key motivational factor: if you feel as if you don’t HAVE TO learn the language, you probably won’t. Ron was able to put himself into the mindset that he HAD TO speak Thai if he was going to survive in Thailand and that allowed him to put in a good five years of work to get fluent.

Ron discusses various Thai learning strategies and explains his rise on social media as an explainer of Thai culture and language to foreigners. An excerpt from Ron’s popular Instagram channel demonstrates his unique teaching style, in which he often role plays more than one character in humorous situations. In addition to teaching the quirks of Thai, he also has his own podcast, unique in the whole country, in which foreigners speak to each other exclusively in Thai. 

Tune in next week when Ron delves deep into his experiences as an African-American in a country infamous for its preference for light skin tones. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Well, the time has come. With Tony moving to Japan and Greg's wedding quickly approaching, geography and limitations on free time have conspired to take Bangkok Podcast off the air - for now.

On this episode, Tony and Greg discuss the Bangkok Podcast Farewell Dinner, go over some of their favorite shows from the past, get into a few details on what it took to put a show together, and thank a few very important people who worked with us behind the scenes to make sure the podcast grew. 

We also want to say a special thanks to each of our guests, who came on the show in their free time and gave people a glimpse into the cool personalities that help make Bangkok such a great city.

Thanks again everyone - keep your Bangkok Podcast iTunes, Facebook and Twitter links active - we might be back sooner than you think.

Hey guys, Greg here. I know this will only be of interest to some of you, but a few listeners pointed out that on the most recent show about our favorite farang food joints in Bangok, we said the upcoming meetup was on the 10th of November.

Well, yes we did say that, but were VERY WRONG! The meetup is actually on Friday, 16th November at Smalls. You can find all the details on our Facebook page.

Sorry about this short little podcastlet, but the next regular episode won't drop until after the 10th, so we wanted to make sure no one showed up on the wrong day.

Sorry about the confusion, but if you're in town, we hope to see you on 16 November.

You may have seen them on the streets of Bangkok, Singapore, or Hanoi. Many play instruments, juggle, or sell postcards. Some simply stand there with a hat and a sign asking for pity. We're talking, of course, about the round-the-world adventurer looking for a handout. Should these begging vagabonds take a hike, or do they deserve some leeway to, er, find their way? We also talk about staying dry (or attempting to) during Songkran, and Greg's foot fetish (in that he'd really like to be able to find shoes to fit his giant feet).

The story has been tearing up the newspapers and internets lately - the foreign backpacker. Usually white, European/North American, usually with scraggly bears, matted hair, and doing their best to trade a skill for a bit o' spare change, their presence inspires anger and pity in equal amounts. But they are nothing new. Indeed, as far back as 10 years ago, Greg remembers seeing the first 'famous' farang backpacker as he sat there with a sign begging for help to buy his plane ticket back home, as group after group of university students passed by and dropped some hard-earned cash in his hat. "That's nice," thought Greg. But then Greg saw the same guy in a different part of the city. Then another. Then another. Then it dawned on Greg - this guy was a scammer. But now farang beggars are much more common. Many offer legitimate - if not entertaining - services, such as selling handmade wares, playing an instrument, or doing some tricks. But should they even be doing it? In a region as poor as Southeast Asia - where real poverty is an every day issue for far too many - is it really proper for able-bodied, western-educated foreigners, likely with a healthy support network back home, to be begging for scraps to fund their adventures? Greg and Evo argue the pros and cons, and come up with more cons than pros.

Love, Loathe or Leave

We think it's safe to say that Bangkok's street food scene would not be as creative (and delicious) as it is without the, er, less-than-stringent food safety ecosystem that many of us westerns are used to. We posit that a food safety inspector from, say, Canada or the US, would have a stroke if he saw how food is prepared here, but should he maybe loosen up a bit? Greg and Evo discuss the safety (and sickness) of street food, and if the lack of regulation is something that helps or hinders eating out.

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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 iTunes. 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 for snarky Bangkok goodness. Evo chronicles his Bangkok adventures on Instagram from time to time, if that’s your thing. See you next time on The Bangkok Podcast!

(Direct download .mp3)

In today's digital world, the requirements for being a travel writer are pretty minimal: do you have a computer? Have you travelled? Bam! Travel writer. But a few decades ago, being a travel writer was something rare; an exotic, sometimes dangerous job that took you into the dark, unexplored corners of the world on adventures of all kinds.

On this episode of Bangkok Podcast, we welcome Joe Cummings, legendary travel writer, best-selling author, badass musician, and all-around cool dude. Back when the tallest building in Thailand was the Dusit Thani Hotel, Joe pitched the idea of a guidebook to Thailand to a little company called Lonely Planet, and ended up being in charge of the company's best-selling guide for 25 years. He's also written guidebooks on Burma, Laos, and Mexico, as well as one-off volumes on various aspects of Asian art and architecture. His new book, Sacred Tattoos of Thailand, will be released in June. Joe also tells us how he ended up stranded on a boat for three days in the middle of the ocean with three Indonesian fishermen, how advanced technology has changed the art of travel writing, and what he thinks will happen with Thailand's ongoing political troubles.

Also, don't forget to join the BANGKOK PODCAST 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY on May 15th at the swanky Q-Up lounge. Good people, good drinks, good times!

Greg and Ed dive into the crowded App and Play stores to discuss the various phone apps that make living in Bangkok easier. Greg begins by giving props to our excellent listeners who submitted a whole bunch of recommendations - so much, in fact, that we simply weren’t able to cover them all! Ed confesses that he relies primarily on Google Maps and Google Translate for countless day-to-day functions, but he mentions that he recently stumbled upon an app called BMA Traffic that has live feeds from traffic cameras around the city. Worth checking into as an addition to Google Maps traffic info.

Greg then runs through a myriad of different applications from transportation apps such as Bolt, inDriver, and ViaBus to social apps such as Meetup and weather apps like Rainviewer and Ventusky, each of which make it easier to navigate the chaos of Bangkok and get to a worthy social event. Greg then notes numerous apps for ordering food, helping others find your exact location, and even identifying those cool-looking plants at Chatuchak Market that’ll look great on your balcony.

Although at least one listener longs for the old days pre-smartphone, when we had to figure everything out for ourselves, most of us would find that at least a few of these suggestions make life here just a little bit easier and more fun. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg and Ed get all deep by asking the question “Is Thailand really the Land of the Free?” And what does “freedom” even mean? Many people know that the word ‘Thailand’ is supposed to translate as the ‘Land of the Free.’ The guys first discuss the etymology of the word, with both Google and linguist friends revealing the actual provenance of that translation is unknown, and it’s possible that it is more of a folk belief than something linguistically legitimate. 

So how about in real life? Walking down the streets of Bangkok, do Greg and Ed feel more free than they would if they were back in Canada or the U.S.? Greg notes that the word ‘free’ is difficult to define and means different things to different people. Ed argues that from a purely political standpoint, America is probably the most free country in the world, but here’s the rub: not everyone really cares about the freedom to criticize your government without fear of punishment. 

The guys consider the possibility that on a practical level, due to Thailand’s chill culture and ‘hands-off’ approach by the police, Thailand might be more free than Western countries in the ways that most people care about. The issue is a tricky one of course: the rule of law is a pain when you get stopped for a traffic offense, but a godsend when you are the victim of a crime. Greg and Ed do their best to examine the issue, but both admit then in at least some ways, Thailand does live up to its famous moniker. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg welcomes former co-host Evo Terra back to the podcast after his repatriation to the good old U.S.A. Evo describes his new life in Phoenix and his many adjustments, including trying to drive on the right (that is, not left) side of the road. He also recounts the difficulty of finding a furnished apartment at a reasonable price and laments the relatively decent cost of living in the City of Angels (Thai version).

Shopping for food has also been a challenge, due to the fact that Evo actually knows what everything is, and hence, takes forever to decide what he wants. Luckily, he found an Asian market and stocked up on all the spices he fell in love with in Thailand, including the foul effluent known as ‘fish sauce.’

