Counselor Amy Pothong Talks About Mental Health in Thailand [S7.E39]

Counselor Amy Pothong Talks About Mental Health in Thailand [S7.E39]

Mental health in Thailand has never really had its time in the spotlight, but things are slowly changing as more and more Thais realize that taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health.

On this episode we are joined by Amy Pothong, a licensed counselor and founder of Golden Leaf Therapy and Counseling in Phuket.

Amy walks us through the landscape of mental health in Thailand, including some of the reasons that the subject is often taboo, with elders usually preferring to shush things up rather than make a scene and upset the apple cart. Generational dynamics, family responsibilities and strict cultural expectations can all play a part, and the resulting mix can be quite a complicated web to navigate.

Amy also talks about the difference between Thai and foreign cultures, likening the contrast to a peach vs a coconut. In a peach culture people are friendly and soft on the outside, but once you get closer, you find a hard, private core that's hard to penetrate. However, coconut cultures have a hard shell on the outside, but once you get past that you'll find that they are soft and easy to get close to.

She also helpfully provides some references for trusted resources to use if you think you might like to talk to someone about mental health: the hotline 1323, and Samaritans of Thailand, which has service in both English and Thai.

Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

Episoder(563)

Election Analysis: Young Thais, Old Parties...New Tricks? [S8E32]

Election Analysis: Young Thais, Old Parties...New Tricks? [S8E32]

Tech Fail Alert! The last 5 minutes of our discussion was cut off by dastardly internet Gremlins, but we said most of what we wanted to say anyway.  In a follow-up to the recent Thai election, Greg an...

17 Feb 32min

Greg & Ed Discuss Ed's Big Thailand Quiz [S8.E31]

Greg & Ed Discuss Ed's Big Thailand Quiz [S8.E31]

In a followup to a recent episode, Greg and Ed walk through the entire 'Facts About Thailand' quiz that Ed gave his Thai Society students. It's a broad test of Thailand - geography, history, politics,...

10 Feb 41min

Dreamster's Mario Butler on Thai Music and New Creative Frontiers [S8.E30]

Dreamster's Mario Butler on Thai Music and New Creative Frontiers [S8.E30]

Greg interviews Mario Butler of Dreamster.io, a platform that allows musicians to connect directly with their audience, and fans to own the music they buy, not just rent. Greg begins by asking about M...

3 Feb 55min

Bangkok History Highlight: The Blue Diamond Affair [S8.E29] (Classic ReCast)

Bangkok History Highlight: The Blue Diamond Affair [S8.E29] (Classic ReCast)

Another classic recast! One of the craziest stories from recent Thai history. Continuing our series on interesting episodes in Thai history, this episode focuses on the infamous Blue Diamond Affair, I...

27 Jan 29min

From NGOs to Employment Coaching: Helping Thais Find Their Purpose [S8.E28]

From NGOs to Employment Coaching: Helping Thais Find Their Purpose [S8.E28]

Ed interviews Thanita 'Ninar' Wongprasert, an old student of his and former guest on the show in 2018. On the earlier show she came on to talk about gay rights and same sex marriage in Thailand, and t...

21 Jan 44min

Ed Ponders a New Class: Teaching Contemporary Thailand to Thais [S8.E27]

Ed Ponders a New Class: Teaching Contemporary Thailand to Thais [S8.E27]

Greg and Ed discuss Ed's new class at his Thai university: "Contemporary Thai Society in the Modern World." The guys have a laugh at the thought of a white guy from Ohio teaching young Thais about the...

13 Jan 43min

Beer & Politics: Catching Up With MP Taopiphop Limjittrakorn [S8.E26]

Beer & Politics: Catching Up With MP Taopiphop Limjittrakorn [S8.E26]

Greg and Ed interview Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, a Thai Member of Parliament known for his advocacy in liberalizing Thailand's craft beer industry. The conversation takes place shortly after the dissolu...

6 Jan 47min

Frenemies: The Long History Between Thailand & Cambodia [S8.E25]

Frenemies: The Long History Between Thailand & Cambodia [S8.E25]

Greg and Ed discuss the long, strange and complex history between Thailand and Cambodia in an attempt to shed some light on the tragic current conflict. Greg begins with some early history. The majori...

16 Des 202551min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
popradet
konspirasjonspodden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
min-barneoppdragelse
grenselos
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
wolfgang-wee-uncut
synnve-og-vanessa
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-dannet-uten-piano
frokostshowet-pa-p5
fladseth
alt-fortalt
opptur-med-annette-og-ingeborg