Don't be That Guy: Expat Stereotypes You Should Avoid [S7.E32]

Greg 00:00:34 On this episode, we discuss seven common stereotypes that expats can often fall into.

Ed 00:00:39 So if you want a list of seven expats you don't want to become, you'll dig this episode of the Bangkok Podcast.

Greg 00:01:01 Sawat dee Krap. Welcome to the Bangkok Podcast. My name is Greg Jorgensen, a Canadian who came to Thailand in 2001 wearing Teva sandals and nylon pants with zippers around the knees. And try as I might have yet to eclipse that fashion high.

Ed 00:01:15 Yeah, that was your peak, man.

Greg 00:01:17 I did yeah, it was awesome.

Ed 00:01:19 And I am Ed Knuth and American who came to Thailand on a one year teaching contract. 20 years ago. Fell in love with Thai people thinking I was so good just because I left a tip. So I've never left.

Greg 00:01:32 What's the old saying? A tip is the rating of your personality type. I don't know, I.

Ed 00:01:37 Just it's funny. I feel like we haven't talked about tips in a while. I think in general, Thai people just don't tip very much. Okay. We want to say a quick thank you to one of our patrons, Jeff Allen, who supports us at the show shout out level. Stick around after we're done talking about some of the more common expat stereotypes to avoid. If you want to stay sane in Thailand. To hear why Jeff shall be henceforth known as Bangkok Podcast Leather Guru. Yeah, daddy. That sounds exciting.

Greg 00:02:06 Sure does.

Ed 00:02:07 We want to give you a big thanks to all of our patrons who support the show.

Ed 00:02:10 Patrons get a whole bunch of cool stuff, including our ad free regular show a day early behind the scenes photos and videos of our interviews, discounts on swag which you can find on our website, and various other things that aren't available to regular listeners. But best of all, patrons like Jeff also get an unscripted, uncensored bonus episode every week where we riff on current events and random topics. We just finished recording this week's bonus show, and we chatted about the latest Covid info, including a great new site that consolidates a ton of data into an easy to read format. My appearance on my hometown news station, and how I'm not really happy with the final edit and information about the brand new Bangkok Podcast Discord server, where patrons can chat with me, Greg and other patrons and where we'll eventually, hopefully be offering live streams and other goodies in the near future. To become a patron, head to Bangkok podcast. Com forward slash support.

Greg 00:03:17 It's a whole new world, man. We're jumping into technology we did previously, did not understand.

Ed 00:03:21 We are so hip.

Greg 00:03:22 Totally man. Word, as the kids say. All right. Hey. Well, in this episode, we're going to jump into a topic that came up when we were discussing some common roles that expats can sometimes fall into, which we've gone ahead and distilled into seven stereotypes that you have to be careful to avoid as an expat in Thailand. Now, to be clear, most of these, but not all, apply more to men than women, since men is what Ed and I are. In case you haven't noticed. And also, we're not saying that touching on one or more of these from time to time is anything to be ashamed of, because God knows both of us have definitely slid into these on more than one occasion, but rather these are stereotypes that, if not recognized and remedied, may soon become your defining trait as an expat. And generally speaking, that is less than ideal.

Ed 00:04:15 Yeah, so I really like this topic, not least because I'm the one who thought of it.

Ed 00:04:20 but I think that, what I like about this, you know, it was kind of hard to figure out what to call it. So I don't know what else to call it. An expat stereotypes. but the bottom line is these are seven. You could call them almost like moods, attitudes, maybe roles that as an expat, it's easy to slip into, unfortunately. So I can I can speak for myself and you and I have talked about it. I know that, so out of out of these seven negative stereotypes, I think I've been at least six, like, at least for a day.

Greg 00:04:55 Yeah, every once in a while. Yeah.

Ed 00:04:56 And those, you know, those aren't my best days. So these are, you know, think of this as the the person you don't want to become, that you should try to avoid. So in a way, it's kind of, you know, we're trying to make an argument here for some self-awareness. Yeah, yeah.

