If math can be used to solve everything from the orbits of galaxies to the swirl in a snail’s shell, then surely it can be applied to Bangkok to shed some light on the chaos?

In a fun show, Greg presents certain semi-mathematical ‘equations’ to help us all understand Bangkok a bit better. While not scientific in the strictest, these rules of thumb may help you navigate the chaos of the Big Mango with a little more confidence. 

First, the guys discuss all the variables that affect traffic travel times in Bangkok. The season, school status, your destination, public holidays, and time of day (among others), all seem to matter. For noobs these factors can be tough to string together, but for experienced expats it becomes a must. Next, Greg brings up the truism that often we are forced to choose between transportation that is fast, cheap, or comfortable; two out of three seems the best you can do. For example, motorbikes are fast and cheap, but certainly not comfortable (or safe for that matter). 

Greg and Ed continue with great advice on the relationship between flips flops and quality vacations, gatorade availability in the city, whether to walk or run in the rain, and a great shortcut to determining the quality of a hotel by friend of the podcast Dan Fraser. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

This is Part 2 of our interview with Stuart MacDonald, Asian tourism expert and founder of TravelFish.org, arguably the best single resource for traveling in Southeast Asia. In this half of the interview, Greg, Ed and Stu revisit the tricky topic of ‘overtourism,’ an issue which attempts to find a balance between economic revenue from tourism, which in theory is good for local economies, and damage to the environment, which of course can in the long run make things worse for local people. Stu gives his take on how to find the right balance.

The old friends then address the perennial (and perplexing) obsession with ‘high-quality tourists’ by the Thai government. Stu gives new insights on the problem of ‘leakage’ (which is almost as gross as it sounds) - revenue from tourism that ‘leaks’ out of the local economy and into foreign investors and companies. It turns out that higher end tourism results in more of this drain, with a lower percentage of revenue actually making into the hands of local people. Backpackers for the win!

Last, the guys discuss the (green) elephant in the room: the decriminalization of cannabis in Thailand and the likely effect it will have on Thai tourism. Stu discusses the likely possibility that more tourists will flock to the Kingdom to experience the new freedom to indulge, but also points out the oversaturation of the market that can turn people off, whether it’s tourists or locals themselves. 

Tune in to hear a true expert’s insights, rather than two random guys yammering! :) 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg and Ed interview their old friend Stuart of Travelfish, master of all things travel and tourism in Southeast Asia. Greg begins by reading a quote from an article on the weird duality of tourism: by sacralizing a location, tourism results in its ‘desecration by footprints.’ Stuart gives his take and undoubtedly agrees that this is generally true, hence his take on ‘environmental tourism,’ or tourism that is very conscious of its effect on the locations it promotes. He explains that the cons of tourism for locals (such as crime, drugs, environmental damage, etc.) can often outweigh the pros of increased income. 

The guys then discuss the overall effect of the COVID pandemic that more or less shut down tourism around the world. Stuart notes that he had hoped that the shutdown, which resulted in the rebirth and reconstruction of some areas hit hard by high volume tourism, would lead to an increased awareness of the damage and perhaps a new policy upon re-opening. Unfortunately, most countries, including Thailand, have reverted to a ‘growth at all costs’ approach in an effort to get back to pre-pandemic visitor numbers. Stuart laments this outcome in great (and grave) detail. 

The old friends continue with other tourism related issues, such as the growth of ‘secondary tourism,’ or alternative destinations off the beaten path. Stuart notes that this was actually MORE common in the early days of tourism in Thailand, when backpackers would essentially wander the whole country. Alas, over the years, a small number of destinations became so popular that alternative destinations fell by the wayside. Stuart sees glimmers of hope that if the Thai government won’t limit overall tourism numbers, at least they will try to spread the tourists to more locations which could of course limit some of the negative effects of overtourism.

Tune in next week for Part 2 of our interview with Stuart MacDonald. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

In a twist on our history episodes, Greg and Ed revisit the devastating tsunami of 2004. Greg begins with a thorough summary of the event, which begins with an absolutely massive earthquake off the coast of Sumatra that caused a rift and shift on the ocean, creating immense waves that would affect multiple continents. Reverberations were felt as far away as the state of Oklahoma. The devastating results eventually took the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Southeast Asia. 

