Episodes

Greg vs Ed vs You: The Great Bangkok Podcast Trivia Episode [S6.E56]
Sept. 12, 2023

Greg vs Ed vs You: The Great Bangkok Podcast Trivia Episode [S6.E56]

This week Greg and Ed take a page from a regular segment on the bonus show and challenge each other with some trivia questions, spanning Thai history, geography, religion, pop culture, and language. The guys begin by trading ...
Unpacking the Rewards of Meditation Retreats with Phra Pandit [S6.E55]
Sept. 5, 2023

Unpacking the Rewards of Meditation Retreats with Phra Pandit [S6.E55]

Ed interviews recurring guest of the show Phra Pandit on meditation retreats. This is Part Two of a two part series; Part One is a basic introduction to meditation. The discussion begins with Phra Pandit giving some very soli...
Sticker Shock! Listeners Clue us in on Bangkok's Price Swings [S6.E54]
Aug. 29, 2023

Sticker Shock! Listeners Clue us in on Bangkok's Price Swings [S6.E54]

In this show Greg and Ed respond to the opinions of our, ahem, massive group of followers on LINE about prices in Thailand: specifically both what is cheaper than you would expect and what is more expensive than you would exp...
Linguist Rikker Dockum on the Royal Society's Thai Language Oversight [S6.E53]
Aug. 22, 2023

Linguist Rikker Dockum on the Royal Society's Thai Language Oversight [S6.E53]

Greg interviews old friend of the podcast , Thai language expert extraordinaire about the , an organization dedicated to overseeing, promoting and regulating the Thai language. Rikker begins by explaining that he actually wrote his undergraduate...
Greg & Ed Return to Thailand With a Few Thoughts on Travel [S6.E52]
Aug. 15, 2023

Greg & Ed Return to Thailand With a Few Thoughts on Travel [S6.E52]

The guys trade stories about their recent trips, Greg to Canada and Ed to Singapore. Ed begins with a few observations about the island nation. First, Singapore lived up to its reputation of being clean and orderly. Everythin...
Democracy in Asia: Its History, Variants and Purpose with Ajarn Ployjai Pintobtang, Part 2 [S6.E51]
Aug. 1, 2023

Democracy in Asia: Its History, Variants and Purpose with Ajarn Ployjai Pintobtang, Part 2 [S6.E51]

This is part two of a two-part interview with Khun Ployjai Pintobtang, a lecturer in history at Chiang Mai University, about the history of democracy in Thailand and Asia. The discussion picks up where it left off, on the par...
Democracy in Asia: Its History, Variants and Purpose with Ajarn Ployjai Pintobtang, Part 1 [S6.E50]
July 25, 2023

Democracy in Asia: Its History, Variants and Purpose with Ajarn Ployjai Pintobtang, Part 1 [S6.E50]

This is Part One of a two-part interview with Khun Ployjai Pintobtang, a lecturer in history at Chiang Mai University, about the history of democracy in Thailand and Asia. Ed begins by asking A. Ploy her take on an old trope:...
What Age is the Best Age to Relocate to Thailand? [S6.E49]
July 18, 2023

What Age is the Best Age to Relocate to Thailand? [S6.E49]

Greg and Ed debate the pros and cons of coming to Thailand at different ages, with the obvious caveat that there’s no right answer that applies to every person and that no matter when you come to the Land of Smiles, you can a...
An Intro to Meditation and How it Works with Phra Pandit [S6.E48]
July 11, 2023

An Intro to Meditation and How it Works with Phra Pandit [S6.E48]

Ed interviews our favorite expert on Buddhism, Phra Pandit. This time the focus is on meditation, exactly what it is, and what role it plays in the Buddhist religion as a whole. Phra Pandit begins with explaining the basic di...
The Where, Why & How Much of Choosing the Right Hospital [S6.E47]
July 4, 2023

The Where, Why & How Much of Choosing the Right Hospital [S6.E47]

Greg and Ed discuss an important conundrum facing expats and tourists in Thailand: When sick or injured, should you go to a private Thai hospital or a public one? The difference in cost is substantial, typically somewhere bet...
Legal Talk: What to do if You Get Stopped by the Thai Police [S6.E46]
June 27, 2023

Legal Talk: What to do if You Get Stopped by the Thai Police [S6.E46]

Greg interviews resident legal expert Dave Lawrence about the ins and outs of interacting with police officers in Bangkok. The guys begin by going over the various options for run-ins with the boys in brown in Bangkok, which ...
Expat Identity: Do You Really Want to be Treated Like a Thai? [S6.E45]
June 20, 2023

Expat Identity: Do You Really Want to be Treated Like a Thai? [S6.E45]

Greg and Ed discuss whether or not they prefer to be treated the same as Thai people are treated. On the one hand, after living in Thailand for twenty years, the guys feel like they’ve ‘earned’ the right to be accepted into T...
Retouristing with Jim Cirillo: Using Thailand to Reinvent Yourself [S6.E44]
June 13, 2023

