Bangkok Pains: Distilling Bangkok Into a Board Game [S7.E61]

In a new concept, Greg and Ed discuss various Bangkok 'Firsts' in an effort to improve their knowledge of the city's history and development. Loosely based on a trivia format the guys go back and forth asking each other about key milestones in Thai history, some quite significant, with others just quirky or interesting. Starting with shopping malls and bridges and moving on to airports and politics, Greg and Ed go back and forth asking each other about some of the more notable events in the history of the city. Who had the first embassy? Where was the first movie theater or McDonalds? Do you know what year Thailand first won Miss Universe or its first Olympic medal? We challenge you to see if you can come up with the right answers before we do. That is…when we do manage to come up with the right answers…which isn't all the time. If you want to see if you're right, you're gonna have to listen to the show! :) 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.

5 Heinä 202237min

Greg interviews the Luxembourgian Ambassador to Thailand, Jean-Paul Senninger. As a diplomat with a long list of postings around the world, from his home base at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Washington, D.C., Spain, Turkey and finally Bangkok, where he is the chief diplomat for several Southeast Asian nations. Jean-Paul talks about the difficulty of juggling differences of developed countries such as Singapore and Thailand with struggling countries such as Laos and Myanmar but admits that being based in Bangkok, with its friendly people and comfortable climate is a sweet gig. Next, the two talk about the history of relations between Thailand and Luxembourg. Because of Luxembourg's diminutive size, there have been no problems in the past between the two countries, but in modern times, the country's position in the center of Europe and as part of the European Union make it an ideal trading partner for Thailand. The Ambassador notes that Luxembourg actually runs the largest cargo shipping company in the world as well as one of the world's largest satellite companies, seemingly outperforming what one would expect from such a small country, which is only marginally bigger than Bangkok itself. Listen in to the rest of the interview as Ambassador Senninger addresses other issues such as Luxembourg's investment in green energy and what all countries, regardless of size or leadership type, should work toward attaining. 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.

28 Kesä 202239min

Greg and Ed discuss the recent decriminalization of cannabis in Thailand, the recent changes around town it's caused, and whether or not they think it will last. First, Ed does a quick interview with our resident Weed Expert, Kitty Chopaka, who is both a 'ganjapreneur' and social activist. Kitty explains that the current situation is somewhat of a 'technical foul,' as the cannabis plant itself was delisted as a narcotic with the intent for it to be regulated by a new law, but that new law is still being debated in parliament. Hence, for the time being, all parts of the cannabis plant itself, including high THC flowers, is untouched by the law, sparking cannabis shops to pop up around town and online. Kitty talks about where she thinks (and hopes) the law will end up and warns about the dangers of misuse during this interim period that could cause the conservative authorities to panic and re-tighten things up. In the meantime, if you have the desire, you can check out Kitty's shop Chopaka near the corner of Sukhumvit and Asoke. Greg and Ed discuss what this change could mean for Thailand in general and the future of tourism. The guys also discuss what it means for people - like Greg - who don't smoke cannabis, and the short answer is 'not much,' unless possibly Greg's creaking bones could benefit from some low-THC cannabis products in the future. In a special bonus, Greg has a quick chat with his mother-in-law who waxes nostalgically about her childhood when cannabis plants were common in neighborhood gardens and traditional Thai dishes. 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.

21 Kesä 202244min

This is Part Two of Greg's recent interview with uber-expat Christopher G. Moore, author, raconteur, and general man-about-town. In true Renaissance guy fashion, the two men jump from topic to topic, each more interesting than the next. First, Greg asks Chris about how translations of his books are undertaken, and Chris tells a fascinating story of how the length of the translations of his novels in China are arbitrarily set by the Communist Central Committee. You'd think they'd have better things to do. :) Next, Chris relates his origin story and how he saved his first apartment from becoming a toothbrush factory. (No, this is not made up.) Through various serendipitous occurrences, Chris managed to stay in the apartment for more than twenty years with a very low rent, allowing him to build his career as a novelist. This segues into a discussion of the evolution of fitness and gym culture over the last thirty years, with both guys giving theories to explain Thais' adoption of the western phenomenon. The conversation continues with the senior expats trading stories back and forth about the changing physical and cultural landscape of Bangkok, and a story about women's underwear that's good advice for those who want to avoid being cursed. 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.