Greg then walks Evo through the 9 factors that determine the seriousness of reverse culture shock to see how many he’s faced, and talks about other strange things, like understanding what everyone is saying, and the surprising ways he’s able to use Thai, Khmer, and even Mandarin in Phoenix.

Finally, Evo reminisces a bit with a list of what he really misses in Bangkok - but you’ll have to listen to hear it. :)

Greg and Ed then experiment with a new segment, Word Association, where Ed reveals the true darkness in the depth of his personality as he spontaneously reacts to Greg’s word queries.

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

A fabulous re-cast episode from season 3!

Sooner or later, we all spend some time in the hospital, so Greg and Ed riff on their myriad experiences in Bangkok hospitals over the years. But before we get into that, we should note - due to Thailand’s strict defamation laws, some of the places we talk about will remain nameless.

But with that out of the way, we can say that Thailand in general has pretty good medical care, and it is standard advice for travelers in neighboring countries to get over the border into Thailand if they have any medical problems. But, as Ed notes, Thailand does not have very good legal protections against medical malpractice: if a doctor makes a mistake, don’t expect significant financial compensation from the Thai justice system.

Greg and Ed then trade anecdotes about their own experiences in the Thai medical system, each with some good and bad things to say. Ed’s life has been literally saved by competent doctors; Greg passed himself off as a Jedi in lieu of a real religion; both have been saved a ton of grief by getting a second opinion. Your mileage may vary, but both Greg and Ed agree, as a pure value proposition (i.e. what you get for the money), Thailand, though far from perfect, is a pretty good deal.

Listen in for some great advice on how to maximize your chances of getting a good experience at a Bangkok hospital.

After a brief intro explaining the podcast’s decision to accept advertising (within strict guidelines), Greg and Ed jump into a topic important to anyone travelling to Thailand: What are the most important Thai laws to know? Ed gives a quick lawyerly disclaimer: don’t rely on this podcast to make important decisions, but instead just use it as a guideline to do your own research and talk to a real lawyer. :)

Next, Greg and Ed bring up ‘the enforcement problem’: as regular podcast listeners well know, many Thai laws are not frequently enforced or enforced haphazardly. On this show, however, we focus on laws that are usually or maybe even always enforced. In other words, knowing them has actual practical value during your stay in Thailand.

In total, the guys go through ten categories of laws, ranging from the obvious but important, such as not criticizing the monarchy, to lesser known but equally valuable, such as the high fines for littering that have ruined many a visitor’s day, or what the increasing number of drone operators should know before whipping out their, uh, gear.

Suffice it to say, there’s a lot more good info on the show, so listen in and up your Thai legal knowledge. 

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Greg and Ed discuss the Thai temperament and what exactly causes Thais to occasionally blow their collective lids. Greg uses the recent example of a Swiss expat who kicked a Thai woman in the back, allegedly because she was inappropriately sitting on the steps of his condo and blocking his path. Somewhat surprisingly, the incident went viral, much to the Swiss man’s detriment. The guys speculate as to what it was about THIS incident that caused it to blow up. Was it the fact that he used his foot to assault the Thai woman? Was it because she was a doctor, a person of high status? Or was it some random quirk of social media that led to the uproar?

Ed then runs through the classic no-go zones in Thai society, such as insults to religion or the big M, and the guys try to figure out if anything else is going on in the recent incidents. Is there possibly some pent up frustration against foreigners in Thailand? Could it be that Thais got used to fewer foreigners during COVID? Greg speculates that possibly Thai nationalism is on the rise and reminds listeners of the price paid by former Ambassador Kristie Kenney when she suggested that Thailand should be a real democracy. Ed then dusts off some of his political science knowledge to try to determine what counts as expressions of nationalism versus simple enforcement of social norms. 

While no deep certainties are uncovered, the guys give some common sense advice: if you are a foreigner in Thailand, respect local customs and don’t be a jerk. Hopefully, you didn’t hear it here first. :) 

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It’s a dream of many to move to Thailand and start their own business - be it a spiffy e-commerce site, a beer bar on a beach, or some type of consultancy. But navigating the tricky cultural and bureaucratic hurdles isn’t something to be taken lightly.

We’re joined by Derek van Pelt, a Thailand resident for 24 years and someone who has had a number of successes in a variety of different arenas. Currently a partner at Stonelotus Ventures and a long-time friend of Greg and Ed’s, Derek talks about what brought his past businesses success and why he chose to shut some, his advice to people who want to start their own business here, his role as President of the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and insights into Bangkok’s business community. And of course, to discuss one of Greg’s favorite restaurant chains, getfresh, which Derek helps manage.

It’s not an easy road for anyone, but as Derek notes, if you have the three Ps - patience, perseverance, and presence - making it work in Thailand will be a lot easier.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

This week Greg and Ed return to the Seven Deadly Sins series with a discussion of GREED in Thai culture. As an opening caveat, Greg makes clear that greed exists in all cultures, and the guys aren’t saying it’s worse in Thailand than anywhere else, but every country and culture deals with it in different ways, and the guys want to talk their way through its different facets to try and understand it better.

Ed begins with the claim that there is something in Thai-Chinese culture about the pursuit of wealth that is more open and less modest than in the American Midwest where he grew up. He speculates that it might be the northern European influence on the area, built on the Protestant Work Ethic which values labor but tends to be low key and not ostentatious when it comes to money.

The guys continue their discussion, touching on data about the high consumer debt in Thailand, how expensive things like cars and bags give you status (even if you can’t afford it), and some choice words from previously published studies on Thais and greed that ponder if the country’s endemic corruption is something that can ever be solved.

It’s a big, deep, messy, and complicated topic, and Greg and Ed just scratch the surface. What are your thoughts on how greed presents itself in Thai culture? 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg interviews Jyri Järviaho, Finland’s Ambassador to Thailand. Although Greg makes a valiant attempt at pronouncing the Ambassador’s name, the two begin by discussing the difficulty of Finnish, with the Ambassador explaining that it is a unique language that it is completely different from its neighbors, especially its western ones, such as Germany and Sweden. Next, the Ambassador recounts his diplomatic journey from a small village in Finland to university and later to a job with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and eventually various diplomatic postings around Europe and central Asia. Suffice it to say, he’s happy to be in the warm weather of Thailand.

The Ambassador next tells the fascinating story of Thailand and Finland’s first diplomatic contact. Finland’s first ambassador to Asia was on a trip to establish relations with Japan when he received a telegram in Singapore indicating that the country of Siam had recognized Finland as it had recently declared independence from Russia. The intrepid ambassador then re-routed to Bangkok and managed to make the first diplomatic contact with a representative of the Thai government. 

The two men continue by discussing the rest of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, the trade in both goods and services, and the struggle by the Finnish Embassy to establish a unique identity in the eyes of the Thai people. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Ed interviews Paul Spurrier, a British expat in Thailand who has been in the film industry his entire life. Paul begins at the beginning, how his first movie ever in a movie theater was “The Sound of Music,” and it had such an impact on him that he decided to become an actor (at age 8!). After a prolific career as a child on stage and screen, including films with stars such as Richard Harris, Richard Burton and Roger Moore, he decided he didn’t want to re-invent himself as an adult actor and instead went to film school.

His film education luckily included virtually all aspects of filmmaking from writing to lighting to directing to editing. This eventually led Paul to start his own production company in London where he worked on a variety of commercial products. Eventually on a whim he took a short-term job in Thailand, but fell so in love with the place that he closed up his company and made the full move to the Land of Smiles to continue his career as a filmmaker here.

Ed and Paul discuss what it's like to be a farang filmmaker in Thailand, as well as Paul’s unusual choice of making most of his films in the Thai language. The guys also address the question of whether Thai audiences really are that different from audiences around the world, and discuss a few funny stories about assimilating into a new culture.

Listen in for the full interview with one of the most interesting expats in Thailand and check out links to some of his films on IMDB, like P, The Forest, Eullenia or The Maestro.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Anyone who has been to Thailand knows the old “Ohhh, the temple is closed today, why don’t you come with me to this gem store?” Despite warnings in literally every bit of content about traveling to Thailand, thousands still fall prey to this scam every year. But why??

