How Has Bangkok Changed Us? [Season 3, Episode 13]

Something a little different this week - a host swap! Greg is joined by co-host Scott Coates, one of his oldest friends in Thailand. Scott co-hosts the Talk Travel Asia podcast with Trevor Ranges, and, if you head over there, you will be able to hear The Bangkok Podcast’s other host, Ed “The Truth” Knuth, co-hosting a show with Trevor. Everything will be back to normal next week, but we thought a bit of crossover action would be fun.

(And in case you’re wondering, the artwork for this week’s episode is Greg and Scott during a mountain bike ride in Cambodia in 2010).

For this show, Greg and Scott thought that they’d chat a bit about how, as long-term expats, Bangkok has changed them personally. From living as a minority, to learning to calm down and “out-Thai the Thais”, to getting a close-up look at social stratification and widespread poverty, no one can spend any significant amount of time here without changing at least a lil’ bit on the inside.

Greg’s last point is that living in Thailand has taught him about his own resilience and resourcefulness, having to overcome all the obstacles of life as an expat. Scott concludes somewhat philosophically that there is beauty in the imperfections of Bangkok life; that the chaos itself gives Bangkok a unique character, and that clean and organized is not always better. Deep stuff!

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