Chatwan Mongkok Digs Into Bangkok with His 'Soiciety' Newsletter [S8.E12]

Greg and Ed interview Dr. Sarah Taylor, the Canadian Ambassador to Thailand to discuss her role in Thailand, Thailand's role in Asia, and what Canada and Thailand have in common...and don't have in common. Ambassador Taylor comes from a long line of diplomats, with parents who met while on mission overseas. Once bitten by the travel bug, she ended up majoring in archaeology but later began a career in the Canadian foreign service. She has had stints in several countries around the world, including Indonesia, the Philippines, and China, before becoming Canada's Ambassador to Thailand in 2019. The ambassador discusses her job as well as Canada's relationship with Thailand, especially in light of Canada's much larger neighbor often hogging the international spotlight. She also discusses how Canada's experience dealing with indigenous peoples could be helpful to the Thai government in its relationship to the various hill tribes scattered throughout North Thailand. Among other things, the guys pepper the Ambassador with questions about the trouble in Myanmar, the role of Asean, Canadian companies in Thailand, feminism in Thailand, and the most important issue of them all: the exorbitant price of maple syrup in Thailand. Listen in if you want proof that a person can be both insanely erudite and successful and 'aw shucks' down-to-Earth as well. 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.

1 Kesä 20211h 1min

The guys return to their 'Seven Deadly Sins' series to discuss the sin of 'Sloth.' Greg notes in an introduction that sloth can be a little hard to define in that all the other sins involve actively doing something, whereas sloth of course can refer to simply being really lazy. The guys agree that for the purposes of the show they will rule out simply staying home and being a slug on the couch to answer the question - what are some of the best ways to spend a day in Bangkok being as slothful as possible? Greg begins with a simple idea: hanging out at one of Bangkok's many swanky 5-star hotels. Sounds simple but long-term expats often overlook the awesome infrastructure built to cater to tourists. We can use it too! He also recommends dailypass.com, a membership service that allows you to take advantage of a hotel's full amenities (such as gym and swimming pool) without being a guest...for a fee. Last, Greg goes back to the old faithful, the ultra 5-star cinema experience where you can be insanely pampered while catching Hollywood's latest. Ed pimps one of his old standbys, the Thai massage: undeniably cheap and relaxing, especially if you choose a variety to your liking. Next, weather permitting, he recommends simply chilling at one of Bangkok's many parks as the Thais do, especially the idyllic Lumpini Park on Wireless Road. Rent a mat, bring some food, and become sloth. Last, Ed notes that Bangkok is world-famous for its many spas, where it's actually possible to know what it's like to be treated like royalty. The Bangkok Podcast thinks you're worth it! :)

25 Touko 202135min

Greg and Ed interview Oliver Ackermann, one of the co-producers of the Thailand-based Netflix series "The Serpent," about 1970s era serial killer Charles Sobhraj. Oliver is a partner in Living Films, a prominent production company based in Thailand famous for shepherding large foreign productions (such as Hangover 2, which our buddy Chris Lowenstein talked about on season 1) through the maze of Thai government regulations as well as Thai culture in general. Oliver walks through his process of finding locations in Thailand that can mimic almost any place in the world, and laying the groundwork for a small army of people to make a globetrotting series about murder and deception in Bangkok. Oliver also discusses his role helping foreign actors adjust to Thai culture and temperature, interfacing with the Thai film board that must approve all scripts, the amazing local Thai film crews, the BBC's obsessive research on the source material for 'The Serpent,' and how to find dozens of genuine, functioning 1970s era automobiles in Thailand. In short, if you want to know anything about foreign film productions in Thailand, Oliver is your man. :) 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.

18 Touko 202145min

This is the second episode of Greg and Ed's interview with Joe Cummings, expat extraordinaire. This episode begins with a bang as the guys discuss the future of cannabis in Thailand and then goes right into the kind of story that has to be heard to be believed, but basically it involves an attempted recruitment of Joe into the CIA while he was a graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley. Enough said. The guys follow with a discussion of Joe's take on the current round of protests and how they relate to all the protests of the past (and Joe has seen MANY). Ed and Greg give their perspectives about what may be different about the current protesters while Joe offers a fairly skeptical perspective but with a hint of optimism. Last, Greg asks Joe a question from our patron Phil, about what adventures are left in Thailand. Joe explains that there are actually plenty of islands in the South that are relatively untravelled in Thailand. Greg finishes off with a few classic 'Joe stories' from his long friendship with the legend. 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.

