Episodes

April 18, 2017

Time for Change: Should Begging Foreign Backpackers Take a Hike? (2.28)

You may have seen foreign backpackers on the streets of Bangkok, playing instruments, selling trinkets, or simply asking for change. Should these begging vagabonds take a hike, or do they deserve some leeway to, er, find their way?

April 11, 2017

Blood on the Highway: Thailand's Seven Deadly Days of Songkran (2.27)

On this episode we talk about traffic in Bangkok - specifically the “Seven Deadly Days” of Songkran - and Thailand's awful road safety statistics. We also talk about what men do with their wives are away... or won't go away. Don't worry...it's not bad

April 3, 2017

Talking Languages With Educator Frank Smith: Thai, Lao & Khmer (2.26)

On this episode of the Bangkok Podcast we talk languages with Frank Smith. He speaks Thai, Khmer, and Lao, and teaches Khmer at UC Berkeley in California. Add to that a quick conversation on the pros and cons of raising a kid in Thailand, and we're done!

March 27, 2017

The Little Things We Miss About Home...And Will Miss About Thailand (2.25)

On this episode, we discuss the little things we love about Bangkok, as well as the little things we miss about where we're from.

March 20, 2017

Teaching In Thailand: A Professional Western Teacher’s Perspective (2.24)

Greg has a chat with Sheila Dee a Western-trained, professional educator working in Thailand. There are lots of Westerners acting as English teachers in Thailand. Greg used to be one of them. But Sheila’s a bit different, holding education degrees.

March 15, 2017

Magic Ink: Evo Visits the Mystical Sak Yant Tattoo Festival (2.23)

You may or may not have heard about the Sak Yant tattoo festival before, but after hearing this episode of the Bangkok Podcast, you sure as darn heck won't be able to forget about it.

March 8, 2017

Talking with Paul Mueller: How Much Time Does Bangkok's Green Lung Have Left? (2.22)

When you look at Bangkok on a map, you see this enigmatic little patch of green just off center. It’s not a trick. It really exists. Historically, few people fought the traffic to get here. But that’s changing, and modern encroachment on the green lun

Feb. 27, 2017

"I Want to Get Back to Nature in Bangkok." Is That Even Possible? (2.21)

While Thailand is a great place to experience the natural beauties of the tropics, Bangkok is a giant metro area and not all that appealing to nature lovers with a short time to visit. Or is it? That’s the topic of this episode of The Bangkok Podcast.

Feb. 21, 2017

Crafty Bangkok Beer: Talking with Brian Bartusch from Beervana (2.20)

Like everywhere, craft beer is exploding in Bangkok. But there are some subtle nuances that cause beer lovers to scratch their heads. Why is it so expensive? What’s up with “illegal” beer? And where can I get more? We’ll answer that and more.

Feb. 13, 2017

Is Learning Thai Really Necessary? (2.19)

To learn to speak Thai or not learn to speak Thai. That is the question. No, literally. It’s the question we’re asking each other on behalf of all people who come to live in Thailand. Not surprising, we have a difference of opinion.

Feb. 6, 2017

Being Disabled in Bangkok: A Conversation with Sawang Srisom (2.18)

No one is going to say that Bangkok is an easy city to navigate. Near-constant congestion, poorly paved sidewalks, non-existent pedestrian crossing areas… that’s just a start. Now imagine that from the point of view of someone confined to a wheelchair

Jan. 30, 2017

Red Cliff Coffee: Talking With Derek Kirk About Chiang Rai's Most Delicious Export (2.17)

So a guy from Alaska who owns a coffee plantation in Hawaii hires a guy from Indiana who’s living in Thailand to help him grow coffee. There’s no punchline. Just a great episode of the Bangkok Podcast!

Jan. 23, 2017

Talking with Phra Pandit: Is Having Everything the Same as Desiring Nothing? (2.16)

Continuing with our Buddhism series, we welcome Phra Pandit, a Brit who has been a monk in Thailand for the past 20 years and is a noted lecturer on Buddhism, dhamma, and psychology. Desire - or the lack of it - is one of the key themes that the...

Jan. 16, 2017

Expat Realities: Reverse Culture Shock (2.15)

If you've lived any amount of time overseas and returned to your home country, you're likely familiar with reverse culture shock, the feeling that you just...somehow...don't quite fit in to your old life anymore. It's a disorienting feeling.

Jan. 10, 2017

Four Things We Tell Everyone to Avoid in Bangkok (2.14)

Everyone loves Bangkok and it is indeed a great city. However, that's not to say everything is worth seeing or doing. For this show we each come up with two items, places, or pastimes that we tell friends, family, and new expats to skip.

Jan. 2, 2017

Thailand Memories: Living Through a Coup (2.13)

Did you know that Thailand, one of the world's busiest tourist destinations, has been under military control since the most recent coup of 2014? We thought we'd discuss what living through a coup is actually like.

Dec. 26, 2016

Is Dhammakaya a Cult, a Sect, or Just Another Temple? (2.12)

On this show we (well, Greg, as Evo is traveling) will talk with Pandit about what happens when a particular Buddhist temple becomes really important. So important, in fact, that the government wants to shut it down.

Dec. 18, 2016

Merry Christmas From Bangkok! (2.11)

It's that time of year again in Thailand - the holidays season! Did you notice the extra 's' there? It was intentional, because December is one of the most holiday-heavy months in the whole year. Not only do you have Father's Day and Constitution Day, but

Dec. 12, 2016

Magic, Mysticism & Mana: Superstition in Thailand (2.10)

Buddhism isn’t the official religion of Thailand. But the overwhelming majority of people are Buddhist. Still, what you think of as Buddhism may not match up to the reality of the world. This is Theravada Buddhism that draws heavily on Hinduism and has

Dec. 4, 2016