14 Kesä 202240min

Greg interviews Christopher G. Moore, long-time friend of the podcast and senior Bangkok expat, known for his extensive fiction and non-fiction writing as well as his legendary conversational skills. Chris begins by relating his recent short film project, a Bangkok noir featuring his most famous character, Vincent Calvino and what it takes to bring a fictional character to life in Bangkok, a city that's a character all of its own. Greg and Chris discuss his writing career and 17 (!) Vincent Calvino novels, the last of which came out in 2020 and addresses how climate change might affect Bangkok in the near future. This leads to a discussion of another of Chris's passion projects, the CCCL Film Festival dedicated to young Thai filmmakers who want to tell stories about how climate change impacts their communities. The boys then get nostalgic and trade stories of how much Bangkok has changed over the years, especially when compared to the 90s when no one had cell phones and the MRT was but a dream? Greg tries to keep up, but must bend the knee to one of the giants of the expat world, who very few people can rival for their knowledge of Bangkok over the decades. Listen in next week for Part 2 of Greg's interview with uber-expat Chris! 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.

7 Kesä 202243min

Greg and Ed pull together all their accumulated wisdom about Thai culture and society into six pithy theories to aid expats and tourists alike. Ed begins with his classic 'Universal Theory of Thailand," that everything good in the country comes from Thais being so nice, and that everything bad in the country ALSO comes from Thais being so nice. The guys discuss how true this is, before Greg drops his own grand theory that nothing gets improved in Thailand until it becomes embarrassing for Thailand internationally. The boys realize that if a charity or NGO was REALLY smart, they would spend their money on some ultra-famous influencer like Kim Kardashian to harp about some social ill in Thailand. The government would get right on it! Ed follows with his idea that you can say anything you want to a Thai person, as long as you are smiling while you are doing it. Greg then brings up some VERY practical advice for safety on the streets of Bangkok, and Ed finishes with the irony of how rules work in Thailand, usually not mattering but then eventually REALLY mattering. Then guest of the show Jon concludes with his 'range of the acceptably wrong' theory to help tourists and expats manage expectations in the Land of Smiles. This may be the episode of the Bangkok Podcast with the most wisdom and insight per minute! 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.

31 Touko 202242min

Ed interviews Paul Spurrier, a British expat in Thailand who has been in the film industry his entire life. Paul begins at the beginning, how his first movie ever in a movie theater was "The Sound of Music," and it had such an impact on him that he decided to become an actor (at age 8!). After a prolific career as a child on stage and screen, including films with stars such as Richard Harris, Richard Burton and Roger Moore, he decided he didn't want to re-invent himself as an adult actor and instead went to film school. His film education luckily included virtually all aspects of filmmaking from writing to lighting to directing to editing. This eventually led Paul to start his own production company in London where he worked on a variety of commercial products. Eventually on a whim he took a short-term job in Thailand, but fell so in love with the place that he closed up his company and made the full move to the Land of Smiles to continue his career as a filmmaker here. Ed and Paul discuss what it's like to be a farang filmmaker in Thailand, as well as Paul's unusual choice of making most of his films in the Thai language. The guys also address the question of whether Thai audiences really are that different from audiences around the world, and discuss a few funny stories about assimilating into a new culture. Listen in for the full interview with one of the most interesting expats in Thailand and check out links to some of his films on IMDB, like P, The Forest, Eullenia or The Maestro. 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.

24 Touko 202256min

Ed leads a discussion and semi-rant about a persistent myth regarding the history of prostitution in Thailand that was recently perpetuated by a YouTube video by Thaiger. The myth goes like this: prostitution wasn't much of a thing in Thailand until the Vietnam War era, when the demand created by American GIs on rest and relaxation resulted in a booming sex industry. Ugh. Where to start? Well, first of all, prostitution is called the oldest profession in the world for a reason, and there's clear evidence of the industry existing in Thailand many hundreds of years before the Vietnam War. Second, many studies have revealed the well-known fact that the bulk of prostitution in Thailand has Thai men as the clientele, not foreigners. And last but not least, what about the Thai women (and men) who populate the sex industry, the bar owners, and the landowners? Are they not Thai? The guys discuss the Thaiger video and praise it for what it gets right, namely the Thai government's promotion of condom use in the 1980s and the serious steps to eradicate sex trafficking that occurred in the 1990s. But alas, no matter how many times certain myths are debunked, the one that says foreigners are the major driver behind the sex industry in Thailand never seems to die. :( 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.

17 Touko 202236min