In this episode, the guys debate the pros and cons of one of Thailand’s most famous cultural pastimes. Despite being friends for going on 20 years now and agreeing on a lot of things, Greg and Ed do NOT agree on Thai Traditional Massage (TTM). Ed loves it, Greg...does not. Ed argues that while TTM may not be for everyone, its unique mix of pain and pleasure are deeply relaxing and well worth it in the long run. Greg contends the pain ain’t worth it, and there are countless better ways to spend y...
Oct 20, 2020•37 min•Season 4Ep. 53
If you’ve been in Bangkok for any length of time you’ve seen the ‘healthy lifestyle’...uh...lifestyle...change a great deal. But why, how, and to what end? Greg interviews Jack Thomas, founder and CEO of BASE Fitness to chat about the evolution. After several years of high-pressure sales and overly-packed gyms, the scene kind of imploded in the mid-2000s, led by one famous name that rose higher and fell harder than any. But the industry is back and healthier than ever, driven in part by the chan...
Oct 13, 2020•44 min
Greg interviews David Robinson, co-founder of the Creative District Foundation, which promotes the mighty Chao Phraya River community for tourism and cultural purposes through the excellent website Bangkok River , which provides resources, history, and insight into the communities that line it. But before all this happened, David - a former resident of Sydney and London - felt the neighborhoods around the river in Bangkok were under-utilized and under-developed. (Greg and Ed wholeheartedly agree...
Oct 08, 2020•41 min•Season 4Ep. 50
Greg and Ed return to their ‘Neighborhood Focus’ series with a review of the Chinatown-Talad Noi area of Bangkok, a neighborhood is near and dear to the boys’ hearts, as Greg used to live there, and back in the day he introduced Ed to the area’s many charms. Greg begins with a mini-history of Chinatown and its many historic streets, most of which you can still walk on today. Ed summarizes Chinatown as ‘chaos with street food.’ Its popularity is extremely high with both Thais and foreigners but e...
Oct 06, 2020•34 min•Season 4Ep. 51
Ooooh, topical! This week, Greg and Ed discuss the unique role of teachers in Thai society, where educators occupy a uniquely reverential role, often in stark contrast to western countries, where it is ‘just another job.’ Ed notes that the issue of how teachers are treated is near and dear to his heart, given that he has spent the last twenty years teaching Thai students. But Ed makes clear that (in his opinion) there’s a contradiction between the type of independent-minded graduates that Thaila...
Sep 22, 2020•36 min•Season 4Ep. 49
First, we want voicemails from our listeners! Become a friend on LINE (scan the QR Code below) and send us your thoughts, greetings, or an awesome joke. In a great show for economics nerds and anyone just interested in how the Thai economy is faring, Dr. Jessica Vechbanyongratana returns to discuss the Thai economy during the pandemic and what - if anything - we can do to help the recovery. Spoiler: not much Beginning with anecdotes of how economists were already predicting a bad 2020 at the end...
Sep 15, 2020•55 min•Season 4Ep. 48
After a brief intro explaining the podcast’s decision to accept advertising (within strict guidelines), Greg and Ed jump into a topic important to anyone travelling to Thailand: What are the most important Thai laws to know? Ed gives a quick lawyerly disclaimer: don’t rely on this podcast to make important decisions, but instead just use it as a guideline to do your own research and talk to a real lawyer. :) Next, Greg and Ed bring up ‘the enforcement problem’: as regular podcast listeners well ...
Sep 08, 2020•36 min•Season 4Ep. 47
Greg interviews Jarrett Wrisley and Chalee Kader, well-known and successful restaurateurs in Bangkok. After quick bios, they begin by dispelling some myths about the restaurant business and explaining some of the harsh realities of competing in a big city such as Bangkok. Even during good times, it’s a tough business, but during the COVID era it is nearly impossible. Greg and the guys discuss strategies for surviving and how to bring customers back when things improve. There are also some great ...
Sep 01, 2020•53 min•Season 4Ep. 46
Greg and Ed continue their ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ series with LUST - yep, we go there. Well, figuratively, anyway. On the record, the guys don’t actually recommend that you visit any of the red light districts in Bangkok - there are so many more interesting things to do in the city that aren’t as...potentially icky. But let’s be honest - they remain a huge draw, and if you live here long enough, you’ll eventually end up at one of them. Topics include where to go, how to behave, what to do, what not...
