Episodes - Page 13 | The Bangkok Podcast

May 19, 2020

Big Brother Says Hi: Do You Have More or Less Privacy in Thailand Than at Home? [Season 4, Episode 31]

Greg and Ed tackle the complex question of privacy in Thailand, especially as it compares to privacy back home. But there are lots of types of privacy, so what do we mean? Firstly, as an expat, you live in a kind of bubble of privacy anyway - often...

May 12, 2020

Pain, Disease & Illness: The (Thai) Language of Medicine with Stu Jay Raj [Season 4, Episode 30]

The topic is a bit morbid but these are strange times - Greg interviews polyglot and podcast favorite on the roots of the Thai language as they pertain to pain and medicine. They begin trading stories over the fiendishly tricky (for Westerners...

May 5, 2020

Thailand’s Booze Ban: Good Strategy or Pointless Folly? [Season 4, Episode 29]

Greg and Ed recorded a show that goes in-depth on Thailand’s alcohol ban and whether or not it makes sense as a way to combat the coronavirus. What they did NOT count on was the ban being lifted 3 days AFTER they recorded the show! No worry - it’s...

April 28, 2020

Author Phil Jablon on the Disappearing Legacy of Thai Cinemas [Season 4, Episode 28]

Greg interviews Phil Jablon, a true connoisseur of Southeast Asia’s old movie theaters and author of the fantastic book . As noted on the show, you can order from the Amazon link above, but if you would like a free vintage movie theater ticket as...

April 21, 2020

We Discuss: Myths and Misconceptions About Bangkok [Season 4, Episode 27]

This week is a dose of keeping it real: What are some common beliefs about Thailand that Greg and Ed just don’t buy? Ed starts off with a fairly nuanced point: many people think of Thailand as a very religious country because of so many outward...

April 14, 2020

Pious Isolation? The Day-to-Day Life of a Thai Monk [Season 4, Episode 26]

First of all, a public service announcement: Our friend Adam is coordinating a project to get soap, disinfectant, and food to some of Bangkok’s poorest communities. Just 300 THB provides supplies for a family of 4. We donated 2,000THB - can you...

April 8, 2020

Lockdown! How Does This One Compare to Others? [Season 4, Episode 25]

In their continuing effort to find something to talk about besides coronavirus, Greg and Ed decide to compare the current crisis to the past crises that they have lived through in their combined 38 years in Thailand. This is their first pandemic but...

March 31, 2020

WHO’s Dr. Daniel Kertesz Talks COVID-19, Pandemics & Silver Linings [Season 4, Episode 24]

Greg interviews Dr. Daniel Kertesz of the World Health Organization, to confirm, deny, or simply explain in better detail some of the information that’s going around about the COVID-19 pandemic. It certainly is a strange time we’re living in....

March 24, 2020

Mixed-Culture Relationship Advice from Dr. Greg [Season 4, Episode 23]

Taking a personal turn thanks to an idea from Wes, one of our patrons, Greg discusses his dating experiences in Thailand and what it’s like to be married to a Thai woman. From early dating stories as a clueless n00b to strange stories of getting...

March 17, 2020

How Tim Hortons Came to Thailand [Season 4, Episode 22]

Thailand’s food tastes have changed a lot since Greg and Ed first got here two decades ago, and in that time, things have gone international, yo! With this in mind, Greg interviews Nick Wattanavekin, who opened the first Tim Hortons, the iconic...

March 10, 2020

Mixed Messages: Thailand's Confusing PR Machine [Season 4, Episode 21]

The big news of the day is of course the coronavirus, something Greg and Ed have talked about frequently on the bonus show, which goes to our patrons. But on this show, though, the guys dive right in and address the Thai government’s bizarre and...

March 3, 2020

Media, Politics, Tech & Censorship with Cod Satrusayang [Season 4, Episode 20]

Greg interviews Cod Satrusayang, editor-in-chief of ThaiEnquirer.com, one of Thailand’s newest news sites. Cod explains that after a decade of experience in the foreign press in Thailand and abroad, he felt that Thailand’s English-language press...

