The Bangkok Podcast

In a new concept, Greg and Ed discuss various Bangkok 'Firsts' in an effort to improve their knowledge of the city's history and development. Loosely based on a trivia format the guys go back and forth asking each other about key milestones in Thai history, some quite significant, with others just quirky or interesting. Starting with shopping malls and bridges and moving on to airports and politic...

Greg interviews the Luxembourgian Ambassador to Thailand, Jean-Paul Senninger. As a diplomat with a long list of postings around the world, from his home base at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Washington, D.C., Spain, Turkey and finally Bangkok, where he is the chief diplomat for several Southeast Asian nations. Jean-Paul talks about the difficulty of juggling differences of developed countrie...

Greg and Ed discuss the recent decriminalization of cannabis in Thailand, the recent changes around town it's caused, and whether or not they think it will last.  First, Ed does a quick interview with our resident Weed Expert, Kitty Chopaka, who is both a 'ganjapreneur' and social activist. Kitty explains that the current situation is somewhat of a 'technical foul,' as the cannabis plant itself wa...

This is Part Two of Greg's recent interview with uber-expat Christopher G. Moore, author, raconteur, and general man-about-town. In true Renaissance guy fashion, the two men jump from topic to topic, each more interesting than the next. First, Greg asks Chris about how translations of his books are undertaken, and Chris tells a fascinating story of how the length of the translations of his novels...

Greg interviews Christopher G. Moore, long-time friend of the podcast and senior Bangkok expat, known for his extensive fiction and non-fiction writing as well as his legendary conversational skills. Chris begins by relating his recent short film project, a Bangkok noir featuring his most famous character, Vincent Calvino and what it takes to bring a fictional character to life in Bangkok, a city...

Greg and Ed pull together all their accumulated wisdom about Thai culture and society into six pithy theories to aid expats and tourists alike. Ed begins with his classic 'Universal Theory of Thailand," that everything good in the country comes from Thais being so nice, and that everything bad in the country ALSO comes from Thais being so nice. The guys discuss how true this is, before Greg drops...

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, Ric...

Ed leads a discussion and semi-rant about a persistent myth regarding the history of prostitution in Thailand that was recently perpetuated by a YouTube video by Thaiger . The myth goes like this: prostitution wasn't much of a thing in Thailand until the Vietnam War era, when the demand created by American GIs on rest and relaxation resulted in a booming sex industry.  Ugh. Where to start? Well, f...

Because the first show was so fun to do - and full of great listener-generated ideas! - Greg and Ed revisit the idea of expat 'merit badges,' a recognition of classic experiences in Thailand that indicate you are more than just a tourist. I mean, try to come to Thailand as a tourist and not eat bugs, that's easy-peasy! We're talking about real skills or achievements that show you've not only been...

Greg and Ed interview expat legend Chris Baker, co-author (along with his wife Pasuk Phongpaichit) of A History of Thailand , in addition to several other well-known books on Thailand. Greg and Ed gush over the fact they have both read Chris's most famous work, something that every serious expat needs to do at some point.  Chris begins by relating the lovely story of meeting his wife in England an...

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.  Fo...

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 dee...

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...

Greg interviews our old friend and recurring guest Phra Pandit, about public speaking as a Buddhist monk. Beginning with some public speaking basics, such as the three things that really matter when you give a speech: what you have to say, who you are, and how you deliver, our venerable friend emphasizes that how you deliver a speech is what you have the most control over and is also completely se...

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 g...

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...

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,...

Greg and Ed consider the tricky question of Thailand's role in the global order. Sparked by a question from one of his students about what Thailand's response to the war in Ukraine should be, Ed realized that he's never really thought about the world from the perspective of the Thai government or even a Thai person. The guys do their best as non-Thais but long term expats to imagine what the world...

Greg interviews 'Bangkok Pat,' whose videos on Bangkok's historical secrets uncover the hidden layers of this fascinating city. Pat begins with a bit of personal background, growing up in the UK with a Thai mother, and eventually losing touch with that part of his history. Undeterred,in his early twenties, he made the move to Thailand to re-discover his lost roots.  The guys discuss Pat's early da...

Greg and Ed discuss the significance of the recent decision by the Thai parliament to accept a change to the official English name of Bangkok that was proposed by the Royal Society of Thailand. Initially, it was announced as a major change from 'Bangkok' to 'Krung Thep Maha Nakhon,' (that's กรุงเทพมหานคร for you Thai readers), but Greg clarifies that the change really was just a matter of punctuat...

One of the great things about Thai culture is the many facets that make up the whole. One of them is the Indian community, and Greg is happy to welcome Ram Sachdev, a first generation Thai-Indian and founder of Masala Magazine , a leading voice of the Thai-Indian community, to talk about it.  We begin by going over the many historical cultural connections between India and Thailand, from Sanskrit'...

As Thailand starts to get back to bid-ness, there will likely be a whole lot of n00bs coming in to tour, work and live. Most who have been here for a while already remember what an overwhelming experience Bangkok was in the early days, and how helpful it was to make a network of friends that you could turn to for advice. Of course, not all advice is great, especially when you're talking with rando...

We recount the fascinating story of George DuPont, the only Thai person who fought in the American Civil War. The first record of George in the U.S. is in 1859, but almost nothing is known of how or why he ended up in the United States. We know that in 1862 he volunteered for a New Jersey regiment to fight for the North in the American Civil War. Shockingly, he fought in and survived the battles o...

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 beli...

With Ed being stuck in the US, he relates ten experiences he has had during his stay in Ohio that he doesn't think he would ever have in Thailand, introducing them with his characteristic wit and charm. (Ed wrote this). From overly aggressive nazi guards at the airport to overly aggressive kindness from fellow shoppers, and all the way down to Covid carelessness, vaxxers of all types, and the swee...