Aug 25, 2020•29 min•Season 4Ep. 45
Ed interviews Putsawan ‘Poy’ Tipsakorn, a friend and former student of his who did an exchange year in the U.S. while in high school. Ed and Poy begin with her background in a small town in Nakhorn Ratchasima province and her conservative all-girls school and how she got the idea to go to the States in the first place. From there the story moves to upstate New York, where she met her host family and dove right in, making friends in marching band and choir. The academic transition was more diffic...
Aug 18, 2020•55 min•Season 4Ep. 44
This week Greg interviews Khun Voranai Vanijaka, a well-known Thai journalist, social commentator, and founder and editor-in-chief of Thisrupt.co , an English language website and social media enterprise that focuses on social and political issues in Thailand. Khun Voranai explains his unique background as a Thai man who grew up in Austin, TX, and also that Thisrupt is currently self-funded by him, but that he is negotiating with investors. He and Greg next elucidate Thisrupt’s vision: politics,...
Aug 11, 2020•56 min•Season 4Ep. 43
After a very strange intro in which Greg extols the virtues of a mind-numbingly happy Finnish folk tune , we get into the main episode, which comes in two parts. First, Greg interviews his friend Yining, who is just finishing a two week quarantine after returning to Thailand from Singapore. She explains the quarantine process in Bangkok, her COVID test (which came back negative, as expected), her hotel accommodations arranged by the Thai government (but that she had to pay for), and how she’s am...
Aug 04, 2020•43 min•Season 4Ep. 42
Greg and Ed interview Florian, an old friend of Greg’s and coincidentally the occupant of Greg’s old apartment in Chinatown with a beautiful view of the Chao Phraya River. Florian is a man of many talents, but this interview focuses on his multi-year project to build a modern house in the jungles of Mae Hong Son province, in northwestern Thailand. Many expats dream of building a house in Thailand, but Florian has actually done it, and not just any old house either. His house is essentially in th...
Jul 28, 2020•55 min•Season 4Ep. 41
In a new series cooked up by Greg’s evil brain, the guys explore Bangkok through the prism of the Seven Deadly Sins. Each of the seven shows (not in a row, thankfully) will see the guys pick one of the sins and discuss how it relates to their own experience in Bangkok. Starting with the Sin of Pride, Greg and Ed each come up with a few things that make them proud to call Bangkok home. From history and architecture to musical talent and one very specific bit of food, Greg and Ed discuss the littl...
Jul 21, 2020•35 min•Season 4Ep. 40
This is Part 2 of Greg’s interview with Dan Fraser, an old friend, Thai TV star, and owner of adventure travel company Smiling Albino. Continuing their conversation, Dan talks about the challenges of transitioning from a business manager ‘control freak’ (his words) to a TV entertainer whose role is mostly to be the goofy foreigner having crazy experiences in Thailand. The key is finding his inner child and having faith in his producer to watch his back and make the kind of show that the producer...
Jul 14, 2020•42 min•Season 4Ep. 39
Greg interviews Renaissance-Expat Extraordinaire Dan Fraser, an old friend of both Greg and Ed and a former guest of the podcast in season 1. As both the star of a Thai TV show called ‘ Long Ruk Yim ’ and the owner of Smiling Albino , a high-end adventure travel company, Dan is afforded some really unique opportunities for understanding Thai culture, and seeing things from the inside. Among the topics discussed in this episode - part 1 of a two-part show - Dan discusses the difficulties involved...
Jul 07, 2020•41 min•Season 4Ep. 38
We return to our Thai history series with a fascinating look at the role that several Thai cannons played in some important historical events. First, with the help of a cool blog on Thai history from our friend Ken Lohatepanont , Greg tells the story of some silver cannons gifted by King Narai of Siam to Louis XIV of France. It turns out that during the world-changing storming of the Bastille in 1789, those very same cannons were used by the revolutionaries to bring down the notorious prison. Wh...
Jun 30, 2020•26 min•Season 4Ep. 37
It’s an extra-long show this week as Greg interviews Jessica Vechbanyongratana, a professor at the faculty of Economics at Chulalongkorn University, about the numbers that make up Thailand’s economy. Beginning with Thailand’s notable jump up the list of countries with the biggest inequality gap, Jessica explains the methodologies and data that led to the change - although as she mentions, depending on what data you look at during what year, Thailand may not necessarily be any more unequal than a...