Feb. 25, 2020

We Ask An Economist: Is Thailand a Poor Country? [Season 4, Episode 19]

People are often quick to call Thailand ‘developing’ or even ‘third world’ - but what do those terms even mean? We decided to find out. Ed interviews Dan Honig, a professor of international development at Johns Hopkins University. After...

Feb. 18, 2020

The Big Bangkok Statistics Episode [Season 4, Episode 18]

You might be surprised to learn that two fellows as cool as Greg and Ed can be a bit nerdy, but it’s true! So, in keeping with that theme, this week your hosts jump into a potpourri of Bangkok statistics. Do you know how many sqkm Bangkok is? Or how...

Feb. 11, 2020

Bangkok History Highlight: The Surprising History of Patpong [Season 4, Episode 17]

Greg and Ed interview Michael Messner, long time expat, Patpong bar entrepreneur, and the founder and curator of the Patpong Museum. Opened this year, the Patpong Museum is meant to educate the public on the entire history of the Patpong area,...

Feb. 4, 2020

Neighborhood (Re)Focus: Thonburi, Bangkok’s Brooklyn [Season 4, Episode 16]

In another Neighborhood Focus, the guys revisit an area discussed in Season 2: Thonburi, roughly defined as the ‘other side’ of the river from downtown Bangkok. ‘Revisit’ on the show that is, cause both Greg and Ed have lived in Thonburi for a...

Jan. 28, 2020

Discussing Thai-Farang Relationships - With an Uncommon Twist [Season 4, Episode 15]

Everybody knows that intercultural relationships in Thailand are most likely a Thai woman with a foreign man, but things are changing! It’s not as common, but there are plenty of farang women in relationships with Thai men - partnerships that carry...

Jan. 21, 2020

Who Are You? Remaking Yourself as an Expat [Season 4, Episode 14]

Your hosts get a little deep with the topic this time by kicking off a discussion on expat identity. Can expats reinvent themselves and become someone new in their new country? Should they? Ed chimes in with some immediate support for people doing...

Jan. 14, 2020

Expat Insights: Tony Joh Talks Travel, Fitting In…and Moving Back to Asia? [Season 4, Episode 13]

Greg interviews Tony Joh, an old friend and co-host of Season 1 of the Bangkok Podcast to reminisce about their true noob status as pioneer podcasters and re-living their early successes (and screw-ups). Tony then explains his move to Japan and...

Jan. 7, 2020

Five Observations on What Makes Thai Culture Thai [Season 4, Episode 12]

In a first for the podcast, the boys decide to review a part of the Bangkok Podcast website - the relatively new for Season 4 ‘Resources’ section. A few weeks back we posted a page called ‘,’ and it elicited some responses from friends of the...

Dec. 31, 2019

The Rules & History of Giving (and Receiving) Alms [Season 4, Episode 11]

It’s been a long time since we sat down with our most returningest guest ever, so we’re psyched to chat with Phra Pandit for our first show of 2020. We’ve all seen monks going on their daily alms rounds, walking slowly and stoically as...

Dec. 25, 2019

The Cost of Living in Bangkok 2020 [Season 4, Episode 10]

A new annual tradition begins with a discussion of the cost of living in Bangkok. Greg cites a recent study that puts Bangkok as the 47th most expensive city in the world for expats to live, which might not seem so bad except Bangkok has moved up 43...

Dec. 17, 2019

Sai & Luther: What’s it Like Being Blind in Bangkok? [Season 4, Episode 9]

In our ongoing series about living in Bangkok with a disability, Greg interviews Sai Techawongtham, a Thai citizen who is blind, and who has something very rare in Thailand - a guide dog (his name is Luther and he’s a very good boy). Sai has...

Dec. 10, 2019

Bangkok History Highlight: The Samut Prakan Radiation Incident [Season 4, Episode 8]

Greg tells the true story of the ‘Samut Prakan Radiation Incident,’ which happened in Thailand in 2000. A piece of medical equipment that contained the highly radioactive isotope Cobalt 60 was improperly disposed of, and after a series of...