To answer this we are joined by Ding Xu, a PhD candidate in tourism at Australia’s James Cook University. Ding’s research goes deep into understanding the culture, economy and psychology of the tourism industry as well as the tourists themselves. Putting hundreds of hours of study into the scams that are so prevalent around the world, Ding has a unique insight into not only how and why the scams are put together, but what causes a large number of tourists to part with money - sometimes a lot of money! - based on the advice of a random dude they met in a foreign country. 

Ding explains the four features that his research identified in being central to any scam - deception types, interpersonal trust, victim culpability and prevalence - to dissect how and why these scams are so ubiquitous.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Ed reminisces on 22 years in Thailand and tries to summarize exactly why he has decided to stay for so long. It’s hard to sum up, of course, but Ed manages to come up with five positives and three negatives, and Greg helps to clarify things as he goes along. 

On the positive side, Ed mentions Thailand’s depth and variety, with many niches and subcultures that it would take a lifetime to explore. As Greg notes, if you are bored in Bangkok, the problem is not Bangkok. Ed also talks about how some things DO change and get better in Bangkok, despite frequent grumblings from most who live here - new weed laws, expanded public transportation and more public parks to name a few. In addition to other points, the boys also agree that there is a very supportive community of expats to ease foreigners’ transition to living long term in the land of smiles. 

As for negatives, Ed cannot resist bringing up classic persistent problems in Thailand that NEVER seems to get properly addressed no matter how predictable they are (see Bangkok’s recent floods) as well as the sad state of Thailand’s bureaucracy that is NOT very expat friendly compared to other countries. 

Of course Ed’s decision is clear: the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Hey there! This type of content usually goes out to our patrons only, but we figured it was important and relevant to everyone, so we're putting it out to y'all!

Our buddy Kevin and his wife Tip have just landed in Bangkok from the US after getting vaccinated and doing a whackload of paperwork. We check in with him to see what the process was like and get an idea of what people may have to deal with as they start to return to Thailand. Enjoy!

Greg interviews Dax Ward, an adventurous photographer best known for his beautiful photos of dilapidated buildings and abandoned places. Dax begins by explaining that he was a very late starter to photography, getting a DSLR for the first time in 2015. After a random trip to the airplane graveyard down Ramkhamhaeng Road, he developed an affinity for shooting forgotten and abandoned places. 

As it turns out, Thailand (and Bangkok in particular) are perfect places for this style of photography due to the number of unfinished construction projects from the financial crisis of the late 1990s. Additionally, there seem to be a surprising number of new business ventures in the area that fail for whatever reason or another, so there seems to be an endless supply of possible sites for Dax’s style of photography. 

The guys discuss how Dax discovers and gains access to his locations. It’s surprising what a couple hundred baht here and there will do to the attitude of many Thai security guards! Dax then details his research methods and how he manages to build a compelling story around each set of photographs, something that many other photographers don’t bother with.

In a world where almost everyone has the technology in their pocket to take a decent photo, Thailand is lucky to have an intrepid, creative photographer like Dax to show us how to do things right.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

In a possible new series, Greg and Ed discuss things that have become less important or meaningful since they began living in Thailand. In short, stuff that we used to value a lot that just seems not to matter as much anymore.

Ed begins with the somewhat obvious: clothes in general just matter a lot less. Never a fashion guy, Bangkok’s ‘uni-season’ is perfect for him since he can basically wear the same thing all year round. Greg - famous for his consistent shorts/t-shirt/vans outfit, concurs that it’s just much easier here to get dressed in the morning. No need for ‘winter clothes,’ giant snow boots, nor rainwear either - rains come and go so quickly, it’s simply better to wait them out.

Greg starts out with a much more complex topic: he thinks sex and perhaps even romance are given less significance in Thai culture, and it has rubbed off on him in the last twenty years. Many factors could be at play: Thais seemingly casual nature about just about everything, the advantage that foreigners seem to have in the Thai dating market, or perhaps the greater social acceptance of go-go bars and redlight districts. The guys do their best to delve into the nuances of the issue.

Ed responds by bringing up his total lack of interest in owning a car, something that would be unthinkable anywhere he lived in the U.S. Although Greg likes the freedom owning a car in Bangkok brings, Ed sees it as nothing but a hassle and is glad to be free of looking for parking spaces, paying for upkeep, and worrying how much he has had to drink. 

Greg then brings up another tricky topic: intellectual property. Back home fake goods were a hard no-no, but their prevalence here has devalued the importance of buying original all the time, with the caveat that you know what you are getting when you buy. 

Ed finishes off by admitting that he probably cares less about his salary living in Thailand than he would have if he stayed back home. Greg concurs that when the average salaries of nearly everyone else are much lower, it makes it much easier to be happy with what you are getting here, as long as you like your job. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

In a first, the Bangkok Podcast turns its focus on itself as Greg and Ed explain the process by which they create two shows almost every week of the year. The boys begin discussing their approach to brainstorming topics for new shows. Given that the podcast has been around for more than 10 years and there are more than 700 back episodes in total, coming up with fresh ideas is not easy. So the guys tend to mine their personal experiences, the lives of their friends, evergreen news stories that highlight perennial issues with Thai society, and of course, suggestions from listeners. (In fact, if you have any good ideas, please send them in!)

Does the podcast follow a script? Conversationally, no. Greg and Ed simply have a topic and bullet points and they flow from there, but there is a structure to the show that includes background music, cues, and common themes. What about the recording process? Well, as two tech geeks, the guys do take advantage of semi-professional gear. Ed speaks into a dynamic microphone connected to a digital mixer that acts as an interface to his Windows 11 PC. Greg records with a condenser microphone connected to his MacBook Air. They record separately at home while on a Facebook call, and then upload the audio to a Google Drive folder. Greg then typically does the edit, recently with an open source but professional tool known as Reaper. 

As for posting, the podcast uses a platform called Libsyn, which allows them to upload an episode to one location and then have it dispersed to multiple outlets. 

When it comes to general advice, Ed encourages newbies to go easy on the technology. Today, the barriers to entry are low, and a couple iPhones with lav mics are probably all that are necessary to get started. However, over time, mastering better technology is undoubtedly key to making your life easier. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

Greg and Ed discuss some interesting expats they have met over the years - both good and bad - and what lessons they have managed to glean from them. Thailand is a bit of a strange stew of expats; with many different types of people coming together in a foreign land, you are apt to meet and/or befriend people in Thailand that you never would back home. The results can be positive or negative, but either way, there can be lessons to be learned.

Greg begins with an anecdote he’s mentioned on the show before, about ‘VP,’ a random character that took Greg to a party filled with U.N. people. Although the people there were ‘interesting’ in the sense that they were educated and well-traveled, Greg felt their snobbery at his low status in Thailand intensely and had to bail. He learned that there is a bit of an unspoken ‘expat strata’ in Bangkok and that people can - fairly or unfairly - place you within that strata no matter where you meet them. Ed counters with a story of a Swedish friend, who although being a great guy in Thailand, ended up being deported back to Sweden for old legal problems. Ed woke up to the fact that when you meet expats later in life, you have no idea what kind of baggage they have from earlier in life.

Greg then brings up an old coworker named Seth, who was fairly normal in the daytime, but who Greg realized was deeply embedded into the seedier side of Bangkok’s nightlife. The takeaway: not all foreigners just dip their toes into the redlight districts; some dive in and never get out, and if you’re not careful, you can be pulled along with them. Ed finishes with an unfortunate anecdote about an American friend who was prominent in the expat community in Thailand until he suffered a serious illness and had to return to the United States. The experience made Ed realize that nothing is permanent, and although your expat life might SEEM solid, some bad luck could cause you to be yanked back home. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

In this episode, a curious Greg queries Ed about what it’s like to teach political science in Thailand, a country that has suffered two coups since the boys arrived and which has been under military rule for the last four years.