Jun 23, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 36
Inspired by a great post on a Thisrupt , the topic is counterfeit goods. Most people are aware that all types of counterfeit goods are available for sale in Thailand, whether it is watches, handbags, DVDs, or software. Greg and Ed trade stories about how Thailand allowed them to embrace counterfeit culture in their early days of living in Thailand, simply because it was so cheap, so readily available, and ‘everybody was doing it.’ The boys talk over some reasons why pirated goods are more common...
Jun 16, 2020•32 min•Season 4Ep. 35
Greg interviews Khun Natapanu Nopakun, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . You’ve probably seen him on TV - he’s the guy who gives English language updates of what’s going on with the Thai government, and especially the coronavirus situation. Khun Natapanu begins by explaining exactly what his job is - giving info on foreign affairs to both foreigners and Thais in English. Interestingly, his job is not just to interpret or translate the normal Thai public affairs inform...
Jun 09, 2020•35 min•Season 4Ep. 34
When you are a kid, you are taught to look on the bright side of everything. In that spirit, Greg and Ed search for any possible positives in their lives as a result of the lockdown (which, generally speaking, SUCKS). Ed begins by noting that his relative lack of social life has given him more freedom to experiment with his diet, which consequently resulted in him losing 5 kilos. Greg notes that the increased time home has meant more bonding with his son and many priceless moments that otherwise...
Jun 02, 2020•37 min•Season 4Ep. 33
You know how foreigners aren’t allowed to be tour guides in Thailand? Well guess what - there’s an interesting little loophole to that, and it’s a great opportunity to get to know Thai culture in a very real way. Greg interviews Dr. Peter Hufschmid-Hirschbuehl (hereinafter referred to as ‘Dr. Peter’ for obvious reasons), the President of the National Museum Volunteers , the only museum that allows foreigners to train and work as tour guides. The training program provides a quite extensive backgr...
May 26, 2020•32 min•Season 4Ep. 32
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 left alone and largely cut off from the Thai-language media, which only increases the sense of privacy. Second, Thai culture is famously indirect, with Thais tending to be less confrontational about a person’s private life, so from a social and cultur...
May 19, 2020•31 min•Season 4Ep. 31
The topic is a bit morbid but these are strange times - Greg interviews polyglot and podcast favorite Stu Jay Raj on the roots of the Thai language as they pertain to pain and medicine. They begin trading stories over the fiendishly tricky (for Westerners anyway) pronunciation of the Thai language, and the often hilarious (and obscene) mistakes that can happen, with Stu explaining that (roughly) Sanskrit and Pali are to Thai what Latin and Greek are to English. Stu explains most formal Thai word...
May 12, 2020•47 min•Season 4Ep. 30
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 still a very relevant discussion. First up, the boys try to give the ban the best spin possible - does it really help reduce irresponsible partying - social gatherings in large groups where people are not wearing masks or social distancing? Next they d...
May 05, 2020•42 min•Season 4Ep. 29
Greg interviews Phil Jablon, a true connoisseur of Southeast Asia’s old movie theaters and author of the fantastic book Thailand’s Movie Theaters: Relics, Ruins, and the Romance of Escape . 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 well, reach out to Phil on his Facebook page and order his book there. Phil grew up a movie lover but developed an interest in older, stand-alone movie theaters as they began to fade aw...
Apr 28, 2020•34 min•Season 4Ep. 28
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 signs of Buddhist culture, whether it’s temples, monks, or statues that Thais are very respectful of. However, Ed argues that in general Thais are not very pious: alcohol consumption, gambling, and infidelity are quite common throughout Thailand. Greg wal...
Apr 21, 2020•35 min•Season 4Ep. 27
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 match or or beat us? Head here for more info. As everyone is now dealing with isolation and minimalist living in a way they never had to before, Greg interviews our returning-est guest Phra Pandit on the day to day life of a monk. From Phra Pandit’s auste...
Apr 14, 2020•56 min•Season 4Ep. 26
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 they have survived coups, floods, assassinations, curfews, and violent protests that have shut down huge parts of the city. So how does today compare? Well, first Ed notes that the oddest thing about the 2006 coup - the first for both Greg and Ed - w...
Apr 08, 2020•33 min•Season 4Ep. 25
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. Beginning with questions about herd immunity and information gathering, Daniel explains that above all, we must be humble given the lack of information we have about this particular virus. This is not surprising, considering that the world barely knew anyth...
Mar 31, 2020•55 min•Season 4Ep. 24
