The Bangkok Podcast

Hey, remember when the visa rules changed, making us all learn entirely new procedures and protocols? No, the other time. No, the other…no, not that one, the other time. Greg begins by discussing the latest tightening of Thailand's entry rules, especially the reduction of visa-exempt stays from sixty days back to thirty. He and Ed use the change to illustrate a broader problem for foreigners: Thai...

Utilizing a topic suggested by listener Wes, Greg and Ed discuss the unwritten 'rules' of Thai culture - the ones that everyone knows but aren't written down anywhere, despite Ed wishing they were because he really has no idea what he's doing right and wrong! As Greg notes, we all have to fake it until we make it. Greg then begins a series of specific puzzles that farangs have to navigate, includi...

"Wellness" is a huge industry, and especially in Thailand, so the boys decide this week to discuss the options that are available.  Ed begins the main segment by noting that while he expected it to be straightforward, he discovered an overwhelming variety of retreats and treatments. Greg chimes in to express his general distaste for the wellness trend, explaining that he associates it with bougie...

Greg begins by discussing the late Bangkok street artist Khun Pichai, whose intricate and cryptic sidewalk scribbles across the capital attained a devoted cult following over the years, with sightings of his mysterious, sprawling artworks treated like discovered treasures. If you don't know who Khun Picha was, watch this excellent short documentary to get an idea. Many people dismissed Khun Pichai...

Moving to Thailand can be a disorienting, discombobulating experience, even if you're on your own. Now imagine doing it with 9 hours to prepare. That's what Vic Levitin and his family did, but the unknown and unplanned turned into something great - though not without its speed bumps. Greg begins the interview by asking Vic about his sudden relocation to Koh Samui, where he lives full time. Vic exp...

Greg begins by discussing a suggestion from their friend Scott to explore the origins of well-known street names in Bangkok. After briefly touching on familiar spots like Khaosan Road and Lumpini Park, Greg dives into the history of Sukhumvit Road. He notes it was originally a dirt track before being formally constructed and named after the fifth chief of the Department of Highways, who was notabl...

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...

In another example of a thriving subculture in Bangkok you wouldn't expect to see, Greg and Ed interview Sunny Sachdev, a Thai Indian banjo player who is part of the informal network of musicians that drive Bangkok's local bluegrass music scene. Check out their page here.  Sunny explains that he discovered the genre through a video recommendation online and immediately felt drawn to the banjo, des...

Inspired by recent discussion among friends, and Greg's switch to a new provider, the boys tackle the enduring issue of health insurance as an expat. There are many companies, many plans, and many pitfalls. Which one do you choose? Ed begins by outlining the main geographic areas of coverage an expatriate must consider, which include coverage in Thailand, in their home country, and during internat...

Greg interviews Jared Rydelek , the creator of the Weird Explorer YouTube channel . Jared explains that his day job is a contortionist, but his lifelong vegetarianism sparked a deep fascination with rare fruits. He shares how this hobby evolved into a channel where he travels the globe to taste unique produce, discovering a surprisingly vast subculture of fruit enthusiasts. Jared notes that there...

Greg and Ed tackle the uncomfortable topic of self-censorship in Thailand, especially as it pertains to the podcast itself, and the churning, roiling issue of what you can say, when, and how, which seem to be in the news every day. Although it is unfortunate, the reality of working and living in Thailand is that the laws and culture are not the same as back home in the U.S. and Canada. Obviously,...

After a recent wave of news headlines highlighting government crackdowns on things as varied as fake paternity scams and cheating civil servants, Greg and Ed begin by asking whether Thailand is finally enforcing the rule of law in any meaningful way.  Greg points to changes in visa policy, noting that authorities reduced visa-free stays after discovering widespread abuse from visitors working ille...

Ed interviews K. Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang, a constitutional lawyer and professor from Chulalongkorn University whose work bridges law and Buddhism. After Ed shares his own background as an American lawyer, the two men begin by discussing the modern relevance of Buddhist teachings. K. Khemthong explains that Buddhist mindfulness practices are more important than ever for combating the overwhelmi...

Greg and Ed explore the small, unexpected joys of being an expat living in Thailand. Ed begins the main discussion by sharing his amusement over miscommunications regarding his job. Despite teaching university-level political science, Thai people frequently assume he is a basic English teacher, an error he enjoys correcting. Next, Greg discusses how he enjoys getting opted out of annoying situatio...

On the heels of a recent episode where Greg and Ed opined on the nuances of the tricky Bangkok property market, this time they have a real, er… real estate pro on to get into things from her POV - Tracy Leelalamlert from Aspire Real Estate .  Greg begins by discussing with Tracy whether buying a condo in the city is a good investment. Tracy explains that it depends on the buyer's purpose, noting t...

Thanks to a suggestion from a listener Greg and Ed discuss the fascinating topic of games that are common - if not unique - to Thailand. Both guys have some familiarity with some games played in public such as 'takraw,' but many of the others are part of this strange world called 'Thai culture' that the guys apparently don't actually know that well. Greg begins with a children's game in which one...

Inspired by an unusually long commute, the boys decide to discuss a list of things - very specific things - that bother Greg while he drives his trusty silver Honda around Bangkok. Greg begins by sharing his first major annoyance with Bangkok drivers, which is their complete disregard for pedestrian crosswalks, forcing people to sprint across the road. Next, he brings up the severe impatience at i...

In this episode, Greg interviews legendary foreign correspondent Denis Gray about his memoir, Lost Horizons . Denis details his fascinating life story, beginning with his family's escape from communist Czechoslovakia and his father's subsequent intelligence work for the CIA. After graduating from Yale, Gray served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, an intense experience that inspired his tra...

With Ed unavailable this week, Greg welcomes his friend John as co-host to talk about storytelling. Specifically, the difference between how westerners tell stories, and how Thais tell stories. This is especially apropos to John, as he is the creator of Bangkok Stories , an event that, unsurprisingly, showcases the talents of locals who tell tales for an audience. The discussion is at turns funny,...

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 ju...

The issue of Thai nominees has heated up in the past little while, with daily news stories about crackdowns, changing laws, and foreigners running scared (or just running).  The discussion begins with Ed outlining the basic framework of the Thai Foreign Business Act, explaining how it restricts foreigners from owning more than forty-nine percent of companies in certain restricted sectors. He detai...

Greg begins his interview with coffee fan, aficionado and expert Noon by exploring her background as the former president of the Specialty Coffee Association of Thailand and her current role managing Lamarzocco, the high-end coffee machine retailer.  Noon explains her deep dive into coffee quality and traces the rapid evolution of the Thai coffee industry over the past fifteen years. She points ou...

Greg and Ed discuss the 100th 'birthday' of Lumpini Park. The guys begin by highlighting the improvements in the park over the last several years. More and cleaner bathrooms, landscaping, and an adjacent 'hawker center' are some of the highlights. Greg then reviews the different facilities that populate the 142 acre park, such as a fitness center, swimming pool, and even a lesser known library, on...

Greg begins by introducing the perplexing nature of the Bangkok condo market, noting how prices continually seem to defy gravity despite a massive oversupply. He points out that the market acts as a strange black hole of information where no one can predict trends with any certainty. Ed then jumps in, explaining that after researching the topic extensively, he has concluded the real estate environ...

In a special episode recorded during Greg's travels in Canada, he interviews three good friends of the podcast about their particular speciality, and what their thoughts are on Bangkok despite being so far away from the city they love.  First we talk to Pailin Chongchitnant of Pailin's Kitchen about her efforts to stay on top of the latest trends in Thai cuisine, what the landscape looks like in C...