Episodes - Page 4 | The Bangkok Podcast

June 20, 2023

Expat Identity: Do You Really Want to be Treated Like a Thai? [S6.E45]

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 …

June 13, 2023

Retouristing with Jim Cirillo: Using Thailand to Reinvent Yourself [S6.E44]

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 hav…

June 6, 2023

Questions, Queries & Complaints About Bangkok's Transport Systems [S6.E43]

Sparked by a , 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 …

May 30, 2023

The Roaming Cook On Thonburi’s Endless Old-School Food Options [S6.E42]

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…

May 23, 2023

After the Election: A Look at What Happened and What's Next [S6.E41]

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 (UT…

May 16, 2023

When You're the Victim: Stories of Crime in Bangkok [S6.E40]

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…

May 9, 2023

Blood Donation in Thailand: Explaining the Dire RH- Shortage [S6.E39]

Greg interviews Ryan Cullinan of the . 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…

May 2, 2023

An Election Looms: What Are the Major Political Parties Offering Thais? [S6.E38]

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 retur…

April 25, 2023

Is Bangkok a Livable City? We Compare it to 6 Urban Planning Benchmarks [S6.E37]

In a unique episode, the guys take six characteristics of a ‘livable city’ (established by renowned urban planner ) and give their own opinions on how Bangkok fares. Neither guy knows what the other is gonna say, so part of …

April 18, 2023

Fake vs Real: The Hidden Risks in Thailand's Counterfeit Economy [S6.E36]

Greg interviews Wiramrudee ‘Pink’ Mokkhavesa, an attorney at the law firm of 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 lea…

April 11, 2023

The Pitfalls, Loopholes and Risks of Riding a Motorbike in Thailand [S6.E35]

Greg and Ed take up the somewhat grim topic of motorbike accidents in Thailand. As this episode is essentially the Songkran episode for this year, the timing could not be more appropriate because more people die in road acci…

April 4, 2023

Hot Thai Kitchen's Pailin Talks About Thai Food, Western Tastes & Her New Cookbook [S6.E34]

Greg interviews Pailin Chongchitnant of , a returning guest from Season 3, Episode 4. Pailin begins with a basic introduction to her YouTube channel: she de-mystifies Thai cuisine (and how to cook it) to the English-speaking…

March 28, 2023

Thai Politics: Where We Are, Why We’re Here, and What’s Coming Next [S6.E33]

Greg begins by explaining the momentous time we live in: soon there will be a general election in the Land of Smiles. He turns to Ed, allegedly a professor of political science, to give a primer (long ‘i’) on the upcoming el…

March 21, 2023

Authors Paul & Yuangrat Wedel Discuss the History of Radicalism in Thailand - Part 2 [S6.E32]

This is the second part of a two part interview with Paul and Yuangrat Wedel, longtime scholars and writers on Thai history and society. The first part of the interview focused on the roots of radicalism in Thai politics, es…

March 14, 2023

Authors Paul & Yuangrat Wedel Discuss the History of Radicalism in Thailand - Part 1 [S6.E31]

Greg and Ed interview a fascinating and very erudite couple, Paul and Yuangrat Wedel. Paul, a native of New Jersey, met Yuangrat, a native of Nakhon Si Thammarat, in Bangkok in the late 1970s and through various twists and t…

March 7, 2023

Bangkok vs the World: Reading the Data to See How We Stack Up [S6.E30]

Greg and Ed look at a few recent world rankings to see where Thailand fits into a world with nearly two hundred different countries. First, Greg brings up the ,’ a comprehensive ranking of 48 large cities around the world th…

Feb. 28, 2023

Richard Barrow on Twitter Trolls, Upset Officials & Train Guides [S6.E29]

This is Part 2 of our epic interview with Richard Barrow, giant among expats in Thailand. In the second half of the discussion, Richard continues with explaining his slow rise as a ‘citizen journalist,’ first simply document…

Feb. 21, 2023

Richard Barrow on Life in Samut Prakan and Finding a Niche Online [S6.E28]

Greg and Ed meet the icon Richard Barrow in Samut Prakan and interview him about his unusual life in Thailand. Richard begins by explaining his life roaming Asia as a young man on his way to Australia. By chance he made some…

Feb. 14, 2023

What Does ChatGPT's Artificial Intelligence Make of Bangkok? [S6.E27]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, you’ve probably heard of ChatGPT, a brand new AI writing tool that produces some shockingly advanced stuff. It’s only a few months old but it’s already threatening to upend a nu…

Feb. 7, 2023

Talking Acting & American Grub with Actor "Poo" Boonthanakit [S6.E26]

Ed interviews Sahajak “Poo” Boonthakit, Thai actor and entertainer. K. Poo begins by explaining his unusual childhood: his father was a Thai diplomat and when Poo was a young boy his family moved to Nairobi, Kenya, where Poo…

Jan. 31, 2023

Is Thailand Really the "Land of the Free"? [S6.E25]

Greg and Ed get all deep by asking the question “Is Thailand really the Land of the Free?” And what does “freedom” even mean? Many people know that the word ‘Thailand’ is supposed to translate as the ‘Land of the Free.’ The …

Jan. 24, 2023

Bangkok’s Dark Side: Justin Dunne on His Creepy “Bangkok Haunt” Tours [S6.E24]

Greg interviews Justin Dunne of ,’ a tour company in Bangkok that focuses on Thai ghost stories and their relevant locations. Justin is an old friend of Greg’s and after trading a few stories of the old days, the guys get in…

Jan. 17, 2023

What Do You Miss Most About Thailand? Overseas Listeners Let Us Know [S6.E23]

In a special listener voicemail show, Greg and Ed discuss what listeners miss most about Thailand. The guys go through a bunch of different messages, each expressing a unique characteristic of the Land of Smiles that keeps t…

Jan. 3, 2023

The Extraordinary Life of the Siamese Twins: Chang and Eng Bunker [S6.E22]

We dive back into history with the remarkable story of Chang and Eng Bunker, more famously known as the Siamese Twins. Born and raised in Samut Songkhram province just south of Bangkok, they had a fateful encounter with a Sc…