Understanding Thailand: Some Rules of Thumb That Explain a Lot [S5.E63]

Understanding Thailand: Some Rules of Thumb That Explain a Lot [S5.E63]

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.

Episoder(562)

Don't forget the meetup!

Don't forget the meetup!

Saturday, Dec 6, 2025 at The Warehouse on Charoen Krung Road. Chec our FB page for more details.

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Making Bangkok Accessible for All: Khun Saba Keeps Fighting (Classic ReCast) [S8.E23]

Making Bangkok Accessible for All: Khun Saba Keeps Fighting (Classic ReCast) [S8.E23]

On this episode - a classic ReCast from season 3! - Greg interviews Khun Saba, a disabled rights activist in Bangkok. It's a topic near and dear to the Bangkok Podcast, because we want everyone to enj...

2 Des 202543min

Former FBI Agent John Schachnovsky Talks Crime & Punishment in Thailand Part 2 [S8.E22]

Former FBI Agent John Schachnovsky Talks Crime & Punishment in Thailand Part 2 [S8.E22]

First off - if you're in town, join our meetup: Saturday, December 6 at The Warehouse on Charoen Krung Road. Check our Facebook page first before you come just to make sure there have been no last min...

25 Nov 202547min

Former FBI Agent John Schachnovsky Talks Crime & Punishment in Thailand [S8.E21]

Former FBI Agent John Schachnovsky Talks Crime & Punishment in Thailand [S8.E21]

In part 1 of a two-part episode, Greg and Ed interview John Schachnovsky about his upcoming book "Beyond the Badge," which recounts his experience as the head of the FBI in Thailand. John starts out e...

18 Nov 202542min

Road Blocks: The Big Issues That Thailand Needs to Solve [S8.E20]

Road Blocks: The Big Issues That Thailand Needs to Solve [S8.E20]

Greg and Ed discuss an article on Ajarn.com by Dr. Jesse Sessions called "What Does the Future Hold" which discusses some of the bigger problems currently facing Thailand and how they might impact the...

11 Nov 202536min

Heritage & Culture: How Siri Sala Private Thai Villa Preserves the Past for the Future [S8.E19]

Heritage & Culture: How Siri Sala Private Thai Villa Preserves the Past for the Future [S8.E19]

There's a lot of great buildings and great history that has been bulldozed over in Bangkok, so it's nice when we see someone going the extra mile to actually preserve both an historic physical space a...

4 Nov 202547min

Great Thailand Advice We Ignored…But Shouldn't Have [S8.E18] (ReCast)

Great Thailand Advice We Ignored…But Shouldn't Have [S8.E18] (ReCast)

As Thailand starts got back to bid-ness after COVID, there were a whole lot of n00bs coming in to tour, work and live. Most who have been here for a while already remember what an overwhelming experie...

28 Okt 202534min

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

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