Greg and Ed recount their memories. In Greg’s case, he had just flown out of Thailand to Amsterdam and learned of the tsunami after he touched down. He relates how he was glued to the TV and as the horrific death toll numbers climbed and climbed. For Ed, he was in Bangkok and actually tried to go to work the morning of the event, only to find that his office had been closed due to a countrywide shutdown. He did manage to feel an aftershock while in his office tower though. The guys discuss the total shock felt by the entire country of Thailand, and all the positive vibes that the Thai people gave to all the foreigners affected by the tragic act of nature. 

Greg then talks with listener Hugh Van Es , who has written a short book about his devastating search for a friend lost in the waves called Hell in Paradise. His first-person account of Phuket after the disaster is a sobering account of just how big an event it was, and how - even 20 years later - it seems that everyone knows someone who was affected.

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

This is Part 2 of Greg and Ed’s interview with Ron Weaver, otherwise known as ‘AmericanThaiGuy’ on social media. Ron begins Part 2 by directly addressing his experience as a black man in Thailand. He carefully explains his preference for living in Thailand over living in the U.S., explaining that although Thai people typically don’t prefer darker skin, their approach to the preference is indirect rather than confrontational. He argues that Buddhist culture truly tends to focus on whether a person is good or bad and mostly he feels judged by that, rather than the color of his skin. In short, in the States Ron feels that in certain places he might have to fear being physically assaulted, but in Thailand he simply never has to worry about that. 

Greg and Ed trade stories about the VERY minor examples they have of being treated differently as white guys in Thailand, and the guys discuss the valuable lesson this may impart. Ron then also elaborates on the general Asian preference for lighter skin, and he distinguishes this from true racism by pointing out this may simply be an effect of capitalism. Simply put, companies trying to make money amplify a preference and make it salient in the culture simply for the profit motive. Many Asians who pursue the preference do so innocently merely as the product of their society and the concordant effect of marketing in it. 

The three expat veterans continue with a discussion of ‘wokeness’ in Thai society and the role that economic inequality plays in the evaluation of race. Listen in for a truly unique take on being an expat in Thailand! 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg and Ed interview Ron Weaver, aka ‘AmericanThaiGuy,’ on his life as an expat in Thailand as well as his excellent Thai language skills. Ron begins by waxing rhapsodically about his first visits to Thailand, when he fell in love with the weather, the food, the nice people, and shockingly, the women. Although he loved the country, communication was so frustrating that he vowed to learn the language. But unlike 95% of expats who make that vow, he actually did. 

The guys trade language learning stories and agree that necessity is the key motivational factor: if you feel as if you don’t HAVE TO learn the language, you probably won’t. Ron was able to put himself into the mindset that he HAD TO speak Thai if he was going to survive in Thailand and that allowed him to put in a good five years of work to get fluent.

Ron discusses various Thai learning strategies and explains his rise on social media as an explainer of Thai culture and language to foreigners. An excerpt from Ron’s popular Instagram channel demonstrates his unique teaching style, in which he often role plays more than one character in humorous situations. In addition to teaching the quirks of Thai, he also has his own podcast, unique in the whole country, in which foreigners speak to each other exclusively in Thai. 

Tune in next week when Ron delves deep into his experiences as an African-American in a country infamous for its preference for light skin tones. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Greg and Ed discuss the Thai temperament and what exactly causes Thais to occasionally blow their collective lids. Greg uses the recent example of a Swiss expat who kicked a Thai woman in the back, allegedly because she was inappropriately sitting on the steps of his condo and blocking his path. Somewhat surprisingly, the incident went viral, much to the Swiss man’s detriment. The guys speculate as to what it was about THIS incident that caused it to blow up. Was it the fact that he used his foot to assault the Thai woman? Was it because she was a doctor, a person of high status? Or was it some random quirk of social media that led to the uproar?

Ed then runs through the classic no-go zones in Thai society, such as insults to religion or the big M, and the guys try to figure out if anything else is going on in the recent incidents. Is there possibly some pent up frustration against foreigners in Thailand? Could it be that Thais got used to fewer foreigners during COVID? Greg speculates that possibly Thai nationalism is on the rise and reminds listeners of the price paid by former Ambassador Kristie Kenney when she suggested that Thailand should be a real democracy. Ed then dusts off some of his political science knowledge to try to determine what counts as expressions of nationalism versus simple enforcement of social norms. 