Retouristing with Jim Cirillo: Using Thailand to Reinvent Yourself [S6.E44]

Ed interviews his old friend Jim Cirillo, a good example of a repeat tourist (or re-tourist) to Thailand, the sizeable population of people all over the world who keep coming back to Thailand but for a variety of reasons have...
Questions, Queries & Complaints About Bangkok's Transport Systems [S6.E43]
June 6, 2023

Questions, Queries & Complaints About Bangkok's Transport Systems [S6.E43]

Sparked by a , Greg and Ed consider the ways in which Thai public transportation misses the mark. Granted, both guys agree that overall, public transportation in Thailand is actually pretty good, and miles ahead of where it was when they got here. The...
The Roaming Cook On Thonburi’s Endless Old-School Food Options [S6.E42]
May 30, 2023

The Roaming Cook On Thonburi’s Endless Old-School Food Options [S6.E42]

Greg interviews Gary Butler or ‘The Roaming Cook’ about his YouTube channel and the wonders of food in Thonburi, the cool side of the Chao Praya River. Gary begins with some background information: he’s a native Londoner who ...
After the Election: A Look at What Happened and What's Next [S6.E41]
May 23, 2023

After the Election: A Look at What Happened and What's Next [S6.E41]

Greg and Ed go over the election results, with Ed leading the way and doing his best to evaluate his pre-election predictions. First, Ed discusses the obvious way the election was NOT a surprise: the conservative parties (UTN...
When You're the Victim: Stories of Crime in Bangkok [S6.E40]
May 16, 2023

When You're the Victim: Stories of Crime in Bangkok [S6.E40]

Greg and Ed discuss their personal experiences as victims of crime in Bangkok. Greg opens with a recap of his recent bike theft story which has been discussed in more detail on the bonus show. Although the bike has yet to be ...
Blood Donation in Thailand: Explaining the Dire RH- Shortage [S6.E39]
May 9, 2023

Blood Donation in Thailand: Explaining the Dire RH- Shortage [S6.E39]

Greg interviews Ryan Cullinan of the . The guys open with a discussion of the nature of blood donation: everyone knows it exists, everyone knows they SHOULD do it, but due to lack of social pressure, many people never donate. Greg manned up though for...
An Election Looms: What Are the Major Political Parties Offering Thais? [S6.E38]
May 2, 2023

An Election Looms: What Are the Major Political Parties Offering Thais? [S6.E38]

In this show, Ed does his best to summarize the Thai political parties contesting the upcoming elections, as well as their various policy positions. As an overview, Ed notes a couple general themes. One is the possible return...
Is Bangkok a Livable City? We Compare it to 6 Urban Planning Benchmarks [S6.E37]
April 25, 2023

Is Bangkok a Livable City? We Compare it to 6 Urban Planning Benchmarks [S6.E37]

In a unique episode, the guys take six characteristics of a ‘livable city’ (established by renowned urban planner Alex Garvin ) and give their own opinions on how Bangkok fares. Neither guy knows what the other is gonna say, ...
Fake vs Real: The Hidden Risks in Thailand's Counterfeit Economy [S6.E36]
April 18, 2023

Fake vs Real: The Hidden Risks in Thailand's Counterfeit Economy [S6.E36]

Greg interviews Wiramrudee ‘Pink’ Mokkhavesa, an attorney at the law firm of in Bangkok. Tilleke is one of the most well-known firms in the city, and it is probably most famous for its intellectual property group, which leads the fight against...
The Pitfalls, Loopholes and Risks of Riding a Motorbike in Thailand [S6.E35]
April 11, 2023

The Pitfalls, Loopholes and Risks of Riding a Motorbike in Thailand [S6.E35]

Greg and Ed take up the somewhat grim topic of motorbike accidents in Thailand. As this episode is essentially the Songkran episode for this year, the timing could not be more appropriate because more people die in road accid...
Hot Thai Kitchen's Pailin Talks About Thai Food, Western Tastes & Her New Cookbook [S6.E34]
April 4, 2023

Hot Thai Kitchen's Pailin Talks About Thai Food, Western Tastes & Her New Cookbook [S6.E34]

Greg interviews Pailin Chongchitnant of , a returning guest from Season 3, Episode 4. Pailin begins with a basic introduction to her YouTube channel: she de-mystifies Thai cuisine (and how to cook it) to the English-speaking world. Each video...
Thai Politics: Where We Are, Why We’re Here, and What’s Coming Next [S6.E33]
March 28, 2023

Thai Politics: Where We Are, Why We’re Here, and What’s Coming Next [S6.E33]

Greg begins by explaining the momentous time we live in: soon there will be a general election in the Land of Smiles. He turns to Ed, allegedly a professor of political science, to give a primer (long ‘i’) on the upcoming ele...