Ed talks about his early days in the Kingdom, and his naive belief that Thailand had broken out of the ‘vicious cycle’ of semi-democracy and military intervention. Haha, silly Ed, because his happytime thoughts were followed, to his shock, by the 2006 coup and its following red/yellow dustups. Subsequently, Ed kept his mouth shut in class about Thai issues, while he tried to get his bearings.

That only lasted until about 2013, when the endless dramas of street protests led Ed to finally snap. Since then, he has spoken his mind about Thai politics to his students on a regular basis. How has he (and his students) fared since? Ed has some very interesting stories to tell.

(For what it’s worth, Greg - in his ‘most Buddhist moment yet’ - stopped caring about it all years ago, after getting too wound up over things he could not change.) #breathe

Last, the boys ponder the weirdness of growing up in strongly democratic countries only to find themselves living in an authoritarian society which is far from perfect but which, to the average Joe Somchai, seems relatively stable and eminently livable.

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Mental health in Thailand has never really had its time in the spotlight, but things are slowly changing as more and more Thais realize that taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health.

On this episode we are joined by Amy Pothong, a licensed counselor and founder of Golden Leaf Therapy and Counseling in Phuket. 

Amy walks us through the landscape of mental health in Thailand, including some of the reasons that the subject is often taboo, with elders usually preferring to shush things up rather than make a scene and upset the apple cart. Generational dynamics, family responsibilities and strict cultural expectations can all play a part, and the resulting mix can be quite a complicated web to navigate. 

Amy also talks about the difference between Thai and foreign cultures, likening the contrast to a peach vs a coconut. In a peach culture people are friendly and soft on the outside, but once you get closer, you find a hard, private core that’s hard to penetrate. However, coconut cultures have a hard shell on the outside, but once you get past that you’ll find that they are soft and easy to get close to.

She also helpfully provides some references for trusted resources to use if you think you might like to talk to someone about mental health: the hotline 1323, and Samaritans of Thailand, which has service in both English and Thai.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

From a cute lil’ gazebo on the rooftop of a newly-renovated hotel in Chinatown, Greg, Ed, and Stuart from Travelfish.org jump into the complex issue of “overtourism” in Thailand. Beginning with a definition of the term (roughly when the number of tourists exceeds the capacity of the existing infrastructure to properly service them), Stuart describes the situation in a number of popular tourist destinations in Thailand. It’s a tricky subject - if one destination starts to get a bit too touristy, does this then mean that tourists (and expats in Thailand) should re-route their trips to lesser known destinations? Stuart thinks it’s a good idea, pointing out that in recent decades, tourist destinations in Thailand have actually gotten less diverse, as more regional options open up and compete for the almighty tourist dollar.

The guys then discuss other possible solutions to the problem, but all three express doubts about the Thai government’s willingness to sacrifice short term tourist numbers for long term preservation of Thailand’s position in the world of tourism. What do you think?

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

This is Part 2 of Greg’s interview with Andrew Johnson, cultural anthropologist extraordinaire and investigator of the extremely niche topic of the relationship between Thai supernatural beliefs and local architecture. 

Greg and Andrew begin where they left off last week, discussing what it’s like as ‘rationalists’ to interact with relatively superstitious Thai people. Andrew relates a classic story of a Thai woman who encounters a ghost in a nearby field and who simply calls the police who end up shoo-ing the ghost away, an outcome completely unexpected in a western framework. He insists that the Thai word for ghost (‘phee’), encompasses a much broader range of unexplained phenomena than just the western idea of a disembodied ‘spirit.’

Next, the guys discuss Andrew’s book, “Ghosts of the New City,” a study of the interaction between urbanization, progress, and supernatural beliefs in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Andrew notes that Thais do not only believe older buildings contain spirits, but also that new constructions can as well. Hence, urban planning decisions can be particularly complex, because they cannot be reduced to simply trying to ‘preserve old stuff.’ 

Lastly, Greg and Andrew get into the psychological imprints that different locations leave in our minds, but also how the locations themselves carry imprints of past lives and previous ‘orders’ that have now fallen by the wayside. These emotional experiences, which are processed as non-magical in the west, are really not substantially different from what’s going in the minds of supernatural believers who are going through the same thing but using different words to describe it.

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Everybody knows that intercultural relationships in Thailand are most likely a Thai woman with a foreign man, but things are changing! It’s not as common, but there are plenty of farang women in relationships with Thai men - partnerships that carry their own unique set of challenges!

Greg interviews Sam Ormond, an Australian and long-term Bangkokian who has been married to a Thai man for many years. Greg and Sam discuss stereotypes of Thai men that may tend to scare away western women, although Sam notes that while these stereotypes may be true of some Thai men (especially younger ones), there are plenty of fantastic Thai men out there. 

Sam also shares several interesting anecdotes about her unusual life as a farang wife in Thailand, from filling out paperwork that doesn’t even have options for women, to the unique requirements of being married to a Thai man who (temporarily) enters the monkhood - and their “re-marriage” when he came back into civilian life!

There’s also a discussion of Asian stereotypes in pop culture, and the fact that Greg really needs some Thai male friends!

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

This is part two of a two-part interview with Khun Ployjai Pintobtang, a lecturer in history at Chiang Mai University, about the history of democracy in Thailand and Asia. The discussion picks up where it left off, on the particular characteristics of Thai culture and society that might make it harder for democracy to take root. Greg begins by bringing up Ed’s frequent point that there’s essentially an ‘official’ Thailand, how Thai elites describe their country, that is often at odds with what everyone knows is really happening in the country. Ed furthers the point that almost all Thai elites will give the ‘right answer’: we want ‘real’ democracy in Thailand, but then the very same elites go on to enact anti-democratic Constitutions. 

A. Ploy concurs with these assessments and notes the difficulty as a Thai person in remaining optimistic given the apparently cyclical nature of Thai politics, where the government comes close to being truly democratic, only to fall back down into true authoritarianism due some ‘crisis’ or another. A. Ed asks whether there is anything in the current political crisis that gives hope, and A. Ploy makes several points. The victory of Move Forward in the north of Thailand, the Pheu Thai stronghold, was unprecedented in the last 25 years. Also, the fact that Move Forward’s base is made up of the Bangkok middle class and above, yet is pushing for truly progressive reforms, is a first in Thai history.

However, reasons for pessimism exist as well. A. Ploy argues that no true change can happen until the current Constitution is seriously amended, which will be difficult to do given the current makeup of the Senate. She also notes that the next Prime Minister will likely be from the Pheu Thai Party, and there’s no guarantee that Pheu Thai will really fight for the reformist agenda of the Move Forward Party now that K. Pita’s bid is finished. 

All three participants agree there are many more issues to discuss, and undoubtedly more drama is to come on the Thai political scene. Hence, a return visit for A. Ploy to the podcast is likely!

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

It’s the annual Bangkok Podcast Christmas Blowout, with free gifts to all of our listeners! Well, that’s a complete lie, actually. But it IS Christmas, which means the boys feel compelled to discuss what it’s like to spend Christmas in Bangkok.

From newbies experiencing their first working yuletide, to the sticky weather when it should be a winter wonderland, to most Thais shrugging their shoulders at the whole thing, Greg and Ed discuss how their own Christmas habits have evolved over the years, with Greg largely ignoring the holiday (with the exception of annually watching the film ‘Die Hard’) and Ed making efforts to keep it alive by having holiday dinners with friends and exchanging gifts with his wife and Thai in-laws. Greg does note though that as a new father he has re-discovered the holiday and made it a part of his young son’s life (although it’ll be a few years until he can watch Die Hard).

The boys even throw in some speculative theology, from conspiracy theories about Jesus (India! France!) to the apparent similarities between his teachings and the Buddha’s, including a book on the topic by a very respected Buddhist monk from Vietnam.

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Thailand’s food tastes have changed a lot since Greg and Ed first got here two decades ago, and in that time, things have gone international, yo! With this in mind, Greg interviews Nick Wattanavekin, who opened the first Tim Hortons, the iconic Canadian donut shop, in Thailand just a few short months ago. The journey from investment banker to restauranteur is a long one, but Nick explains how he transitioned from his early career to franchising restaurants in Thailand, discusses how much Bangkok has changed in the last twenty years, and what drives the increasingly cosmopolitan palette of Thai consumers.

