Season 6

Jan. 30, 2024

Dr. Natthawat Hongkarnjanakul on Thailand’s Space Ambitions [S7.E4]

Ahh, Thailand. Beaches, sunsets, late-night parties, serene temples, and…space technology design and future satellite launch site? Greg interviews Dr. Natthawat Hongkarnjanakul of the Thai Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development...

Jan. 23, 2024

Expat Wins! Six Situations That Level Up Your Bangkok Life [S7.E3]

Greg and Ed discuss situations - whether they come from luck or strategy - that can seriously improve your quality of life in Bangkok. The guys try to avoid the super obvious things - getting a better job, meeting the person of your dreams - to focus...

Jan. 16, 2024

Photographer Tim Russell on the Fading Glory of Hualamphong Station [S7.E2]

Greg interviews well known Bangkok-based photographer about his book ,’ which focuses (literally) on the iconic and now mostly defunct Hualamphong Train Station. Tim begins by explaining his early days twenty years ago as a traveller in Vietnam and...

Jan. 9, 2024

New Year Resolutions: How to be a Better Expat in Thailand [S7.E1]

In a spirit of optimism and renewal, Greg and Ed discuss their New Year’s resolutions as expats. What are their goals for 2024 to grow as expats in Thailand? Greg begins by committing to read The Falcon of Siam, a famous novel set in 18th century...

Dec. 25, 2023

Holiday Bonus Show Preview!

Hey guys, I know we said we were done for the year, but we have one last little surprise for you. We sat down with two of our very good friends John and Poom to record a special bonus show for our patrons. But since it’s the season of giving and all...

Dec. 19, 2023

Our Bangkok Survival Kit: Tips and Tricks if You're Exploring Bangkok on Foot [S6.E70]

Just before the boys take off for the holiday, and hordes of new visitors arrive, Greg and Ed give advice on how to survive a long day exploring Bangkok, be you a tourist or just an expat trying to check off some boxes. The guys run through numerous...

Dec. 12, 2023

Childline Thailand: Tackling Abuse & Neglect, Offering Hope & Safety Part 2 [S6.E69]

This is Part 2 of Greg’s interview with Ilya Smirnoff of Childline Thailand. Ilya begins with the ‘timeline of a child,’ which is basically a roadmap of the rights and responsibilities of children as they age. It begins at birth, when...

Dec. 5, 2023

Childline Thailand: Tackling Abuse & Neglect, Offering Hope & Safety [S6.E68]

Greg interviews Ilya Smirnoff, the director of , an NGO dedicated to the rights of children in Thailand. Ilya begins by explaining his early life as a monk, and how he eventually left the monkhood and began doing charity work. The basic genesis of...

Nov. 28, 2023

Don’t Do These Things: How to Earn an Expat Demerit Badge [S6.E67]

In a follow-up to previous episodes on expat ‘Merit Badges,’ Greg and Ed discuss ‘DEmerit Badges,’ mistakes that long term expats make that they should NOT make. In other words, if you’ve lived in Thailand for a while, and you act like a...

Nov. 21, 2023

Neo-Buddhism: How Thailand's Largest Religion Reacts to Change [S6.E66]

Greg interviews our old friend Phra Phandit, resident podcast expert on all things Buddhism and religion. This time the topic is ‘Neo-Buddhism’ or the way Buddhism has changed and adapted over time, in particular the way it has been appropriated...

Nov. 14, 2023

The Secret to Expat Happiness: Managing Your Expectations [S6.E65]

Greg and Ed discuss how to manage your expectations in Thailand as a strategy for surviving and thriving in the Land of Smiles, or indeed, as an expat anywhere outside of your comfort zone. Ed explains that in giving advice to a recent arrival, he...

Nov. 7, 2023

Superstition, Religion and...Architecture? Thai Spiritual Permanence with Dr. Andrew Johnson Part 2 [S6.E64]

This is Part 2 of Greg’s interview with Andrew Johnson, cultural anthropologist extraordinaire and investigator of the extremely niche topic of the relationship between Thai supernatural beliefs and local architecture. Greg and Andrew begin...

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...