The Bangkok Podcast

RSVP to the big I Love Podcasting In Bangkok meetup #2 on Nov 29th!   We're working hard on the special gifts that supporters at the Gift Box level are going to receive… and they are hand-made pieces of awesome. Yeah, we're teasing a bit, but these are going to be quite cool mementos and tokens of our appreciation. (If you want one, get signed up !)   This topic stems from a discussion the two of...

RSVP to the big I Love Podcasting In Bangkok meetup #2 on Nov 29th! How will you celebrate the season this year? No, we're not talking about Christmas. We're talking about the Thai government's annual shopping stimulus program, this time called "Shop For The Nation" for 2017 . It started on Saturday, November the 11th, and it runs through December the 3rd. We'll cover this program in detail (and m...

We know that Bangkok's expat community is much more diverse than a Canadian and an American can hope to represent. So this week, we reached out to the wider community and asked a simple question: Where do you go in Bangkok when you want a taste of your own country? Before we get into that, though, Greg regales us with his story about being summoned by Frank Lam, the founder of Foodland grocery sto...

Before we get into the ins and outs of travel insurance with one of the most well-traveled people out there, we dive right back into the shallow end of debating whether or not Bangkok's traffic has improved. Why would it improve? Well, last month the police commissioner said that traffic police will no longer be setting up checkpoints...so, did it work? Evo weighs in (because Greg drives a car, an...

We're not whispering to make it hard for you to hear. We're doing it to be respectful, because we recorded this episode inside the Museum of Contemporary Art in northern Bangkok. Now, bear in mind that neither of us are huge art people. But museums such as Bangkok MOCA are designed to be accessible by anyone, not just art aficionados. Today, we put that to the test. Spoiler: We loved it! The middl...

So Evo was recently the star of a Pakistani commercial shot in Thailand, and by "star" we mean he was on-screen for about four seconds. That got Greg thinking wistfully of his own time as a thespian here in the Land of Smiles, so we thought we'd talk a bit about what it's like being an actor in Thailand. While Evo is the most recent "actor" in this two-way conversation, Greg has by far the longer...

It's generally considered bad form to use curse words in the land of peace, order, and smiles that is Thailand. And when a farang uses native Thai bad language, it's a bit more culturally insensitive. Just like Greg learned this week. But that's not what we're talking about today. Thai taboos are the topic of today's show, a topic we're all too familiar with. Hey, it happens, and we're not doing i...

Before we get started, we've a quick warning for visitors headed to Bangkok in October 2017. We don't normally recommend listening to the tuk tuk drivers hanging out around the Grand Palace when they tell you that the attraction you want to visit is closed. But this month, they are correct. It's the culmination of the year of mourning for Thailand, and lots of things are closed. But don't turn to...

On-location from the back of a tuk tuk in Bangkok, we're pretending to be tourists for the day and, surprisingly enough, discovering some new things about our adopted home. Ride along with us! (Direct download .mp3) Episode Details Astute listeners will notice the marked increase in Bangkok traffic noise in this episode. That's for a very good reason, as we recorded it from the back of a tuk tuk,...

After a brief moment of vindication on the news that 10% of Bangkok traffic police failed a test about traffic laws, we dive right into the questions from the audience. This is our one year anniversary show since the re-launch, and it's all about you talking to us! Shaun wants to know our opinion on outdoor activities such as "wild swimming" in the seas and rivers and hiking in the forests and par...

Today Greg looks back to his Thai wedding to help us discuss just how much you can expect to spend on your own happy day in Thailand. That's after a brief talk about avoiding floods and transit-hacking in Bangkok, obviously. Good news: we're not flooded out, though plenty of the world is right now. Perhaps influenced by the terrible news from Bangladesh, Houston, and much of the Caribbean, the gov...

On this episode we ask the immortal question: do you have to be a little bit strange to live in Bangkok? We don't mean that (necessarily) in a bad way, you understand. But it sure seems that, on some level, people who tend to thrive on chaos deal really well with the uncertainty, noise, culture shock, and political instability that are endemic to Thailand. If nothing else, you sure need to have an...