Nick then goes into detail explaining just how one brings a “famous overseas” but not “famous in Thailand” brand to Thailand, including consumer research, business plans, market strategies...and what happens when those famously long lines outside of hip new places go away. And of course - why Tim Hortons? If you’re Canadian, you get it, but if not...well, Nick’s done his research.

The boys wrap up talking about some of the unique characteristics of the Thai market compared to other Tim Hortons locations around the world. 

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Episode links:

My interview with the guys at This Strange Life podcast https://soundcloud.com/this_strange_life/tsl04-tsl04-from-surviving-to-thriving-in-bangkok-with-greg-from-the-bangkok-podcast

Bangkok may be great for the childless among us, but what about those expats who want to raise a family here? As a married guy without kids, Ed questions Greg about the pros and cons of being a parent in Bangkok. The conversation starts with a peek into the insane cost and stress of deciding which school the little angels/devils will attend, where tuition can sometimes hit $20,000 per year for first grade (coughINSANEcough). Unsurprisingly, it’s one of the top factors in deciding how long - or even if - an expat family will stay here.

And yes, that’s Greg’s kid on the episode artwork, cunningly disguised as Batman.

But thankfully for the bags under Greg’s eyes, there are lots of other stress points to having a kid in Bangkok! These range from the difficulty of building a social circle, how to approach language learning, and what the hell you can (and can’t) actually DO with a kid in Bangkok. Greg also shares a bit about the difficulties in making sure his spawn grows up understanding the Canuck-ness of his Canadian side, and reminisces about the wistful days of yesteryear when he was told to “go outside and play and come back for dinner,” which you definitely can’t do with a kid in Bangkok.

In “Love, Loathe, or Leave,” Greg challenges Ed with the quirky way (seemingly all) Thai cashiers return change, with both agreeing that the most annoying part of the habit is the insistence on giving small receipts for every purchase, something that the late, great Mitch Hedberg summed up perfectly.

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

With the big holiday nearly here, Greg and Ed reminisce about their various Songkran experiences over the years. Ed notes that last year was a breakthrough year: he actually went out and ‘threw water’ for the first time in many years and had a blast. Greg points out that it’s pretty common for expats to love Songkran at first, but then quickly switch to avoiding the raucous celebrations for many years. Greg has found special Songkran celebrations specifically designed to be kid-friendly, which has allowed him to keep in touch with the experience without a lot of the craziness. 

Ed recounts his very first Songkran experience in Chiang Mai, a pivotal moment in his early years in Thailand as it was an amazingly good time that included three full days of brutal water wars. Ever since then he has been ‘chasing the dragon’ of that first experience.

Greg then uses AI to do some insightful comparisons between Songkran of 2005 and Songkran of 2025. The AI does a fairly good job of noting the transition of the holiday from being primarily local to being now well-known around the world, and one in which the prior emphasis was on traditional family ritual while today the experience is much more professionalized and commercial. Also check out the photo of a very young Greg at his first Songkran, with his friend Amanda. Oh to be young and wrinkle-free again!

Regardles of how it has changed, Songkran remains a defining Thai experience not to be missed by tourists and expats. Just bring a good attitude and prepare to get soaked!

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

The shockwaves of the President-Elect of America have shockwaved all the way over here to Bangkok, Thailand. However, that’s not what we’re talking about today, though we could talk about if we want to. And that’s what we want to talk about. Confused? Yeah…

(Direct download .mp3)

On October 13, the Kingdom of Thailand suffered a great loss with the death of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Because we’re a show ostensibly about Bangkok and the country of Thailand overall, we recorded an episode of our podcast with that topic in mind. And then we thought better of it. Not because we were in any way critical, satirical, or otherwise potentially running up against Thailand’s lese majeste laws. Indeed, the show was respectful to a fault, and talked about how much Rama IX meant to the Thai people. But we thought that maybe, in this particular situation, it’s not all that important for us, two foreigners living in the Kingdom, to have an opinion. Those of you reading this from “the free world” (though we each feel relatively free over here) are probably looking at that last statement with disdain. But if you listen to this week’s show -- the episode about the episode you’ll never hear -- you’ll find it’s not all that uncommon to self-censor. In fact, we do it all the time. And maybe, in a world where the friction between thought and something for public consumption is all too easy, we should do it more often.

When Greg and guest-host Scott moved here at the turn of the century, Bangkok had about 22km of train lines (not counting the SRT diesel trains). Now there are 210km in operation with a further 250km under construction. That’s huge!

But it presents a problem - Bangkok is evolving very quickly, and unless you ride the trains A LOT, you are probably, like us, becoming more and more unfamiliar with how to get around the city you live in. Greg and Scott set out to change this, and spent a day riding around on various lines, visiting a few stations, and seeing what they could see from above (and below) the city. To get a better idea of how things look, check out this Google Map that Greg made of all the existing and upcoming train lines in Bangkok. 

From the confusing new Blue Line loop to the massive Bang Sue Grand Station to dusty end of the Purple Line, the boys give their impression on how things are progressing and why - if you live here - all of us should make an effort to get more acquainted with Bangkok’s train lines before we start to feel like lost, confused tourists in the very city we live in.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Thailand is a country that offers foreign film productions everything they need - amazing locations, skillful crew, talented actors and more. With foreign film productions come big money and jobs, so it's no wonder that the Thai government is pushing the country as a movie industry hub, but if you want to film here - who do you call? You call Chris Lowenstein, this week's guest.

As one of the owners of Living Films, Chris is the main man when it comes to bringing in film productions - anything from small commercials to long-running television series to full-scale Hollywood blockbusters. His latest project is the mega Hollywood blockbuster "The Hangover Part 2", and Chris's roles as the film's line producer means he's in charge of everything that happens here: catering, work visas, film permits, transportation, hiring local crew. working with the cast and director to make sure everything's going smoothly, and more.

Chris talks to us about the film industry in Thailand - what they're doing right, what they could improve, and what it's like working within a system that's notoriously fickle when it comes to censorship. He also tells us a few stories from The Hangover Part 2 such as how hard it was to shut down parts of Chinatown, and how a boat they hired in California ended up getting lost on a Chinese river.

Greg also tells us about a baby shower that he attended where he was equal parts amused and horrified to find a piñata in the shape of a pregnant mermaid.

Greg and Ed interview Michael Messner, long time expat, Patpong bar entrepreneur, and the founder and curator of the Patpong Museum. Opened this year, the Patpong Museum is meant to educate the public on the entire history of the Patpong area, stretching from its earliest development more than 100 years ago until today - and there’s way more to it than just go-go bars!

Michael exemplifies the ‘interesting expat,’ having first come to Thailand to expand his art business only to meet a Thai woman and begin to plant roots in Bangkok. Through a chance encounter he found a mentor close to the Patpong family, and this gave Michael the opportunity to enter the hectic world of Bangkok bar and restaurant ownership. Many years later and after much (eventual) success, he decided to open the Patpong Museum. Why does Bangkok’s most famous red light district deserve a museum? Well, you need to hear Michael tell the story but suffice it to say that the Patpong area has a long and fascinating history much before the modern era of the night market and go-go bars, involving family drama, CIA intrigue, and straight old-fashioned corporate commercialization.

And in a nice twist, Michael offers listeners of the Bangkok Podcast a 20% discount on admission. Just mention BP when you arrive to cash in! 

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg interviews Bangkok-based lawyer Dave Lawrence about the ins and outs of foreigners owning land in Thailand. Dave begins with his backstory: he went to law school in Ohio where he met his future wife while she was getting a master's degree (also in law), and upon graduating they returned to Thailand for what was expected to be two years. That has now turned into 12 years, and in the meantime Dave has worked several different legal jobs at law firms as well as private companies. Dave then explains his current venture: Pegleg, a company that matches foreigners in Thailand with Thai lawyers and law firms. 