Greg 00:05:12 There's no shame in, in doing these things sometimes.

Greg 00:05:14 But like I said in the intro, like, just don't let it become who you are.

Ed 00:05:18 That's right, that's right.

Greg 00:05:19 So what's the first one?

Ed 00:05:20 I'm gonna start with the two most iconic. And, then I'll let you, I think you've got some good commentary on these two, but the two most iconic expat stereotypes that you want to avoid. The first one is the weiner. So we're going to call it the weiner. But this is you could call them the complainer, the bitch or the moaner the covector. This is the expat that is constantly complaining about Thailand. or Thai culture or Thai people? Thai people are so fill in the blank. and people who who just can't get out of this, and that's all they ever do. Now, the cliche, of course, is that there are certain message boards online which I won't name Thai Visa, where there's a lot of bitching, moaning expats. Yeah.

Greg 00:06:07 Although now it's changed to a scene like in a C and Y bulletin board thing.

Greg 00:06:11 So now instead of hearing bitching and moaning from one country, you can hear bitching and moaning from like 14 countries or.

Ed 00:06:16 Yeah. So, and let me give the counterpoint. So the interesting thing about these first two stereotypes is I think there's two extremes and they're both real. but and the second stereotype is the opposite of the whiner. This is the person I would call the apologist, or maybe the Thai apologist. And this is the expat who is constantly defending Thailand. Never seems to find anything wrong in Thailand. Or if you aren't happy with something here, they like to think that we just don't understand Thailand. Now you and I have. The funny thing is, you and I have talked about this many times because some Thai people have this attitude that frogs can understand Thailand, but the, the, the next level is to realize that actually there's some frogs who think they're the only ones who understand Thailand. Yeah.

Greg 00:07:07 Exactly.

Ed 00:07:08 Right. And when and and when you say you don't like Thailand is because you don't get it.

Ed 00:07:12 You don't understand Thai people. You don't understand Thai language. And it's always the foreigners fault. It's never Thailand's fault.

Greg 00:07:21 Right.

Ed 00:07:21 That's the apologist, right?

Greg 00:07:23 Regarding the apologist. it's. You know, if you don't like it, go home is not, sort of a blanket response to any legitimate criticism about your, you know, adults at home.

Ed 00:07:33 That's a very good point. I was going to say, if you're wondering if someone is a Thai apologist, then as soon as they say this, as soon as they say, if you don't like it here, then leave. Then you know that person is the Thai apologist, because what they're saying is you're not allowed to complain, ever complain right now.

Greg 00:07:52 But this is going to get kind of meta here, because I think that response, if you don't like it here, then leave can be lobbed at the whiner because they just can't stop bitching about Thailand no matter what, right?

Ed 00:08:03 It creates. No, you're right, you're right. I guess that's the whole point of this.

Ed 00:08:06 It's, you know, of course it's okay to sometimes criticize Thailand, but the question is when it when it's really your personality, you know, when you're when your personality is to be a whiner or a bitch or a moaner, then if you.

Greg 00:08:20 Don't like, then go home.

Ed 00:08:21 Then you might as well, then you might as well go home, I guess. Right?

Greg 00:08:24 But every person who lives in any country can have legitimate criticisms about that country. That's just common sense. So as long as you don't cross that line from legitimate criticism into, you know, uncompromising bitching.

Ed 00:08:38 Dude, I honestly, I feel that one of the, one of the visions you had for the podcast, I know you've talked about why you started the podcast, but it seems like you're trying to to, to use an American Americanism. You're trying to split the uprights like you don't want to come on this podcast and just bitch and moan about living in Thailand, but you don't want to come on this podcast and always make excuses for Thailand or you don't want to.

Ed 00:09:03 You don't want to feel like you can't speak freely if you have a negative attitude. I feel like this is part of the the goals of the podcast to to not be either the whiner or the apologist, but still be talking not to go silent.

