Episodes

May 3, 2021

Bonus Episode: Vaccine Travel and Quarantine!

Hey there! This type of content usually goes out to our patrons only, but we figured it was important and relevant to everyone, so we're putting it out to y'all! Our buddy Kevin and his wife Tip have just landed in Bangkok from the US after getting vaccinated and doing a whackload of paperwork. We check in with him to see what the process was like and get an idea of what people may have to deal with as they start to return to Thailand. Enjoy!
7
April 27, 2021

A Few Unwritten Thai Cultural Rules You Gotta Learn [S5.E7]

Utilizing a topic suggested by listener Wes, Greg and Ed discuss the unwritten ‘rules’ of Thai culture - the ones that everyone knows but aren’t written down anywhere, despite Ed wishing they were because he really has no idea what he’s doing right and wrong! As Greg notes, we all have to fake it until we make it. Greg then begins a series of specific puzzles that farangs have to navigate, including the proper use of the expletive ‘arai wa,’ knowing when or how much to lower your head when passi...
6
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 kicks off a discussion about the recent history of western-style stand-up comedy in Bangkok. Tana discusses the difficulty of doing comedy in a foreign language, as well as the difference between English comedy and Thai comedy. Greg and the gang tr...
5
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 tackle this issue of status, noting that although they’ve been in Thailand TWENTY YEARS, that number is dwarfed by such legendary expats as Joe Cummings (soon to be a guest on the podcast), who arrived in Thailand in 1977. Ed jokes that part of the appeal of...
4
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 living in Thailand and dealing with some of the country’s top military and diplomatic brass. Next, Johnny recounts his life in Bangkok, Hua Hin, and more recently Khorat. Greg and Johnny discuss the cultural quirks of Thailand, from the Thais reaction t...
3
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...
2
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...
1
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...
73
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!
72
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...
71
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...
70
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...
69
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...
68
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...
67
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...
66
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:...
64
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....
63
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...
62
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...
61
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’...
60
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...
59
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...
58
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...