Dave then introduces us to the basics of foreigners owning property in Thailand. As for condos, it’s possible as long as less than 50% of the ‘saleable land’ in the building is owned by foreigners. However, in general, owning real property (actual land) is forbidden to foreigners - but there are some well-known (but questionably legal) workarounds. Some foreigners start a company with majority Thai ownership and then have the company purchase the land. Dave points out that this is a risky maneuver and potentially illegal if the Thai owners are just ‘nominees’ instead of true owners. 

Next, the guys discuss the recent (and recurring) talk of amending the law to allow foreign ownership in some cases. Dave argues that such efforts are usually met with skepticism in the legal community because of their history of being met with xenophobic opposition, i.e. fear of foreigners ‘buying up the country.’ The two discuss the pros and cons of foreign ownership and whether they think it will ever come to pass for real. 

As for now, if you are a foreigner and want to own your home in Thailand, it’s condos or trusting your Thai spouse.:) 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

It’s been a while, but one of our favorite semi-regular guests is back! Bangkok Podcast’s official Buddhist correspondent, Phra Pandit, welcomed Greg at his temple to talk about amulets, talismans, and Buddhist relics - and what ties them all together.

The burning question Greg had was - if seemingly every third temple claims to have a piece of Buddha’s body - what exactly happened to the poor guy when he died? Phra Pandit explains the history behind the idea of Buddhist relics and what Buddha said about them, as well as their link to Sri Lanka and how a wooden mannequin brought to life kicked the whole thing off.

Greg and Phra Pandit also dive into the topic of amulets and talismans, including the famous Jatukham craze of 2006, and discuss what - if anything - makes one amulet worth more than another one. Does it make them more effective? Do people act differently if they think they’re more effective?

They finish with a fascinating discussion about how stories and tokens can be a powerful tool in helping us solidify and understand abstract concepts such as marriage, death, and even architecture!

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Getting a bit nostalgic after listening to Tay-Tay’s latest album, Greg and Ed reminisce about their respective first year’s in Bangkok by recounting their most vivid early memories, something that’s unique for everyone but plays a big role in setting the tone for your time here. 

Ed explains that he came here a little bit older than many expats, and relatively speaking, had his ‘shit together’ so to speak. No visa runs, no desperation at the end of the month to pay bills. But what he wasn’t ready for was the excitement, ‘newness,’ and general party atmosphere of Bangkok. In Ed’s words, he felt like he was a freshman in college all over again.

Greg possibly had a more typical experience, having arrived in his twenties with a couple nickels in his pockets. He recounts his long traverse to work, something out of “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,” and his anticipation of his first paycheck. Luckily, he ran into some super friendly NGO workers from the UN to ease his transition to expat life (note, this is a lie).

Ed talks about having some ‘typical’ memories himself, this time of late night, drunken tuk-tuk rides (an expat requirement if there ever was one) and the crowded street market that used to be lower Sukumvit. Both guys of course fell in love with the place and hence, the roots of the Bangkok Podcast were sown. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg and Ed tackle the complex question of privacy in Thailand, especially as it compares to privacy back home. But there are lots of types of privacy, so what do we mean?

Firstly, as an expat, you live in a kind of bubble of privacy anyway - often left alone and largely cut off from the Thai-language media, which only increases the sense of privacy. Second, Thai culture is famously indirect, with Thais tending to be less confrontational about a person’s private life, so from a social and cultural perspective, you might say there is more privacy here. BUT! But...Ed contends that, from a legal perspective, there is overall less privacy in Thailand. Does it balance out?

Greg - a noted non-lawyer - agrees to some extent, but says that while Thais may be indirect, they also love to gossip (just ask his neighbors). All of this on top of the fact that the Thai gov’t can pretty much access whatever it wants and has used the pandemic to increase the stickiness of its fingers, means Greg thinks that we all need to be careful about what, when, and to whom we say anything.

Listen in as we go into detail on all of the above.

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

You know how foreigners aren’t allowed to be tour guides in Thailand? Well guess what - there’s an interesting little loophole to that, and it’s a great opportunity to get to know Thai culture in a very real way.

Greg interviews Dr. Peter Hufschmid-Hirschbuehl (hereinafter referred to as ‘Dr. Peter’ for obvious reasons), the President of the National Museum Volunteers, the only museum that allows foreigners to train and work as tour guides. The training program provides a quite extensive background in Thai culture, and many go through the program just for the education. Once finished, graduates lead tours in English, German, Japanese and French. 

Dr. Peter goes into detail on the National Museum, highlighting both its positives and negatives, and relates insights into its collection and what it says about the Thai culture, and the artistic and creative things that it’s produced over the millenia. 

Dr. Peter then explains the training program, which involves quite a few hours of work, and has a nuanced focus depending on where the tour groups are coming from (for  example, the French have a very different history in Southeast Asia than the British or the Germans or the Japanese). 

All in all, the National Museum should be on the itinerary of any tourist to Thailand, and the guide program should be on the list of any expat with an interest in Thai culture. 

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Big News: This show will be the final episode of Season 3! We figure 80 episodes is the right number given the length of previous seasons, so the Bangkok Podcast will be taking a week off next week before commencing Season 4, which will include a few interesting changes to the show. (Spoiler Alert: Ed is coming back, woo hoo!) 

And a quick note - if you want to read the esoteric-yet-fascinating Harvard study on Bangkok’s khlongs that we talk about in the show, you can get it here.

So in the last show of the season, the boys venture out to explore the ‘Phra Khanong’ area, which includes Sukhumvit Soi 71 (aka Soi Pridi Banomyong) and the area immediately around the Phra Khanong BTS station. Why Phra Khanong? Well, it turns out the area is in the news this week, as it was named the 12th coolest neighborhood in the world by Time Out Magazine! Greg and Ed were so surprised by the designation that they ran out, met up with a buddy who lives in the area, and checked it out. This episode is their report.

Beginning at ‘W District’, they sample the excellent outdoor food court and beer garden in the back, as well as a number of cool restaurants and cafes dotted throughout the complex. The soi immediately behind W District, Pridi Soi 3, is an eclectic mix of bars, small restaurants, barbershops, clothes shops, karaoke parlors and massage places, with its own personality. 

As for the side sois off of Soi 71, despite walking up and down and in an out, your hosts struggled to find interesting places to hang out, but perhaps it was the evening hour. That being said, the entire area was bustling with activity and all of the small Thai restaurants and shops were fairly busy. The guys did manage to find a cool little cocktail bar called Clouds Across the Moon on Pridi Soi 14, cheaper than the ‘mixology’ joints on Thong Lor and Ekkamai but just as delicious. Pridi Soi 2 also proved interesting with many street restaurants, an Irish hole-in-the-wall pub, and a fun looking Mexican restaurant with great drink specials. 

Although both Greg and Ed liked what they saw and consider the area (especially W District) worth a visit, they were a bit amiss as to why (or how) this area got ranked so high on TimeOut’s list. But who knows, maybe the guys just aren’t cool enough to know cool when they see it. :)

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg interviews Dr. Soraj Hongladarom on the intersection of AI, ethics, and Buddhism. Dr. Soraj begins by discussing his background in the study of philosophy in the U.S., in particular early modern Western philosophy. After returning to Thailand, he transitioned to the study of the philosophy of technology and science, which today of course, means AI. Dr. Soraj explains that different cultures certainly have different approaches to some ethical issues, and he is currently interested in how Buddhist thought might apply to the growing concerns over the use of artificial intelligence. 

Today, there is a ‘global conversation’ about AI, and although people might agree about some general ethical guidelines to apply to AI (that it be the truth for example), there are still many concerns over issues such as privacy and AI usurping people’s jobs, to name a few. Greg asks how Thais might see ethics differently from Westerners, and Dr. Soraj explains that he actually teaches Western ethics to Thai students and finds that initially they have problems appreciating concepts such as equality and the rule of law. However, eventually they come around to the Western perspective.

