When Jaded Expats Wrongly Predict Thai Failures [S8.E4]

When Jaded Expats Wrongly Predict Thai Failures [S8.E4]

Greg and Ed discuss something that is more common than many people think: being wrong about expecting some Thai government project or initiative to fail. It's pretty easy, as expats often fall into the rut of cynicism about the Thai government sticking to a plan and actually getting stuff done, but the truth is, Thailand sometimes gets stuff right!

Greg begins by bringing up Benjakitti Forest Park. It replaced the Thai Tobacco Monopoly, which occupied prime real estate between Sukhumvit and Rama IV for many years. When Greg heard it was going to be made into a giant public park, he was like, "Yeah right, it's gonna get taken over by mall and condo developers," but lo and behold, the majestic Forest Park is now there for Bangkokers to see and enjoy, and has been written about in publications around the world. Ed follows with something different: when he heard about the epic scale of the COVID vaccine rollout in Thailand, he thought it would be widely inefficient with day-long queues. In fact, it was shockingly professional, and he was in and out of there in 30 minutes!

Greg continues with a story about the eventual success of the Thai Elite Card, and Ed follows with a discussion of electronic banking in Thailand and the unexpected return of the Shinawatra clan to Thai politics.

Lesson learned: Don't fall into the cynicism trap!

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)

Summing Up: Giving Bangkok's Ubiquitous Malls Some Slogans [S8.E17]

Summing Up: Giving Bangkok's Ubiquitous Malls Some Slogans [S8.E17]

This week Greg and Ed have a bit of fun revisiting an old blog post from Greg about what would be the best slogans for various malls around Bangkok. As most listeners know, Bangkok may very well be t...

21 Okt 202542min

Avoiding the Newbie Drama: Are Long-Term Expats Just Lucky? [S8.E16]

Avoiding the Newbie Drama: Are Long-Term Expats Just Lucky? [S8.E16]

We've all seen the incredible amount of drama that can go down if you don't run a tight ship in Thailand - everything from visa worries and bank problems to relationship blow-ups and trouble with the ...

14 Okt 202530min

Murder in Thailand: Kevin Maes Talks About His Book "Kingdom of Trials" [S8.E15]

Murder in Thailand: Kevin Maes Talks About His Book "Kingdom of Trials" [S8.E15]

In a special episode, Greg and Ed interview Kevin Maes in Kevin's own podcast studio on Rama IV. Kevin is a long-time expat in Thailand hailing from Belgium who became entangled in a very unfortunate ...

8 Okt 20251h 1min

Talking with Phra Pandit: Amulets, Talismans, Relics & Faith [S8.E14] (Classic ReCast)

Talking with Phra Pandit: Amulets, Talismans, Relics & Faith [S8.E14] (Classic ReCast)

It's been a while, but one of our favorite semi-regular guests is back! Bangkok Podcast's official Buddhist correspondent, Phra Pandit, welcomed Greg at his temple to talk about amulets, talismans, an...

30 Sep 202536min

Greg & Ed Opine on BBC's 'Documentary' and Media Misconceptions of Thailand [S8.E13)

Greg & Ed Opine on BBC's 'Documentary' and Media Misconceptions of Thailand [S8.E13)

Greg and Ed discuss the recent BBC 'documentary' called 'The Dark Side of Paradise' and what it says about media representation of Thailand. Ed explains that the recently aired 3-episode series has be...

23 Sep 202541min

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

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

Greg and Ed interview Chatwan Mongkol about his relatively new website called 'Soiciety.' Chatwan begins by explaining that he was born and raised in Thailand but then went to the U.S. for a year of h...

16 Sep 202542min

Grave Topic: Discussing Bangkok's Protestant & Chinese Cemeteries [S8.E11]

Grave Topic: Discussing Bangkok's Protestant & Chinese Cemeteries [S8.E11]

Diving into the differences between East & West, Greg and Ed discuss two famous cemeteries in Bangkok. Ed takes the Teochiew Chinese Cemetery off of Sathorn Road, and Greg talks about the Protestant C...

9 Sep 202532min

Can Bangkok Be Enjoyed Without Booze? [S8.E10]

Can Bangkok Be Enjoyed Without Booze? [S8.E10]

Greg and Ed discuss a much neglected topic in Bangkok expat life: how to survive as someone who doesn't drink alcohol. Everyone knows that Bangkok has an epic nightlife, but much of that experience re...

2 Sep 202529min

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