Greg 00:09:16 Yeah, totally. I'm here to learn. I'm a student. I want to ask questions and poke and prod and, you know, improve, improve my knowledge of my adopted culture and my adopted country. You can't do that unless you start asking questions and you throw around a little bit. But wouldn't it be better if this happened? Or wouldn't it be better? Right? Yeah. So I think.

Ed 00:09:33 This is a good I think this is a good goal for an expat, especially if you're, you know, if you're a longer term expat and you're trying to be the best expat you can be, I think this is a good goal is to not be the whiner, not be the apologist, but at the same time to be able to speak freely.

Greg 00:09:51 That's right.

Ed 00:09:52 Totally. That's it.

Greg 00:09:53 All right. Well, my first one then I'm going to take on this one. And this is a funny name, but, we've christened this one the Premature pontificate. And this is someone who who has been here, in inappropriately small amount of time. Yeah, relatively short time.

Ed 00:10:11 Relatively short time.

Greg 00:10:12 Right? Yeah. For the outsized opinions they have on how Thailand should work. Yeah. That's right. I feel that after 20 years, I've earned enough street cred to be able to pontificate on Thailand a little bit. That's right. But when you're a guy that's been here for three months, you know, you coming down with like, this is the problem with Thailand. Like, people are not going to take you very seriously.

Ed 00:10:36 I'm dude, I'm telling you, the premature pontificate is a real thing. That that is not a joke. We're not making this stuff up. and it's not. So that this also is kind of tricky because I think expats should be outspoken.

Ed 00:10:48 Even if you've been here one day, whatever, it's your life. You whatever. If you had a bad experience driving in from the airport, then fine. But but it's the it's the over certainty. You know what happens with the premature pontificate here is people are here for a relatively short time, but then they're sure they know what's wrong with Thailand or how Thailand can improve itself or what Thai people should do. It's right. It's the three month expert.

Greg 00:11:13 I had an experience with a premature pontificate three years ago, and it was. It was so choice to quote Ferris Bueller because it was like it was written for a movie. Because I was at I think it was at RCA. It was outside drinking some whiskey or something with a bunch of people, and we were talking about something. And at that point I'd been here about ten years, and, one of these guys was like, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, I don't know, man. I don't think that's the way it happens.

Greg 00:11:36 And and he and he whipped out, I can't remember his exact words, but it was something like, well, I've been here like three years, so I kind of get how things are going. And I was like, really three years? Wow. And and a few, the few people there that knew how long I'd been there were sort of like. But it was just it was a perfect setting.

Ed 00:11:54 You know. But but that actually raises a good point that, it really depends on, the situation because there's, you know, I think that there's even something that someone who's been here ten years, they could still be the premature pontificating, as you know, because, you know, the longer you've been here, the more you realize what you don't know. but, yeah, I think this is something at least. So at least if you feel the mood to pontificate, just try to throw in, a maybe or could be. Or possibly instead of acting with such certainty that you've got all the, all the solutions for for Thailand's problems.

Greg 00:12:33 It's the same thing as in martial arts, man. If you know how to fight, don't go around assuming that you know how to fight everyone because someone's going to know how to fight better than you. And if you challenge them, you're gonna get your ass beat.

Ed 00:12:42 That's right. Good. Very good point. All right. I've got another stereotype that I think, again, is undeniable. I don't think most of this stuff is up for debate too much. And I'm just going to call this guy the creep. and, you know, maybe there's not quite as many of these as people think, but stereotypes do exist for a reason. And the kind of lecherous, sleazy foreigner, the so-called sex part, that is a real thing. That is not a fantasy, that is not a fantasy. And, this is not a condemnation of just people who want to have a good time. That's not what I'm talking about. But this is the person who just acts socially, inappropriately, typically towards Thai women.

Ed 00:13:25 and I know these people exist because, you know, I'm friends with many Thai women, and they have told me directly that if they're walking down the street on, let's say, Sukhumvit, possibly, or maybe soi three or soi four on Sukhumvit, or kind of known, known expat dense areas, they'll, they are walking down the street and some white guy will come up to them and say, how much? Or Tori on the street. On the street.