11 Touko 202139min

Greg and Ed do a tag team interview of legendary Thailand expat Joe Cummings, a renaissance man and expert on Thai culture if there ever was one. Joining us during a break on his latest film role, Joe and Greg discuss how they met in the jungles of Mae Hong Son 18 years ago, and discuss how Joe went from being known primarily as a writer (most famously founding Lonely Planet Thailand) to being an actor, musician and consultant on Southeast Asian mythology and culture, most recently for the Disney film 'Raya and the Last Dragon'. Although a consummate traveler and consumer of Thai nightlife, Joe also explains that he has two Master's Degrees, one in Southeast Asian Studies and one in Applied Linguistics. It's safe to say Joe's expertise is grounded both in the academic world and the real world of his hundreds of adventures in Thailand and around the world. The guys then traverse a wide range of subjects from the apparent increase in Asian representation in American cinema to the extent to which both the U.S. and Thailand are really 'melting pots' of different ethnicities. Joe then discusses a recent documentary film on the controversial Dhammakaya sect of Buddhism that is based in Thailand. Part One of the interview concludes with Joe's take on the future of Thai tourism in light of the COVID pandemic. Many more interesting topics await in next week's Part Two. 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.

4 Touko 202145min

Hey there! This type of content usually goes out to our patrons only, but we figured it was important and relevant to everyone, so we're putting it out to y'all! Our buddy Kevin and his wife Tip have just landed in Bangkok from the US after getting vaccinated and doing a whackload of paperwork. We check in with him to see what the process was like and get an idea of what people may have to deal with as they start to return to Thailand. Enjoy!

4 Touko 202122min

Utilizing a topic suggested by listener Wes, Greg and Ed discuss the unwritten 'rules' of Thai culture - the ones that everyone knows but aren't written down anywhere, despite Ed wishing they were because he really has no idea what he's doing right and wrong! As Greg notes, we all have to fake it until we make it. Greg then begins a series of specific puzzles that farangs have to navigate, including the proper use of the expletive 'arai wa,' knowing when or how much to lower your head when passing in front of someone, trying to determine the correct use of 'nong' and 'phee' when interacting with a stranger of indeterminate age, and how to wai someone when your hands are otherwise occupied. The guys discuss each puzzle, but Ed notes his overarching problem: what to do when Thai people treat him as a foreigner and don't follow Thailand's cultural norms. Should farangs follow Thai rules when Thais don't? No one knows! But Greg and Ed agree that the impact of these difficulties is lessened by Thais flexibility and general forgiving nature. So do your best out there fellow expats, but don't worry about it too much. It's all 'mai pen rai' in the end. :) 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.

27 Huhti 202138min

Greg interviews three local comedians, Justin St-Denis, Chris Raufheisen, and Tana Sukke, about life as a stand-up in Bangkok. After a few quick bios Greg dives right in with his brief experience as a standup in Canada and then later in Bangkok, which kicks off a discussion about the recent history of western-style stand-up comedy in Bangkok. Tana discusses the difficulty of doing comedy in a foreign language, as well as the difference between English comedy and Thai comedy. Greg and the gang try to figure out the seeming Thai preference for silly gags and sound effects and discuss famous Thai comedian Note Udom and his Netflix special. According to Tana, Note is unique in that he's truly doing stand-up as opposed to playing a character on stage. Greg then takes questions from the patrons, and the first question involves the effect of 'pc' or 'woke' culture on comedy in Bangkok. Luckily, the local comics agree that the Thai scene has largely been immune to the sometimes judgmental audiences in the West, partly due to tourists' expectations that Bangkok is a somewhat raucous and racy place to begin with. But audiences filled with Thai people tend to carry on the 'mai pen rai' attitude that Thais are famous for, rarely taking offense and rolling with most jokes. Yeah Thai culture! Check out Raw Comedy Bangkok for information on future shows. 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.

20 Huhti 202156min