Episodes - Page 10 | The Bangkok Podcast

April 20, 2021

Being Funny in Bangkok: Three Local Comedians Weigh In [S5.E6]

Greg interviews three local comedians, Justin St-Denis, Chris Raufheisen, and Tana Sukke, about life as a stand-up in Bangkok. After a few quick bios Greg dives right in with his brief experience as a standup in Canada and then later in Bangkok, which...

April 13, 2021

Is There an Expat Hierarchy - and Does it Even Matter? [S5.E5]

We think almost every long-term expat has been asked how long they’ve been here before, only to see the challenge, throw down their card, and ask the inevitable: “How about you?” It’s an unspoken contest. But does it even matter? Greg and Ed...

April 6, 2021

The Ups and Downs of Retiring in Thailand [S5.E4]

Greg interviews Colonel Johnny Thoyts, an old friend who has been retired in Thailand for over 20 years. Johnny has had an interesting time in Thailand - as the former British military attaché, he summarizes his career and his various experiences...

March 30, 2021

Oh Crap, What Now? Losing Your Job in Thailand [S5.E3]

The guys discuss the sticky situation of what it means to lose your job in Thailand as an expat, and the relative insecurity that all of us have, no matter how long we’ve lived here. Ed gives a quick overview of the law: if you have a...

March 23, 2021

Fighting the HIV Stigma in Thailand [S5.E2]

Greg interviews Midnight Poonkasetwattana and Inad Rendon, the Executive Director and Program Director at , a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of gay men who are facing discrimination. We begin by raising the issue of the image of...

March 16, 2021

Looking Back, Looking Forward: Welcome to Season 5! [S5.E1]

Welcome to season 5! Greg and Ed discuss the new season, which admittedly is mostly a continuation of the last season - if it ain’t broke, etc. But some nostalgia is warranted, and the guys reminisce about the last two seasons since Evo’s...

March 9, 2021

Short Break!

Hey guys, Greg and Ed are taking this week off for a short break, but we'll be back with the first episode of SEASON FIVE (OMG) of the show on March 17. See you then!

March 2, 2021

Becoming Thai: Talking With Chris Larkin from ThaiCitizenship.com [S4.E72]

Greg interviews Chris Larkin, creator of , a website that answers all the confusing, conflicting, confounding questions about getting citizenship in Thailand. Half Thai-Half Australian, Chris grew up mainly in Australia and got his Thai passport in...

Feb. 23, 2021

Wonderful Weirdos: Tales of Bangkok Characters Good, Bad & Strange [S4.E71]

If Thailand is good for one thing, it’s ‘interesting’ expats, and Greg and Ed keep it light with a humorous discussion of some of the crazy characters they’ve met over the years in Bangkok. All names have been changed of course, but Greg...

Feb. 16, 2021

Ganjapreneur Kitty Chopaka Discusses the Marijuana Landscape in Thailand [S4.E70]

Ed interviews Chokwan ‘Kitty’ Chopaka, an expert on the cannabis industry in Thailand. The interview begins with a discussion of how Kitty ended up in this field - strangely, it was her mother that suggested she’d make a great...

Feb. 9, 2021

Neighborhood Focus: Soi Suan Phlu [S4.E69]

In a return to our Neighborhood Focus series, Greg and Ed check out Soi Suan Phlu and some of the surrounding area, broadly known as either Sathorn or Yen Akat. We start with a discussion about Suan Phlu of yesteryear, when almost all foreigners had...

Feb. 2, 2021

Mark Wiens on the Joy of Eating Thai Food [S4.E68]

Greg interviews Mark Wiens, an old friend known far and wide for his awesome YouTube videos about eating food. Good food. Weird food. Scary food. Any type of food. Mark tells us how he started as a regular food blogger, slowly morphing into video as...

Jan. 26, 2021

Bangkok’s Seven Deadly Sins: Greed [S4.E67]

This week Greg and Ed return to the Seven Deadly Sins series with a discussion of GREED in Thai culture. As an opening caveat, Greg makes clear that greed exists in all cultures, and the guys aren’t saying it’s worse in Thailand than anywhere...

Jan. 19, 2021

Sawatdee Cough: Bangkok’s Air Pollution Crisis [S4.E66]

Greg interviews Khun Weena, founder of the and an expert on air pollution in Thailand to discuss the who, the what, the why and the WTF behind Thailand’s annual season of poisonous, toxic air. She begins by outlining the fundamental problem:...

Jan. 12, 2021

The Eclipse That Changed the Course of Thai History [S4.E65]

Jan. 5, 2021

Kicking 2020 to the Curb: New Year’s Eve Stories from Better Times [S4.E64]

In order to wash the bad taste of New Year’s Eve 2021 out of our mouths, Greg and Ed discuss what New Year’s Eve means in Bangkok. Normally it’s one of the biggest nights of the year, but due the resurgence of COVID, this year was fairly tame....

Dec. 29, 2020

Confronting Thailand's Problem With Violence Against Women Part 2 [S4.E63]

The issue of violence against women in Thai culture is not often discussed. Awareness is low and even when the topic is brought up, the default reaction is to shussssshhhhh, forget about it, don’t make waves. Obviously this is not a tenable...

Dec. 22, 2020

Confronting Thailand’s Problem With Violence Against Women Part 1 [S4.E62]

The issue of violence against women in Thai culture is not often discussed. Awareness is low and even when the topic is brought up, the default reaction is to shussssshhhhh, forget about it, don’t make waves. Obviously this is not a tenable...

Dec. 15, 2020

The Annual Bangkok Podcast Listener Q&A Spectacular [S4.E61]

It’s been a while, but the guys jump into a Q&A show, where they answer questions from listeners. The topics are incredibly wide-ranging - everything from our first Thailand memory to the equipment we use to record to our rules for ‘wai-ing’...

Dec. 8, 2020

Artist Alex Face on his Iconic Work, Inspiration, and Space Art [S4.E60]

Greg interviews celebrated Thai artist Alex Face (), known mostly for his large building-sized murals, which appear not only in Bangkok but also in other cities around the world. Alex begins by recounting his interest in art as a child, which slowly...

Dec. 1, 2020

How Would You Rate Your Thai Cultural Assimilation? [S4, E59]

Greg and Ed dive into a great question for expats in Thailand: to what extent are you actually integrated into mainstream Thai culture? Greg posted a quick survey on our Facebook page and uses some responses as a jumping-off point for...

Nov. 24, 2020

Bangkok’s Craft Brew Godfather: A Chat With Khun Chit [S4.E58]

Greg interviews the fascinating Wichit Saiklao, godfather of craft beer in Thailand and founder of , with podcast friend Scott Coates sitting in for fun. Khun Chit relates how he first learned about homebrewing while living in the States, and after...

Nov. 17, 2020

Thailand’s Freedom-of-Expression Minefield [S4.E57]

Greg and Ed consider the issue of freedom of expression in Thailand and the extent to which it is or is not compatible with Thai culture. The topic is sparked by THAT case...the one about a TripAdvisor reviewer who harshly criticized a Thai resort,...

Nov. 10, 2020

Linguist Rikker Dockum on Raising Multilingual Kids (S4.E56)

Greg interviews repeat guest Rikker Dockum about the ups and downs of raising bilingual children, beginning with an update on (now Dr) Rikker’s life back in the US - including his own two kids, both products of two cultures. Next, Rikker...