Greg 00:13:55 Can you imagine the balls? You'd have to have to say that to someone.

Ed 00:13:58 It's just rude. It's just clueless. It's crude and and just dumb and it's creepy. you know, you know, the actual issue of Thailand's, you know, red light business, that's actually a whole different question, like whatever you think about that, you you can't walk down the street. And just because you see someone who looks tired, Asian, you assume she is a worker. It's horrible. Yeah. It it's it's it's the worst. It's the worst of France and Thailand.

Ed 00:14:32 Don't be the creep.

Greg 00:14:33 Yeah. It's just a gross cliche, unfortunately. All too common.

Ed 00:14:36 Yeah. That's right.

Greg 00:14:37 So the next one I want to get into is called. I mean, I might need to get into a bit of explanation on this one, but we call this one the slob.

Ed 00:14:44 Yes. The slob, the slovenly expatriate.

Greg 00:14:48 The slovenly expat. And this is someone I mean, we've all been here when we come over to Thailand on vacation and we're all in our elephant pants or, you know, cargo shorts and flip flops and. That's right. Dusty old Chang t shirt. And if you're on vacation, no one really cares. It's when that that becomes your look. And you just gotta never leave and it stays your look right.

Ed 00:15:11 It's ex-pat expats that look like tourists on vacation. I think this is whatever. Like you pointed out, you've got the right to do it. So if you want to do it, do it. But to me, I'm just not into I'm not into throngs or expats who look like they're on a holiday all the time.

Ed 00:15:26 It's It's almost like in their in their mind in Thailand, they're just always relaxed and they never have to get serious and they never have to present themselves. And I'm from the Midwest. I do not dress well, but I don't like I'm very cognizant of this idea that, I don't I don't want to just walk around here looking away that I would not look back home. If anything, Thailand is more conservative in public and they just to me they dress better, I think. I think back home there is kind of a a bum chic derelict. Yeah. Well right. Well it's just kind of cool to just look like a bum, you know. But but in Thai culture, it's it's actually not cool to look like a bum.

Greg 00:16:12 No, I think most, most Thai people put a premium on looking nice. Yeah, they presentable for sure smelling good and. Yeah. You know and and like for sure I've, I've certainly gone down to the 7-Eleven or gone out to the meals around my neighborhood.

Greg 00:16:27 I did.

Ed 00:16:27 It today. I did it today.

Greg 00:16:28 Just a gross old shirt. And like my.

Ed 00:16:31 I was the slob. Okay, I got to admit, today I was the slob. I hadn't taken a shower and I just had to go buy some stuff, and I. I was the slob today. If we confess.

Greg 00:16:41 I'm glad that we have to wear masks, cause I haven't brushed my teeth today. But I'm just going to 7-Eleven, so I don't care. That's right. So, I mean, it happens to everyone, right? But it's when. It's when you you're that guy that, like, wears that, you know, that ripped Singh muscle shirt that. Yeah. That's just like hanging off your shoulders and you go, yeah.

Ed 00:16:58 And you been in talent seven years, you know. Yeah. There's like to just dress like you live here. Don't. Yeah.

Greg 00:17:04 Or like the farang that takes his shirt off. You know, that's an old. An old throw.

Greg 00:17:07 An old, an old classic. It's like, look around, man. Like no one looks like you.

Ed 00:17:12 That's right. Yeah. Okay, so I like that. That's. That's the slob. Yeah. All right, I got another one. so this one, I think is, it's probably a smaller number, but they definitely exist. and you came up with this name, which I love. The name is the Bubble Boy, and this is the the foreigner or expat who lives inside of a foreigner bubble. And they essentially never associate or socialize with Thai people. Don't take time to learn any of the Thai language. are not into kind of assimilating in really any way at all. And they just they live in a foreign world, inside of Thailand. Now, again, you got the choice. If you want to be a bubble boy or bubble girl, go for it. but it I don't know. To me, it tends to be associated with other bad habits. Like, a lot of those people end up being skaters or creeps, you know, because they don't understand Thai culture.