While no deep certainties are uncovered, the guys give some common sense advice: if you are a foreigner in Thailand, respect local customs and don’t be a jerk. Hopefully, you didn’t hear it here first. :) 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Ed interviews his former student Mookie about her experience studying in the U.K. and her later choice to move her family back from the U.K. to Thailand. The two old friends begin reminiscing about Ed’s university program and how Mookie really was an unusual student. Most young Thai women tend to be very shy in class and rarely express their own opinions. But Mookie was different, showing up on the first day of class ready to debate! They quickly move on to Mookie’s decision to get a master’s degree in London, which Ed was happy to hear wasn’t too hard for his former student. 

Mookie's story gets an unexpected twist when she managed somehow against all odds to find a perfect guy on Tinder of all places, leading to marriage and two beautiful children. At first, she and her husband wanted to raise their kids in England, and Mookie discusses what she liked about the schools there. However, over time, the couple grew disillusioned with the U.K. and ended up choosing to move back to Thailand and raise their kids here. 

So what’s up with that? Well, in short, Mookie and her husband felt the schools were not such a great deal for the money, when you factor in class size and facilities, compared to Thailand. Plus, health care was ‘free’ but the service provided was poor. Last, England is just not very outdoor friendly, given the poor weather relative to Thailand. 

Although she lists some cons to Thailand at the end of the show, Mookie makes a convincing argument that Thailand is a great place to raise kids relative to the U.K. Believe it! 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Getting a bit nostalgic after listening to Tay-Tay’s latest album, Greg and Ed reminisce about their respective first year’s in Bangkok by recounting their most vivid early memories, something that’s unique for everyone but plays a big role in setting the tone for your time here. 

Ed explains that he came here a little bit older than many expats, and relatively speaking, had his ‘shit together’ so to speak. No visa runs, no desperation at the end of the month to pay bills. But what he wasn’t ready for was the excitement, ‘newness,’ and general party atmosphere of Bangkok. In Ed’s words, he felt like he was a freshman in college all over again.

Greg possibly had a more typical experience, having arrived in his twenties with a couple nickels in his pockets. He recounts his long traverse to work, something out of “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,” and his anticipation of his first paycheck. Luckily, he ran into some super friendly NGO workers from the UN to ease his transition to expat life (note, this is a lie).

Ed talks about having some ‘typical’ memories himself, this time of late night, drunken tuk-tuk rides (an expat requirement if there ever was one) and the crowded street market that used to be lower Sukumvit. Both guys of course fell in love with the place and hence, the roots of the Bangkok Podcast were sown. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

This is Part 2 of Ed’s interview with friend and expat extraordinaire David Cluck. The guys pick up where they left off, discussing the holy grail: living in Thailand but making a Western salary. David explains how he began to get work in Thailand and for a while balanced a life in L.A. with one in Bangkok. He shares numerous anecdotes from his work on the Hua Hin Film Festival, which eventually led him to intersect with the cast and crew of “Only God Forgives” and a meeting with Ryan Gosling.

David then explains how he got a unique opportunity to work as the assistant director on a black and white silent film, shot in L.A. but written and directed by French filmmakers. Wholly unexpectedly, the film, “The Artist,” went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, among many other accolades. And believe it or not, the Cluckster has some of the only spoken lines in the film!

The boys wrap up by diving deep into the advantages that Thailand brings to foreign film productions, from excellent crews to fantastic scenery as well as tax incentives and rebates. Suffice it to say that you can add film production to your list of all the cool things going on in Thailand today. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Ed interviews David Cluck, a Bangkok-based filmmaker, friend of the podcast and bona-fide “interesting expat”. The guys begin talking about their mutual love of Thailand, but then go back to the beginning to hear about David’s early life as a musician in Southern California and how he transitioned into working at a local TV station. That led to some work on commercials and short films and then slowly and surely into work on bigger budget film projects.

David regales Ed with stories of working with Rob Lowe in Ed’s hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, and then to his break on a film with Jeff Bridges, the ‘Big Lebowski’ himself. Now in the big leagues, David took a flyer on a low budget film called ‘Monster,’ and lo and behold the main actress would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. 

The guys then get into David’s introduction to Thailand on a film project called ‘Formosa Betrayed,’ which will lead to David re-orienting his life towards the Land of Smiles. The rest is history as they say.

Listen in next week for Part Two, when Ed and David focus on why major film productions often choose to shoot in Thailand. 

Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.