Episodes - Page 4 | The Bangkok Podcast

Oct. 31, 2023

Thai Superstition vs Western Skepticism: Building Bridges with Dr. Andrew Johnson Part 1 [S6.E63]

Part 1 of 2! Greg interviews author Andrew Johnson, a cultural anthropologist with an expertise in the supernatural beliefs of Thailand and how they interact with urban planning and architecture. First, Greg inquires about the nature of...

Oct. 24, 2023

Can You Find Food That's Delicious AND Healthy at the Vegetarian Festival? [S6.E62]

Greg and Ed venture out into the real world to record the show on location to answer an age-old conundrum: Is it possible to find healthy, non-fried starch food at the famous vegetarian ‘Jay’ Festival in Thailand? The guys, being veteran expats,...

Oct. 17, 2023

Thai Tourism: On Its Way to a Full Recovery - But Is That a Good Thing? [S6.E61]

Please help us by taking our first Bangkok Podcast listener survey! , it only takes a few minutes. Everyone who fills it out will get 50,000 baht!* Greg and Ed discuss the current state of Thai tourism and whether the recovery is behind or ahead of...

Oct. 10, 2023

Greg Gets Schooled: Linguist Stu Jay Raj Critiques a Thai Conversation Part 2 [S6.E60]

Please help us by taking our first Bangkok Podcast listener survey! , it only takes a few minutes. Everyone who fills it out will get 50,000 baht!* This is the second part of Greg’s interview with resident Thai language expert Stu Jay Raj, in which...

Oct. 3, 2023

Greg Gets Schooled: Linguist Stu Jay Raj Critiques a Thai Conversation [S6.E59]

This week it’s Greg’s turn to feel the wrath/wisdom of our in-house Thai language guru, Stu Jay Raj. After Ed did it a , our listeners have been waiting for Greg to take the hot seat, so here it is. Greg recorded a short conversation with his...

Sept. 26, 2023

The Massive Bangkok Bomb that Didn’t Go Boom [S6.E58]

In a return to our Thai history series, Greg tells the story of a massive truck bomb in Bangkok - that never exploded. In March of 1994, a U-Haul-style truck pulled out of the parking lot of Central Chidlom department store and accidentally struck a...

Sept. 19, 2023

What You Need to Know About Writing a Will in Thailand [S6.E57]

Greg interviews our senior legal correspondent Dave Lawrence from Pegleg Legal about a very important but often put off issue: getting a will in Thailand. Dave begins by discussing general concerns that might apply in any jurisdiction, not just...

Sept. 12, 2023

Greg vs Ed vs You: The Great Bangkok Podcast Trivia Episode [S6.E56]

This week Greg and Ed take a page from a regular segment on the bonus show and challenge each other with some trivia questions, spanning Thai history, geography, religion, pop culture, and language. The guys begin by trading questions about...

Sept. 5, 2023

Unpacking the Rewards of Meditation Retreats with Phra Pandit [S6.E55]

Ed interviews recurring guest of the show Phra Pandit on meditation retreats. This is Part Two of a two part series; Part One is a basic introduction to meditation. The discussion begins with Phra Pandit giving some very solid advice for choosing a...

Aug. 29, 2023

Sticker Shock! Listeners Clue us in on Bangkok's Price Swings [S6.E54]

In this show Greg and Ed respond to the opinions of our, ahem, massive group of followers on LINE about prices in Thailand: specifically both what is cheaper than you would expect and what is more expensive than you would expect. Ed starts things off...

Aug. 22, 2023

Linguist Rikker Dockum on the Royal Society's Thai Language Oversight [S6.E53]

Greg interviews old friend of the podcast , Thai language expert extraordinaire about the , an organization dedicated to overseeing, promoting and regulating the Thai language. Rikker begins by explaining that he actually wrote his undergraduate...

Aug. 15, 2023

Greg & Ed Return to Thailand With a Few Thoughts on Travel [S6.E52]

The guys trade stories about their recent trips, Greg to Canada and Ed to Singapore. Ed begins with a few observations about the island nation. First, Singapore lived up to its reputation of being clean and orderly. Everything from the airport to the...

Aug. 1, 2023

Democracy in Asia: Its History, Variants and Purpose with Ajarn Ployjai Pintobtang, Part 2 [S6.E51]

This is part two of a two-part interview with Khun Ployjai Pintobtang, a lecturer in history at Chiang Mai University, about the history of democracy in Thailand and Asia. The discussion picks up where it left off, on the particular characteristics of...

July 25, 2023

Democracy in Asia: Its History, Variants and Purpose with Ajarn Ployjai Pintobtang, Part 1 [S6.E50]

This is Part One of a two-part interview with Khun Ployjai Pintobtang, a lecturer in history at Chiang Mai University, about the history of democracy in Thailand and Asia. Ed begins by asking A. Ploy her take on an old trope: that Asian culture is...

July 18, 2023

What Age is the Best Age to Relocate to Thailand? [S6.E49]

Greg and Ed debate the pros and cons of coming to Thailand at different ages, with the obvious caveat that there’s no right answer that applies to every person and that no matter when you come to the Land of Smiles, you can always (usually) make it...

July 11, 2023

An Intro to Meditation and How it Works with Phra Pandit [S6.E48]

Ed interviews our favorite expert on Buddhism, Phra Pandit. This time the focus is on meditation, exactly what it is, and what role it plays in the Buddhist religion as a whole. Phra Pandit begins with explaining the basic difference between...

July 4, 2023

The Where, Why & How Much of Choosing the Right Hospital [S6.E47]

Greg and Ed discuss an important conundrum facing expats and tourists in Thailand: When sick or injured, should you go to a private Thai hospital or a public one? The difference in cost is substantial, typically somewhere between a factor of three and...

June 27, 2023

Legal Talk: What to do if You Get Stopped by the Thai Police [S6.E46]

Greg interviews resident legal expert Dave Lawrence about the ins and outs of interacting with police officers in Bangkok. The guys begin by going over the various options for run-ins with the boys in brown in Bangkok, which run the gamut of being...

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 Thai society and be...

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 have decided not to live here....

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 was when they got here. The...

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 had a career as a...

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 (UTN, Palang Pracharath, and...

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 retrieved, the Thai police...