Ed 00:18:13 so it's whatever. I, I never have felt as an expat that I have a duty to become Thai. I don't think even Thai people want me to become Thai. I prefer.

Greg 00:18:23 You didn't.

Ed 00:18:24 Yes, for sure. But. But I do think the bubble boy thing is just people who just. They. It's as if they're not in Thailand. You know, they speak three. You know, they can say Saudi and that's it. And then there's no effort to learn about. Understand? relate to Thai people. And it's just they they live like you said it. They live in a bubble. So I. I don't think this is a good thing now.

Greg 00:18:53 And this might seem a little bit rich coming from two guys who speak pretty crappy Thai after 20 years. No, but still.

Ed 00:18:58 I mean, just this podcast is. No. This podcast shows that we're trying to write, learn and learn and understand. We're trying to learn and understand about Thailand. And,

Greg 00:19:07 But I met I've met a lot of people who, who, who go from their condo to their chauffeured car to their shopping mall to the state restaurant and back again.

Greg 00:19:16 And that's pretty much all they do. And they proudly say, like, I never eat Thai food. I've never learned any Thai. Don't need to. That's right.

Ed 00:19:21 You know, I'm glad that in Bangkok you have the choice to do that a little bit. I think it makes it a little bit easier to assimilate. So this is what's my impression. You know, when I got here that I could I could live in a Western kind of world in Bangkok. I like that option. Yeah, but I always thought of it. I always thought of it as this temporary respite. If I want to, I can go to Starbucks. I can eat at McDonald's, I can hang out with my American friends. it's good, it's good, it's good. It's good that in Thailand, you're just not kind of forced to assimilate from day one. Yeah, it's a good thing. It's a good thing. But the weird thing is, there's just a whole chunk of foreigners that there's zero effort to to to learn anything about Thailand.

Greg 00:20:09 Yeah. At a certain point, you're just like, why are you here? Like, if you're getting like some fat expat package, like from from some international company. Okay, I get that. That's a good answer to why are you here?

Ed 00:20:19 You know, the cliche, you know, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. It's not absolute. I'm not going to become Thai, and I'm never going to act 100% like a Thai person. But I do think it's partially true. Like, you know, if you live in a country, you probably should learn something and, you know, more than two words, you know? I mean, you know, there is you know, Greg and I are non brags about Thai language, but Christ, you know, you know, you can learn more than Sawada and Capcom Corp., like, come on.

Greg 00:20:46 Yeah, yeah. And it's okay to retreat into that bubble every once in a while, like you said, but agreed. But don't stand there.

Greg 00:20:51 Get out of that bubble.

Ed 00:20:52 That's right. All right, we got one more man. Go for it.

Greg 00:20:55 All right, the last one we're going to call the player. I'm actually gonna change this one to the player.

Ed 00:20:59 The the player in quotes. Right. The player.

Greg 00:21:02 Yeah. And, this is someone who comes to Thailand and back home, they've never been treated any differently from anyone else, or just another anonymous face in a large crowd. But when foreigners come to Thailand, for better or for worse, we're lucky enough to be sort of slotted into this unique social strata, right?

Ed 00:21:23 You we we we automatically become something special just because we're Westerners always speak English as a first language or whatever it is.

Greg 00:21:29 Yeah, I would say that might even be a bit too strong. Special might be where we're different, where unique and and we're easy to identify. And people can use that to their advantage. but but there are some guys that come over here, some people that come over here and they get, you know, they get attention from from girls or guys or they're suddenly the life of the party and they're going out all the time, and they just become bitter.

Greg 00:21:55 And they say, like, you know what? This is a problem with people back home. They didn't see me for how awesome I am. They don't they don't realize that sort of they've they've injected themselves into a into a new life where that differentiation is thrust upon them, not through anything they did. Right.

