The Bangkok Podcast19 Mar 2024

AmericanThaiGuy Ron Weaver on Mastering Thai…and Social Media [S7.E11]

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.

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Episoder(574)

Strange Bedfellows: Prof. Khemthong on the Buddhism and Politics [S8.E52]

Ed interviews K. Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang, a constitutional lawyer and professor from Chulalongkorn University whose work bridges law and Buddhism. After Ed shares his own background as an American...

14 Jul 42min

In the Know: A Few Deep Cut Reasons to Love Expat Life in Bangkok [S8.E51]

Greg and Ed explore the small, unexpected joys of being an expat living in Thailand. Ed begins the main discussion by sharing his amusement over miscommunications regarding his job. Despite teaching u...

7 Jul 31min

Realtor Tracy Leelalumlert Dives Deep Into Bangkok's Condo Market [S8.E50]

On the heels of a recent episode where Greg and Ed opined on the nuances of the tricky Bangkok property market, this time they have a real, er… real estate pro on to get into things from her POV - Tra...

30 Jun 47min

Thai Games: From Playgrounds to Cards to Beetle Fighting [S8.E49] (Classic ReCast)

Thanks to a suggestion from a listener Greg and Ed discuss the fascinating topic of games that are common - if not unique - to Thailand. Both guys have some familiarity with some games played in publi...

23 Jun 41min

Eight Specific Things That Bother Greg About Bangkok Driving [S8.E48]

Inspired by an unusually long commute, the boys decide to discuss a list of things - very specific things - that bother Greg while he drives his trusty silver Honda around Bangkok. Greg begins by shar...

16 Jun 32min

Conflict & Legacy: Journalist Denis Gray Discusses His New Memoir [S8.E47]

In this episode, Greg interviews legendary foreign correspondent Denis Gray about his memoir, Lost Horizons. Denis details his fascinating life story, beginning with his family's escape from communis...

9 Jun 43min

Thai Style vs Western Style: The Diverse Art of Storytelling [S8.E46]

With Ed unavailable this week, Greg welcomes his friend John as co-host to talk about storytelling. Specifically, the difference between how westerners tell stories, and how Thais tell stories. This i...

2 Jun 36min

Foreign Fool: A Conversation with Author Alan Platt [S8.E45] (Classic ReCast)

When it comes to characters, Bangkok has them in droves - people who have been places, eaten things, talked to people, and lived adventures that would make your mother put her hand to her mouth and pr...

26 Mai 32min