The Bangkok Podcast

Please help us by taking our first Bangkok Podcast listener survey! Click here to get started , it only takes a few minutes. Everyone who fills it out will get 50,000 baht!* This is the second part of Greg's interview with resident Thai language expert Stu Jay Raj, in which Stu critiques a conversation that Greg had in Thai with a co-worker. The two begin by discussing the unusual role that lingui...

This week it's Greg's turn to feel the wrath/wisdom of our in-house Thai language guru, Stu Jay Raj. After Ed did it a few months ago , our listeners have been waiting for Greg to take the hot seat, so here it is. Greg recorded a short conversation with his friend Tong, and the show starts with a replay of that conversation.  Greg begins by self-flagellating, but Stu tries to buck him up and reass...

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 moto...

Greg interviews our senior legal correspondent Dave Lawrence from Pegleg Legal about a very important but often put off issue: getting a will in Thailand. Dave begins by discussing general concerns that might apply in any jurisdiction, not just Thailand. For example, anything of value that is 'titled' with the government, such as land or cars, and then also bank and investment accounts, should be...

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, wit...

Ed interviews recurring guest of the show Phra Pandit on meditation retreats. This is Part Two of a two part series; Part One is a basic introduction to meditation. The discussion begins with Phra Pandit giving some very solid advice for choosing a retreat: make sure you know the accommodations, including food and lodging, are at least adequate. Later he makes clear that luxury isn't the way to go...

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, ev...

Greg interviews old friend of the podcast Rikker Dockum , Thai language expert extraordinaire about the Thai Royal Society , an organization dedicated to overseeing, promoting and regulating the Thai language. Rikker begins by explaining that he actually wrote his undergraduate thesis on the Society more than 20 years ago, so he's a longstanding follower of their work. He notes that it originally...

The guys trade stories about their recent trips, Greg to Canada and Ed to Singapore. Ed begins with a few observations about the island nation. First, Singapore lived up to its reputation of being clean and orderly. Everything from the airport to the streets operated smoothly, and the population seemed to obey all the traffic laws all the time. This was a clear contrast with Bangkok, where traffic...

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 essential...

This is Part One 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. Ed begins by asking A. Ploy her take on an old trope: that Asian culture is unsuited for democracy because of its foundations in Confucianism, which is well known for its fixed, hierarchical relationships. A. Ploy quickly counte...

Greg and Ed debate the pros and cons of coming to Thailand at different ages, with the obvious caveat that there's no right answer that applies to every person and that no matter when you come to the Land of Smiles, you can always (usually) make it work. Ed begins with the observation that early 20s might be the worst time, especially if you lack maturity and self-control - Thailand just has too m...

Ed interviews our favorite expert on Buddhism, Phra Pandit. This time the focus is on meditation, exactly what it is, and what role it plays in the Buddhist religion as a whole. Phra Pandit begins with explaining the basic difference between meditation and prayer: meditation is a form of mental training in which the meditator focuses on an 'object of meditation,' such as the breath, and attempts t...

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...

Greg interviews resident legal expert Dave Lawrence about the ins and outs of interacting with police officers in Bangkok. The guys begin by going over the various options for run-ins with the boys in brown in Bangkok, which run the gamut of being stopped while walking down the street, while riding a motorbike, or while in a taxi or car at a checkpoint.  The guys run through their own personal exp...

Greg and Ed discuss whether or not they prefer to be treated the same as Thai people are treated. On the one hand, after living in Thailand for twenty years, the guys feel like they've 'earned' the right to be accepted into Thai society and be treated with the same respect a Thai person would be. Ed recounts his frustration with meeting Thai people who do not 'wai' him even after learning that he...

Ed interviews his old friend Jim Cirillo, a good example of a repeat tourist (or re-tourist) to Thailand, the sizeable population of people all over the world who keep coming back to Thailand but for a variety of reasons have decided not to live here. A global Thailand fan club, if you will.  The guys begin by recounting Jim's first visit to Thailand in 2002, when traffic was even more chaotic and...

Sparked by a recent news story , Greg and Ed consider the ways in which Thai public transportation misses the mark. Granted, both guys agree that overall, public transportation in Thailand is actually pretty good, and miles ahead of where it was when they got here. The MRT and BTS have expanded considerably in recent years, regional airports dot the country, and an extensive railway line spans the...

Greg interviews Gary Butler or 'The Roaming Cook' about his YouTube channel and the wonders of food in Thonburi, the cool side of the Chao Praya River. Gary begins with some background information: he's a native Londoner who had a career as a house painter (!) but who started a Thai food blog back in 2015. He eventually moved to Thailand and began a YouTube channel focusing on street food througho...

Greg and Ed go over the election results, with Ed leading the way and doing his best to evaluate his pre-election predictions. First, Ed discusses the obvious way the election was NOT a surprise: the conservative parties (UTN, Palang Pracharath, and the Democrats) were destroyed as expected. If anything, their decimation was even worse than expected.  Second, Ed mentions how the election did invol...

Greg and Ed discuss their personal experiences as victims of crime in Bangkok. Greg opens with a recap of his recent bike theft story which has been discussed in more detail on the bonus show. Although the bike has yet to be retrieved, the Thai police were surprisingly responsive and professional. Greg then relates a couple encounters with pickpockets and an odd experience with an angry street kid...

Greg interviews Ryan Cullinan of the Thailand RH- Blood Donation Facebook group . The guys open with a discussion of the nature of blood donation: everyone knows it exists, everyone knows they SHOULD do it, but due to lack of social pressure, many people never donate. Greg manned up though for this show and went and gave blood. Check out the pics of his adventure below. Ryan tells the story of how...

In this show, Ed does his best to summarize the Thai political parties contesting the upcoming elections, as well as their various policy positions. As an overview, Ed notes a couple general themes. One is the possible return to power of the Pheu Thai party, the heir to the previous Thai Rak Thai party and Shinawatra clan. Thai people are not entirely sure whether they want to fully turn the page...

In a unique episode, the guys take six characteristics of a 'livable city' (established by renowned urban planner Alex Garvin ) and give their own opinions on how Bangkok fares. Neither guy knows what the other is gonna say, so part of the fun is seeing where they agree and disagree. The first characteristic is that a city must be open to people with different backgrounds and goals. The guys rough...

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 t...