Ed 00:22:12 You know, this whole I love this stereotype called the player. because to me, this is all in how you process what's happened to you. So, for example, I mean, so the cliche is there's some guy who, for whatever reason, back home, he never had a girlfriend and never had any action. And I never had attention. So I think there's a lot of reasons for that. but let's just say whatever. But then he comes to Thailand, either on holiday or he stays over here and all of a sudden girls are more into him. His his status goes up. So again, we did a whole show on the difficulty of being a Western woman in Thailand.

Ed 00:22:46 So we we talked about this whole issue of of how, you know, you know, you know, obviously a numerical system is kind of crude, but, you know, it's kind of like you can be a five back hoe and you step off the plane in Thailand and you're an eight, right? You know, or, or often not to generalize, but often it's the opposite for girls. You know, you're an eight back home. You step off the plane and you're four and and no one's giving you any attention. So we've talked about this before. So to me that the issue here is how you process that difference. And I think the the player stereotype is the guy. That's again, this is how I know it. It's the guy who thinks he's the reason why that he's now getting all this attention. So instead of saying like, oh, I'm in a different culture and I'm, I'm different to them, Hence my population has gone up. So, so to me, it's to me what's really going on here.

Ed 00:23:37 It's just some cross-cultural stuff. Right. And more power to you. So if you're getting if you're more popular over here than back home, have, have have added Haas like you know, you know, you know but but to me is how you process it. And so unfortunately some guys they end up saying I was great back home, but those damn Western women couldn't figure me out or something. Or there's something, you know, they blame society back home for why they weren't popular. And then over here, they're like, you know, you know, so so they really they really think they've always been a player. I was a player back in high school.

Greg 00:24:14 It's just that everyone I ever met never knew it.

Ed 00:24:18 That's right, that's right. so like I said, I love people reinventing themselves, in their life. And I think, you know, I think life is weird. And, you know, sometimes you're just you're live somewhere, and your life's not happening. It just it ain't happening.

Ed 00:24:36 And so whether you whether you stay in the States and you just move to another city. Yeah. And all of a sudden, shit's happening. Like, you met this person and, you know, it's life is weird. And you get.

Greg 00:24:47 The chance to sort of re-establish yourself as, you know, establish yourself as anyone.

Ed 00:24:52 Yeah. Everyone needs a restart or reboot. And so I'm all for that. But I'm not for people, when they process that, when they become, when their life turns around, that they start blaming like society. And, you know, to me it becomes like an ego thing, I think. I think the best thing to do is either is either to say like, oh, wow. Like back home, I'm five now, I'm a seven because I'm a foreigner, you know? And foreigners have a certain appeal of whether it's exoticism or, or a presumption that we have more money. So, I mean, I think as long as you know why you've either moved up, then Then that's what it's about.

Ed 00:25:35 But people who think that that they really are a player, you know, and I'm like, no, dude, you are not. You are not really a player. You are not.

Greg 00:25:44 Well, you know, Ed, since I am the king of analogies, I'm going to whip one out here. It's like getting your ass beat in a regular karate class, and then you go and join like a karate class for kids, and you become like, you give everyone a beat down. You're like, man, I'm. I've always been awesome at karate. It's just those guys never gave me a chance.

Ed 00:26:00 Yeah.

Greg 00:26:01 No, man, the environment's changed around you. You're the same person.

Ed 00:26:04 Anyway, so there you go. so I'm, I'm actually curious what our listeners think about if there are any others so that there are some other, stereotypes I have, but they're much more narrow. I really I really feel that these seven are almost undeniable. So that's why I want to. I want to know what our, what our listeners think.

Ed 00:26:23 So basically, we've got the whiner, the apologist, the premature pontificate or the creep, the slob, the bubble boy, and the player. I think these are the top seven men.

Greg 00:26:32 Yeah, I think they're pretty good. And again, I mean, I'm probably repeating myself, but if you want to do one or many of these or all of them, go nuts. Man up to you. That's good. Go nuts.

Ed 00:26:41 We just won't like you very much.