Listen in as the two delve into more interesting twists and turns in the fascinating intersection between ethics, AI, and Buddhist culture. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Diving into one of their more complex topics, Greg and Ed explore some of the questions that arise when raising a child with an appreciation for skepticism and science in the middle of a culture known for its superstitious beliefs. With Ed teaching a critical thinking class to Thai college students and Greg’s son asking questions about ghosts and praying, the boys have some interesting insights.

Greg stresses the delicacy of parents in his situation: were he to directly state his opinion that ghosts are not real and praying for something has no effect on the outcome, it could create friction between his son and the Thai side of his family, who sit more on the ‘probably/definitely’ side of the scale. While trying to ensure his son grows up with an appreciation for evidence and science, this also provides a good lesson on respecting others’ beliefs, despite having different ones yourself. Where exactly is the instruction manual for this situation?

The guys wrestle with the issue, doing their best to come up with some guidelines. Perhaps just appreciating the importance of threading the needle between the two cultures is the key to being a good parent. Greg’s not gonna be able to get it perfect, but maybe just trying is the point.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Are you a gadget geek? Greg and Ed sure are, and they discuss some of the key places in Bangkok for people to get their gadget geek jollies.

But it ain’t all e-wine and circuit board roses in Bangkok; Ed notes that the best places in the world to buy technology are still in the United States, Singapore and Hong Kong. That being said, Thai prices might be better than certain places such as Australia and Europe.

The boys next discuss the main places to go if you’re on the hunt for gear - Pantip Plaza, MBK, and Fortune Town, as well as the legendary (though slightly less well known among foreigners) Baan Mo market. Each has its own pluses and minuses, and all have changed a lot in the past 5 or 6 years, which Greg and Ed discuss.

But will the old-school brick and mortar shops be around much longer? The boys consider online options and both admit they are becoming much more viable. Recommendations include Lazada, InvadeIT, Shop4Thai, Shopee, and Ali Express. All are worth checking out but be wary of cheap projects from China - if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

A new annual tradition begins with a discussion of the cost of living in Bangkok. Greg cites a recent study that puts Bangkok as the 47th most expensive city in the world for expats to live, which might not seem so bad except Bangkok has moved up 43 places (!) from last year. 

Ed notes that while things do seem to be getting more expensive, the cost of living is notoriously difficult to measure because it really depends on the specific good or services that you measure. Greg concurs, noting for example that in the recent study, the cost of international school was NOT included, which could potentially even move Bangkok higher.  Ed also points out that Bangkok is a weird city that seems to cater to people at almost every income level, such that the average cost may not be super cheap, but that does not mean that super cheap options are not available. 

But what about gas, food, rent, milk, a car, and buying a McDonald’s meal? Greg compares the prices in Bangkok with the same thing in his home town of Calgary.

The boys conclude by reminding listeners that it’s only in places like the Bangkok Podcast that you can receive the ‘wisdom of the Bangkok elders’ and find out how to do the City of Angels on the cheap. 

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg interviews the fascinating Wichit Saiklao, godfather of craft beer in Thailand and founder of Chit Beer, with podcast friend Scott Coates sitting in for fun. Khun Chit relates how he first learned about homebrewing while living in the States, and after returning to Thailand and buying a small house on the river island of Ko Kret, he decided to give it a try with a kit he bought on Amazon. Just seven years later, he is a legend of Thai brewing, not just because of his own popular craft beers but also because of his brewing school which now has thousands of graduates. 

Khun Chit explains his approach to Thai law, which in general prohibits small batch brewing: by focusing on staying under the radar while campaigning to change the law and spreading his love of brewing to his ‘army’ of brewers, he hopes to push Thai culture in the right direction. He estimates that there are already tens of thousands of Thai people brewing quietly at home, a number so large that eventually the Thai government will likely have to accept as a fact of life. 

Greg, Scott and Khun Chit discuss the community of brewers that he has fostered and spread around the country, his ignoble first attempts at brewing, and what drives him forward.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg and Ed discuss an important conundrum facing expats and tourists in Thailand: When sick or injured, should you go to a private Thai hospital or a public one? The difference in cost is substantial, typically somewhere between a factor of three and ten. For major procedures you probably want to spring for private care, if you can, but for ‘standard’ things like stitches and sprains, is a public hospital okay?

Greg begins with the very recent story of his son needing stitches for a split lip. Greg and his wife got treatment for his son at Bumrungrad Hospital, which is known for its international standard of care, but also for its high cost, especially in Thailand. A split lip might seem fairly mundane and more appropriate for a government hospital, but there were other factors that necessitated special care. Luckily, the treatment went fine and all is well, but Greg’s experience highlights the difficult choices that expats face when it comes to medical care.

Ed recounts a scary story of his wife getting into a motorbike accident and being taken to a nearby public hospital for emergency treatment. But due to the seriousness of her injury, his wife was going to need months of physical therapy with no guarantee of a full recovery. Ed decided to pull the ripcord and move to Bangkok Hospital, another facility renowned for quality care and high prices. At BH, Ed noted that the customer service was extremely high level with LOTS of handholding and explaining, which eased his anxiety considerably. But did his wife actually get better medical care? Ed is not really sure about that, but the care certainly FELT better. 

Last, Greg does a quick interview with friend of the podcast Bangkok Pat, who unfortunately was recently bitten by a dog and thus in need of a quick decision on medical care. In his case, the proximity and convenience of a private hospital (and its higher cost) won out over the uncertainty of a government one, but he’s not sure he’d make the same call if it happened again.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

When you first come to Bangkok, everything is new and strange. Nothing makes sense, and even a trip to the corner store can be an adventure. But after a while, these things fade, and pretty soon, the things that made your eyes bug out when you first arrived become old hat and - dare I say - boring. That's why we wanted to talk to Megan Kobzej, a new transplant to Bangkok with a very entertaining blog that makes us think back to the halcyon days of our first arrival; when Bangkok was stil an unexplored realm and the possibilities were endless. Or, to put it a more cynical way, before the city made us jaded, bitter, grumpy expats.

Anyway, Megan tells us what impresses her, what scares her, and why she's obsessed with chips (or crisps, if you're a Brit). She also gives us her opinion on Bangkok's nightlife, what it's like to face a cockraoch in your shower, and what her friends and family back home think of her life in Asia.

We are also joined briefly by Patricia Weismantel from Spice Roads, the company that will be leading our bicycle tour of Prapadaeng on March 13, to explain the ride, and Tony gives Greg a special gift.

Greg and Ed discuss how to manage your expectations in Thailand as a strategy for surviving and thriving in the Land of Smiles, or indeed, as an expat anywhere outside of your comfort zone. Ed explains that in giving advice to a recent arrival, he emphasized being smart about what to expect. Instead of trying to change Thailand to something familiar or to get it to fit some previously determined standard, it’s better to simply appreciate what Thai people are good at and accept what they are not good at. 

The guys then talk about the dangerous trap of merely LOWERING your expectations and just assuming everything is worse in Thailand. They then run through numerous examples of things better here than where they are from back home: food in general, public transportation, electronic banking, etc. ‘Managing your expectations’ undoubtedly works in both directions. 

Ed then brings up the realization that sometimes Thais simply have a different interpretation of something we all value, such as ‘customer service.’ Back home, it implies competence and efficiency, but to Thais it means attention and a sincere desire to help. Sure you may prefer the back home version, but the smart thing is to appreciate what the Thai concept brings to the table. 

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Greg and Ed interview Oliver Ackermann, one of the co-producers of the Thailand-based Netflix series “The Serpent,” about 1970s era serial killer Charles Sobhraj. Oliver is a partner in Living Films, a prominent production company based in Thailand famous for shepherding large foreign productions (such as Hangover 2, which our buddy Chris Lowenstein talked about on season 1) through the maze of Thai government regulations as well as Thai culture in general. Oliver walks through his process of finding locations in Thailand that can mimic almost any place in the world, and laying the groundwork for a small army of people to make a globetrotting series about murder and deception in Bangkok.