Today we compare living in Bangkok vs a tropical island paradise in Thailand. Also, we share how you can participate in our upcoming one year anniversary show, and give yet another reminder about the big Bangkok-wide I Love Podcasting In Bangkok event coming up August 30th, 2017. Please forgive the sound of the rolling surf in the background during the interview with this week's guest. That's just...

This week we take a break from talking about how much we love Bangkok to discuss the city's ugly, dusty, dirty side. Prior to that we'll tell you about our bike-tastic weekend. Because sometimes you just gotta get out of the city and enjoy the rest of Thailand, right? Evo gets burned on the beach in Hua Hin, and Greg MacGyver's his way through a bike ride in remote Bangkok. Clearly we love living...

Today we're talking with an expert on the Brahmin, a Hindu caste that plays a very important role in the highest levels of Thai society. And we have something special planned for our one year episode. Oh, and there's a Bangkok-wide podcast meetup coming up. We'll cover that and more on episode 2.45 of the Bangkok Podcast. Have you RSVP'd to the big, huge, love-fest that will be the I Love Podcasti...

We've said it before and we'll say it again - Bangkok is an interesting city; but it ain't a pretty city. But that's not to say that there aren't places of architectural significance or historical importance, because there are. One of those is the magnificent Scala theater - at least until it gets knocked down for another mall. Oh, and while recording this episode on location at the Scala, we were...

A discussion about the challenges and barriers to getting quality English-language news on Thailand from Thailand. And Evo's learning to write like a 3-year-old. After that, the magic of pork floss. Because Bangkok Podcast. Evo's decided that maybe he does need to learn Thai. So he picked up a new book, Fun Training From Chicken to Owl . Well, that's the English translation. Why has he flip-floppe...

This week we're talking with an honest to goodness food scientist who gives us the lowdown on the health benefits - or lack thereof - of Thai food and its sundry ingredients. But first, Evo plays Robin Hood as he recounts a pleasant encounter with a wandering sheriff. What are the odds a visitor to Bangkok would not only run into one of the hosts of his favorite podcast, but run into said favorite...

We're talking with Stu Jay Raj, who uses his fluency in 12 languages to help "fluent" Thai second-language speakers connect on a more personal level than they ever thought they could. But first, the most Thai way to listen to the show and communicate directly with Evo. (Don't tell Greg!) Before we get started, we need to talk about our Patreon page , the only way we raise funds to support the show...

On this episode of the Bangkok Podcast, we interview Ron Morris, the author of The Thai Book: A Field Guide to Thai Political Motivations. But before we get into that discussion, Greg goes into (thankfully minor) detail about his second experience with food poisoning after 16 years of eating street food. Given the size of Greg, it's safe to say he's an expert on street food. But despite eating his...

This week we take a closer look at why Thailand's national dish -- pad thai -- isn't actually very representative of Thai food. But first, an innovative way to get out of a traffic ticket in Thailand when it happens to you. Evo tested. Evo approved. Before we get started with the meat of the show, we have to tell you the story of Evo getting ticketed for a traffic offense he really didn't commit....

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 yo...

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...

A Bangkok city planner helps bring some clarity to the ongoing (and confusing) development of Bangkok. But first, a very magical (and very Thai) cure for terrorism. All of that and more on this episode of the Bangkok Podcast. Remember the news from a few weeks ago when two journalists were arrested in Bangkok's airport because they were carrying body armor ? While the the arrest captured everyone'...

Live from Bangkok's Chinatown, it's Sunday night! Well, at least it was when we grabbed our mics, left the cozy comforts of our condos and recorded a live episode of the show from the streets of Chinatown to get to the bottom of this reported "War" on Bangkok's street food. We'll tell you what we discovered on episode 2.35 of the Bangkok Podcast. For the better part of the year, news reports, blog...