Greg 00:26:42 But I think as I think as foreigners and we've talked about this before, is foreigners, we are sort of de facto ambassadors for foreigners, Adam. And we have a responsibility to be, maybe more of a responsibility to be, quote unquote, upstanding citizens. And we need to we need we need to keep an eye on that.

Ed 00:27:02 That's not the way I think about it. I think about it is just be like a decent person, you know, you know, you know. And so I think I think these are just, just some bad habits to fall into And I think you should avoid them, but you do you.

Greg 00:27:15 I'll tell you what, though. First thing tomorrow morning, I'm not even going to brush my teeth. I'm going to go right down 7-Eleven and buy some Nanas. I'm going to wear my pajamas. I look like a slob.

Ed 00:27:23 That's fine. As long as you say. Oh, my God, I'm being the slob now. Then this show will. This show will have purpose.

Greg 00:27:29 The other goes the slovenly expat.

Ed 00:27:32 Yeah.

Greg 00:27:34 All right. Good list. All right, let's get into some love, loathe or live with where one of us picks a particular aspect of living in Bangkok, which we then discuss and decide if it's something we love about living here, loathe about living here, or have come to accept as something that we just have to learn to live with no matter how we feel about it. And last time I asked Ed what he thought about the red dragon fruit. So this week it's Ed's turn to quiz me.

Ed 00:27:55 All right, dude, I've got something that I think is going to be an easy one.

Ed 00:27:58 Three words that should strike fear into the heart of most rational people.

Greg 00:28:04 Okay.

Ed 00:28:05 So here are my three words. Ketchup on pizza.

Greg 00:28:12 I wish you hadn't done this one because I know I'm going to come out. I live with I'm live with ketchup on pizza. Dude, I know you're not alone. I know, I know it's an unpopular opinion. I'm prepared to take the the savage beating I'm about to get you.

Ed 00:28:26 You deserve a savage beating ketchup on pizza is just wrong. I mean, I'm not saying it should be illegal. I'm just saying it's. I'm just saying it's morally wrong.

Greg 00:28:34 I'm just saying that everyone who does it should be thrown in prison. That's right. No, look, I, I already like pineapple on pizza because I'm Canadian, I love it.

Ed 00:28:41 Damn, dude, what are you trying to. What are you doing here?

Greg 00:28:43 You're not a pineapple guy.

Ed 00:28:44 This is blasphemy. Are you kidding? Pineapple does not belong on pizza. It does.

Greg 00:28:48 Well, this is where we just have to, agree to disagree.

Greg 00:28:52 And clearly your opinion is wrong, but I. You know, I'm not going to say I don't put ketchup on my pizza, but thank God.

Ed 00:28:59 I mean, if you if you did that, you would immediately lose your, your Canadian citizenship, I think.

Greg 00:29:04 Looking for a new co-host of the Bangkok podcast? My ritual got quit.

Ed 00:29:08 Dude, no, I think it's dude. I'm telling you, you'd lose your legal status. I think it's automatic.

Greg 00:29:12 I might, but I don't put ketchup on pizza. But in the past, when I have happened to have ketchup on pizza. So you've tried it. I've tried it. And I've kind of been like, damn, it's not so bad. Like, it's all right.

Ed 00:29:24 I don't know, I don't I don't think we can talk about this much more. This is kind of this could generate some this could generate some bad blood.

Greg 00:29:30 Your face is turning incandescent with rage. In fact, your face is becoming the color of ketchup.

Ed 00:29:35 Yeah, I'm shocked that I have to make clear that I'm a loathe and it just should not be done.

Ed 00:29:40 Ever. Don't. Don't even think about it. You know, it's a little bit. It's a little bit like that line in Spinal Tap about, you know, everyone in the guitar scene, they always talk about it goes to 11, but there's, there's that other thing where he says, where he says, like, don't look at that. Don't even think about it. You know, he's like, it's like it was. I think it was like an amp or what was it? It was like, you know, maybe it was a guitar.

Greg 00:30:00 Do you remember that part? No.