Oliver also discusses his role helping foreign actors adjust to Thai culture and temperature, interfacing with the Thai film board that must approve all scripts, the amazing local Thai film crews, the BBC’s obsessive research on the source material for ‘The Serpent,’ and how to find dozens of genuine, functioning 1970s era automobiles in Thailand. In short, if you want to know anything about foreign film productions in Thailand, Oliver is your man. :) 

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We've done a fair number of shows so far about learning Thai, but one of the most fundamental questions has yet to be discussed - is learning Thai actually hard, or do we foreigners just make it seem that way? 

We're joined once again by our Thai language Jedi Rikker Dockum as he talks about the particulars of the Thai language, how the human brain processes it, and some of the roadblocks that we encounter (or make) as we attempt to learn it. He also tells us how he keeps his Thai skills sharp, how age plays a role in learning language, and the value of making mistakes.

We are also joined by the crew from BangkokFoodTours.com, who will be leading our upcoming walking food tour. They tell us a bit about their company, how it began, and what we can expect on our outing.

The boys address the big story of the day: Thailand’s long-delayed reopening to tourists, at least from certain low-risk countries. Ed begins by recounting the current (at the time of the show) rules for tourists: COVID medical insurance, a negative test within 72 hours of departure, and a negative test after touching down which MAY require a night in a government-approved hotel. Note that the info in this show was accurate at the time of recording, but things change fast - check here for more details.

The guys discuss the accuracy of the ‘no quarantine’ promotional material before getting into their predictions on the likely success or failure of the endeavor. Both guys agree that it was high time to start selling alcohol again. Ed laments that sales stop at 9 pm and nightlife is not completely open, but baby steps are better than no steps. Certainly, Thai tourism will recover, but will it take 6 months? 1 year? 2 years? Greg and Ed gaze into the Bangkok Podcast crystal ball and make their best estimates.

Each guy then makes their own pitch while the near future is probably the best time to visit Thailand, but it all boils down to this: there’s no doubt that Thailand is a beautiful country. What makes it sometimes hard to traverse is the buttload of other tourists! So being able to come when you know numbers will be down and the country has been thoroughly cleaned up is the best of both worlds. There just might be some hoops to deal with on your way over...

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg interviews our new friend Jannik Hiller about his experience as an exchange student in Thailand. Jannik explains that while a university student, he decided he wanted to do an exchange year in a country completely different from his native Germany, so he settled on Thailand, despite never having been here before. 

 Greg wonders about the quality of education in Thailand versus Germany, and Jannik explains that he was willing to sacrifice some academic quality just for the experience of traveling and living in a foreign land. Jannik then recounts his first month in the country, getting ready for school to start. After an initial shock, he fell in love with exploring Bangkok and acclimated to a dorm at Chulalongkorn University for international students. He talks about interacting with students from the U.S., Mexico, Japan, and Italy, a cosmopolitan experience that led him to pursue a Master’s Degree outside of Germany. 

Jannik then expounds on the differences in the academic experience: Thai university is more formal than in Germany, given that students have to wear uniforms and the professors are treated with more deference. Further, the courses involved more group work and presentations than his typical classes back home.  

Overall, Jannik’s experience at a Thai university was a very positive contrast to his typical European education, and with the help of the Bangkok Podcast, he has become a true Thai-phile (like the rest of us!).

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

On this episode we get into a few vague, strange - and possibly even non-existent - rules that you may or may not bump up against in Thailand. From buying chainsaws to changing your name to flying helicopters to losing your &$%@#! "book bank" (known throughout the rest of the world as bank books), these are things that govern the nuances of every day life. Greg reads 'em off, Evo plays Devil's Advocate to try and discount them, and we land somewhere around the middle.

Love, Loathe, or Leave

Have you ever seen someone - usually a taxi driver - standing right out in the open answering the call of nature without a care in the world as to who sees him (or it?) Yeah, so have we!

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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! You can add our official LINE account, comment on a post or send us a message via our Facebook page, tweet to us @bangkokpodcast, or simply via the contact form on our website. You may also be interested in Greg’s tweets of snarky Bangkok goodness, and you can see way too much of Evo’s face  on Instagram. If you’re really new, the Bangkok Podcast is co-hosted by Greg Jorgensen and Evo Terra. Together the have over 20 years expat experience in Bangkok, and are self-certified experts in living in the City of Angels. (Not Los Angeles. Thailand, silly!) [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Greg interviews Wiramrudee ‘Pink’ Mokkhavesa, an attorney at the law firm of Tilleke & Gibbins in Bangkok. Tilleke is one of the most well-known firms in the city, and it is probably most famous for its intellectual property group, which leads the fight against counterfeit goods in Thailand and Asia. Khun Pink begins with a brief introduction to her firm, but then launches into an explanation of the ‘counterfeit museum’ located in their law offices which displays various fake products that the firm has helped keep off the market. According to K. Pink, Tilleke’s museum is the largest such museum in the world. She then explains the absurdly large market in counterfeits, which has been estimated at 2.5 percent of all global trade as early as 2019.

Greg raises the interesting question of whether counterfeit goods are always harmful. If the consumer knows their ‘Gucci’ watch is not real, then who is being harmed? K. Pink gives several responses. First, due to lower quality, fake goods can actually be harmful, as in the case of decreased durability and likelihood of failure. Second, a market filled with counterfeits can discourage creators from taking the risks necessary to make new products. Third, companies making fake goods typically don’t pay taxes, thus depriving the government of revenue. And last, countries with a bad reputation for counterfeits can have trouble attracting foreign investment, thus hurting the economy as a whole. Then there is the question of - if you’re okay with shoes and watches, what about medicine and car parts? Where does it end?

The two continue their discussion of this complex issue, covering questions of the role of the Thai government in enforcing (or not enforcing) current laws to how K. Pink gives advice to clients considering doing business in Thailand.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Something a little different this week - a host swap! Greg is joined by co-host Scott Coates, one of his oldest friends in Thailand. Scott co-hosts the Talk Travel Asia podcast with Trevor Ranges, and, if you head over there, you will be able to hear The Bangkok Podcast’s other host, Ed “The Truth” Knuth, co-hosting a show with Trevor. Everything will be back to normal next week, but we thought a bit of crossover action would be fun.

(And in case you’re wondering, the artwork for this week’s episode is Greg and Scott during a mountain bike ride in Cambodia in 2010).

For this show, Greg and Scott thought that they’d chat a bit about how, as long-term expats, Bangkok has changed them personally. From living as a minority, to learning to calm down and “out-Thai the Thais”, to getting a close-up look at social stratification and widespread poverty, no one can spend any significant amount of time here without changing at least a lil’ bit on the inside.

Greg’s last point is that living in Thailand has taught him about his own resilience and resourcefulness, having to overcome all the obstacles of life as an expat. Scott concludes somewhat philosophically that there is beauty in the imperfections of Bangkok life; that the chaos itself gives Bangkok a unique character, and that clean and organized is not always better. Deep stuff!

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg interviews returning show favorite, Phra Pandit on the Buddhist interpretation of the Seven Deadly Sins of western religion. After a brief introduction explaining Phra Pandit’s current (temporary) abode in Toronto, Canada, the guys get down to business. First, Phra Pandit notes that in his work with highly varied groups of people, there is often agreement on ‘good’ and ‘bad’ qualities in people. That being said, he notes that not every religion would necessarily value each quality equally.

Greg jumps in with his favorite sin of ‘Lust,’ and Phra Pandit says that ‘improper sexual conduct’ is prohibited in the Five Precepts that Buddhists are expected to follow. He discusses how the term ‘improper’ can be interpreted, with an emphasis on the harm being caused in a particular case, rather than specific rules.

Next up is ‘Gluttony,’ practically the theme of the Bangkok Podcast. Interestingly, Phra Pandit discusses the issue of overweight monks in Thailand and points out that the precepts actually allow monks to eat sugary snacks in the evening, while most people think that monks are prohibited from eating entirely. However, monks are prohibited from ‘overeating,’ which is parallel to the most basic meaning of ‘gluttony.’

The two mean continue with a couple more of the sins on this Part One of a two-part series.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.