Episodes

Sept. 11, 2018

Permanent Residency in Thailand: Worth It? [Season 3, Episode 25]

Greg and Ed jump into the tricky issue of whether it is worth it for expats to gain permanent residency status in Thailand, also known as PR. It’s a good topic, because while Greg is still a stateless savage, Ed …

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Sept. 4, 2018

Author Patrick Winn on Organized Crime in Southeast Asia [Season 3, E…

The podcast is very pleased to welcome back journalist , who previously appeared on the show in its very early days - , to be precise. Patrick recently authored a book called “Hello Shadowlands: Inside the Meth Fiefdoms, Rebel Hideouts, …

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Aug. 28, 2018

What Are People Asking Google About Thailand? [Season 3, Episode 23]

Google searches have become a treasure trove of information on modern cultures, and something that everyone from students to seniors use to find information. One interesting feature is Google’s autocomplete, which makes guesses on what you’re...

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Aug. 21, 2018

Endangered Languages & Evolving Thai with Linguist Rikker Dockum [Sea…

What if you got into a time machine and jumped forward a few hundred years, only to discover when you arrived that no one spoke your language anymore? It’s happened plenty of times (not the time machine thing, but languages …

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Aug. 17, 2018

Jobs You Can’t Do, and Drugs You Can (Maybe) [Bonus 21]

Just for a bit of fun, we're releasing this week's bonus episode for all our listeners! Patrons of the Bangkok Podcast get the regular show + a bonus show every week. To learn more, go to Greg and Ed - …

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Aug. 14, 2018

Neighborhood Focus - Ari [Season 3, Episode 21]

Another in our continuing series on Bangkok’s coolest and most notable places to live or visit! This week we focus on the Ari neighborhood, which roughly surrounds the Ari BTS station. Greg recounts the four years he lived in the …

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Aug. 7, 2018

Thai Work Permits: What Just Changed? [Season 3, Episode 20]

If you’ve even a passing interest in living in Thailand, you’ve likely heard of the recent changes to the Kingdom’s work permit laws - the legal requirements of being employed here there are written in stone which, it turns out, …

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July 31, 2018

Trainspotting: The Past, Present & Future of Rail Travel in Thailand …

This week your intrepid hosts discuss all manner of rail travel in Bangkok and beyond, and the role that the train system plays in Thai society. For most foreigners rail is a convenient alternative, but for many Thais (and others …

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July 24, 2018

Unique Perspectives: Thailand's Third Culture Kids [Season 3, Episode…

What do you do if the culture you grew up in isn’t your own - or even your parents’? You adapt, dammit, and become what’s known as a , or TCK, if you’re cool. Ed interviews his recently graduated student …

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July 17, 2018

The Risks and Rewards of Biking in Bangkok [Season 3, Episode 17]

On this episode, Master Yoda Biker Greg counsels young padawan Ed in the ways of biking in Bangkok, focusing either on the casual rider looking for some exercise or adventure, the commuter looking for a way through Bangkok’s notoriously bad …

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July 10, 2018

Talking With Phra Pandit: What's Up With Buddhist Novices? [Season 3,…

Have you ever seen those little kids walking around a temple dressed as monks? Well guess what - they ARE monks! Sort of. Mostly. Well, probably more than you are, anyway. Definitely more than we are. On this episode, Greg …

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July 3, 2018

Neighborhood Focus: Ekkamai [Season 3, Episode 15]

As all expats know, Bangkok is a gigantic, sprawling metropolis, but it does contain dozens of identifiable neighborhoods, each with its own personality, vibe, and reasons to go (or not to go) for a visit. On this show, the guys …

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June 26, 2018

Teaching Critical Thinking in Thailand [Season 3, Episode 14]

In a culture where most people have seen ghosts, visit fortune tellers, and where questioning authority is kind of, sort of, not really cool, critical thinking may seem like a foreign concept. However, we happen to have an expert on …

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June 19, 2018

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 podcast with Trevor Ranges, and, if you head over there, you will be …

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June 12, 2018

Talking Overtourism With Stuart McDonald from Travelfish.org [Season …

From a cute lil’ gazebo on the rooftop of a newly-renovated hotel in Chinatown, Greg, Ed, and Stuart from Travelfish.org jump into the complex issue of “overtourism” in Thailand. Beginning with a definition of the term (roughly when the number...

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June 5, 2018

Finding the Groove: Live Music in Bangkok [Season 3, Episode 11]

We start off with some good news! Throwing back to episode 2.18 and guest Sawang Srisom, a disabled rights activist, Greg is happy to report that the city just gave a huge chunk of change to to the BTS so …

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May 29, 2018

Reverse Culture Shock with Evo Terra [Season 3, Episode 10]

Greg welcomes former co-host Evo Terra back to the podcast after his repatriation to the good old U.S.A. Evo describes his new life in Phoenix and his many adjustments, including trying to drive on the right (that is, not left) …

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May 22, 2018

The Good, the Bad, the Cuddly: Raising a Kid in Bangkok [Season 3, Ep…

Episode links: My interview with the guys at This Strange Life podcast Bangkok may be great for the childless among us, but what about those expats who want to raise a family here? As a married guy without kids, Ed …

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May 15, 2018

Stu Jay Raj: The Inside Story of Thai Vowels [Season 3, Episode 8]

Key links for this show: Hey, do you know the difference between ใ and ไ? What about เ and แ? Well, we sort of do, but you know who really does? This week’s guest, Stu Jay Raj. What started as …

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May 8, 2018

Bangkok Life Advice We’d Give our Younger Selves [Season 3, Episode 7]

Greg and Ed have each been in Thailand for more than 15 years, and along the way have done a lot of things right - but also a lot of things wrong. So in the spirit of the almighty do-over, …

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May 1, 2018

Phra Pandit: Symbolism & Ceremony at Thai Funerals [Season 3, Episode…

Join Greg and frequent guest and Buddhist monk Phra Pandit for an engaging discussion of the mysteries of Thai funerals, what they mean and don’t mean, how they differ from funerals in the West, and why they are a far …

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April 24, 2018

Neighborhood Focus: Banglamphu

Continuing with a series started in season 2 on some of Bangkok’s more interesting neighborhoods, the boys discuss one of their favorites: Banglamphu. But before they can chat about that, exactly what is Banglamphu? It’s not an official district,...

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April 17, 2018

Hot Thai Kitchen: Bringing Home-Cooked Thai Food to the World

Useful links: We’re happy to have Pailin Chongchitnant as our guest this week, creator and host of , a popular YouTube channel based in Vancouver, Canada that shows people how to cook delicious Thai food recipes in their kitchens. A …

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April 7, 2018

Wet & Mild: Songkran New Year Spectacular [Season 3, Episode 3]

Ahhh, Songkran, a waterfight so insane that people in other countries know all about it. Love it or hate it, it’s THE holiday on the Thai calendar, and unless you’ve got a (probably damp) ticket in your (probably damp) little …

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