Thai Craft Beer's Secret Weapon Is... A Korean Expat? [Season 2, Episode 60]

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Today’s focus is on Korea's influence on Bangkok. Ted Ahn, an expat and ex-power plant manager from Korea, is actively working to bring about change in Bangkok’s local Thai craft beer industry.

Ted is the owner of Changwon Express, and Evo sat down with him at his newest location on the top floor of Flow House. A few key bits from the episode:

• Ted estimates that around 90% of his customer base is all local Thai people.
• He reserves at least 20 taps for the exclusive support of Thai craft beer.
• His genius idea of catering to Thai girls with Korean food to in turn attract the Thai guys.
• What influence Brooklyn Brewery played into his efforts of making and supporting local brewers and local beer drinkers.
• His challenges and successes finding and training local staff to work behind the bar.
• He designed his own two-row tap system that separates the liquid from the head to create the best pour in Bangkok, a popular design in Korea.
• Ted’s plans to build a local brew pub with satellite locations, branches, to get around Thailand’s restrictive (draconian?) brewing laws in a totally legit fashion that would enable legal, local Thai craft beer… finally!
• What a huge pain in the ass it is to brew “local” beer in another country (which is why Ted wants to break out of that!)
• Ted’s thoughts on Thai local breweries (all contract brewing in other countries) growing from 3 - 20 in a couple years, and how that would change if only the laws would change. (Though he’s not waiting!)

Love, Loathe, Or Leave?

Listener Ryan asked us to watch this video of the Asian koel, or Eudynamys scolopaceus, and comment on its song. Greg loves its call. Evo wishes he had his shotgun.

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