Ed 00:30:02 Yeah, I think it was just a high end guitar or amp. And he. And he was like, that's expensive. Right? And he's like, yeah, don't even look at that. Don't even think about it. It's like to don't even think about putting ketchup on pizza.

Greg 00:30:14 It's how would that I'm going to think about it. And I'll probably do it again I don't care. Oh damn.

Ed 00:30:17 No shit.

Greg 00:30:19 I'm crazy.

Ed 00:30:20 Okay, we have to move on. So as we mentioned at the beginning of the show, we'd like to say thank you to Jeff Allen for letting us his support at the Chateau level. And, Greg, what did you find out about Jeffrey?

Greg 00:30:30 Well, at the beginning of the show, Ed, we said that, Jeff was our new, leather guru. I may have jumped the gun there and made a few assumptions about our buddy Jeff, but apparently he is, is is friends with many of our previous guests. And he wrote to me and said, it's great to be listening to your show at a time when most of the world is being deprived of Thailand. This is a great escape. As a friend and client of Dan Fraser, who has been on the show many times, a good friend of ours for 20 plus years, I have traveled with family and friends all over the kingdom, but I have not done all 76 provinces yet. Great listening to Wise Derek Van Pelt as well, who was a previous guest of ours, also participated in his CM wheels motorcycle venture as a client.

Ed 00:31:12 Very cool.

Greg 00:31:13 Yeah. So I just sort of assumed that because he was riding a Harley on Thailand's northern winding roads, that he had some pretty sweet leather riding gear. so that's a.

Ed 00:31:25 Little bit of a throwback. That's kind of like a that's I feel you just outed yourself as like a someone who grew up in the 70s and 80s.

Greg 00:31:32 Well, I mean, come on, leather is timeless. Leather pants. Anyway, I don't know a tangent, but. But I'm assuming that Jeff has been on a couple of awesome Cyan Wheels adventures, up north. Have you ever ridden on any of those drives?

Ed 00:31:44 I have not, I have not.

Greg 00:31:46 They're amazing. The Thailand's northern roads are just, like, just awesome for motorcycle riding. And I think a lot of people, maybe unfairly say they think that they're dangerous. More dangerous than they are. I'm not saying they're safe, but just some superb vistas and great, well paved roads.

Ed 00:32:02 I'm sure. I'm sure.

Greg 00:32:02 Yeah, Yeah. So it's cool that that Jeff was, was a client of Cyan Wheels back in the day.

Greg 00:32:08 And, I think that when he comes over here and he's allowed to come over here again, he should, maybe take us on a little a little more cycle trip.

Ed 00:32:16 I'd like to do that.

Greg 00:32:17 Let's do it. Yeah.

Greg 00:32:18 He knows what he's doing. And, Jeff, if you can bring over a, maybe a four XL, pair of leather pants for me, I'll squeeze into those. Get on the bike.

Ed 00:32:27 Oh, and some maple syrup. If you can get some maple syrup, that'd be great too.

Greg 00:32:30 And if the leather pants are too small, I can use a maple syrup to slide into the pants.

Ed 00:32:35 Okay, we got to move on. Okay.

Greg 00:32:37 Go way off on a tangent.

Ed 00:32:38 Thanks, Jeff.

Greg 00:32:39 Thanks, Jeff. Thanks, sir.

Ed 00:32:41 A final thanks to our patrons who support the show. Patrons get a ton of cool perks and the warm, fuzzy feeling knowing that they're helping to support the show. Find out more by clicking support on our website and connect with us online.

Ed 00:32:52 Where Bangkok podcast and social media Bangkok podcast. Com on the web or simply Bangkok Podcast at gmail.com. We love hearing from our listeners and always reply to our messages.

Greg 00:33:05 You can also listen to each episode on YouTube. You can send us a voicemail online that we'll use on the show, or even reach out to me directly on Twitter where I am VK Greg. So thanks for listening everyone. Take care out there. Stay safe and we'll see you back here next week.