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

In a unique episode, the guys take six characteristics of a 'livable city' (established by renowned urban planner Alex Garvin) and give their own opinions on how Bangkok fares. Neither guy knows what the other is gonna say, so part of the fun is seeing where they agree and disagree. The first characteristic is that a city must be open to people with different backgrounds and goals. The guys roughly agree on this issue, with Greg giving Bangkok a score of 7 and Ed a score of 6. The second characteristic is having something for everyone, especially people of different economic classes. Here Ed gives Bangkok a very high score of 9, but Greg thinks it's not that good with a 6. The third quality of a liveable city is that it can attract people and maintain demand. Once again, both guys give Bangkok high scores. However, the fourth and fifth qualities cause some disagreement. Greg gives Bangkok a lower score for development than Ed does, and when it comes to providing a sustainable, livable environment, Ed's score is average, but Greg's is much lower. Last, the guys come back to a state of agreement on civil society in Bangkok, arguing it isn't great but could also be a lot worse. Who needs some science-y survey when you got two experts right here to tell you all how Bangkok ranks up? 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.

25 Apr 202338min

Greg interviews Wiramrudee 'Pink' Mokkhavesa, an attorney at the law firm of Tilleke & Gibbins in Bangkok. Tilleke is one of the most well-known firms in the city, and it is probably most famous for its intellectual property group, which leads the fight against counterfeit goods in Thailand and Asia. Khun Pink begins with a brief introduction to her firm, but then launches into an explanation of the 'counterfeit museum' located in their law offices which displays various fake products that the firm has helped keep off the market. According to K. Pink, Tilleke's museum is the largest such museum in the world. She then explains the absurdly large market in counterfeits, which has been estimated at 2.5 percent of all global trade as early as 2019. Greg raises the interesting question of whether counterfeit goods are always harmful. If the consumer knows their 'Gucci' watch is not real, then who is being harmed? K. Pink gives several responses. First, due to lower quality, fake goods can actually be harmful, as in the case of decreased durability and likelihood of failure. Second, a market filled with counterfeits can discourage creators from taking the risks necessary to make new products. Third, companies making fake goods typically don't pay taxes, thus depriving the government of revenue. And last, countries with a bad reputation for counterfeits can have trouble attracting foreign investment, thus hurting the economy as a whole. Then there is the question of - if you're okay with shoes and watches, what about medicine and car parts? Where does it end? The two continue their discussion of this complex issue, covering questions of the role of the Thai government in enforcing (or not enforcing) current laws to how K. Pink gives advice to clients considering doing business in Thailand. 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 Apr 202343min

Greg and Ed take up the somewhat grim topic of motorbike accidents in Thailand. As this episode is essentially the Songkran episode for this year, the timing could not be more appropriate because more people die in road accidents during the '7 dangerous days' around the holiday than during any other time of the year. Ed takes the lead and tries to break down the situation. First, Thai roads in general are just more dangerous than almost anywhere in the world, most likely due to lax enforcement of driving laws. So even if you are not on a motorbike, be very aware anytime you are near or crossing roads. Second, riding on the back of motorbikes is extremely common throughout the country, but especially in Bangkok and on tourist islands. But commonsense reveals that on a motorbike, you are considerably less protected than when in a proper automobile. Next, many foreigners choose to rent motorbikes and drive them themselves. This creates additional risk, unless you are someone very familiar with operating motorbikes or motorcycles. To make matters even worse, for many different reasons, health insurance often does not cover injuries that are a result of motorbike accidents. Possible reasons include blanket exceptions, not wearing a helmet, or not being properly licensed. The result can turn a dream holiday into a literal health and financial nightmare for tourists and expats (as well as their families). Read this story that Greg's friend Karla wrote for CNN about her motorbike-from-hell story when she first visited Thailand. The Bangkok Podcast implores listeners to tell all their friends visiting Thailand to either avoid motorbikes entirely or to guarantee they have proper health insurance coverage. Have fun this holiday but always be safe. :) 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 Apr 202335min

Greg interviews Pailin Chongchitnant of Hot Thai Kitchen, a returning guest from Season 3, Episode 4. Pailin begins with a basic introduction to her YouTube channel: she de-mystifies Thai cuisine (and how to cook it) to the English-speaking world. Each video typically encompasses one complete recipe, and she takes pains to make sure the steps are friendly to beginners as well as more advanced chefs. Further, she provides ingredient alternatives when specific Thai things might be hard to find for the average Western shopper. Greg asks how her videos have changed over the years, and Pailin notes that she has expanded into 'topic' videos, given that she already has videos that cover most Thai dishes. She has recently made videos on how to choose the proper Thai curry, how to navigate an Asian grocery store, and even how to correctly eat Thai food with a spoon (rather than a fork). Following up on an issue from the last time she was on the podcast, Pailin contends that the situation for Thai food in North America has actually improved in the last few years, partly due to a welcome shift towards crediting people of color with their contributions to the restaurant industry. Greg wraps up the interview with a few questions from our patrons for the Thai food expert. 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 Apr 202350min

Greg begins by explaining the momentous time we live in: soon there will be a general election in the Land of Smiles. He turns to Ed, allegedly a professor of political science, to give a primer (long 'i') on the upcoming election scene, but with a focus on how we got here in the first place. Ed begins by going all the way back to the elections of 2000, when Thailand was reeling from the economic crisis of 1997 and straddled with billions of dollars of debt to the IMF. On to the scene marched a nouveau riche Thai billionaire, Thaksin Shinawatra, who confidently promised to repay the government's debts early (which he did, as a matter of fact). Thaksin formed a surprisingly broad coalition of Isaan farmers and a fairly sizable chunk of the Bangkok middle class. After an economically successful but otherwise controversial first term, he was re-elected in 2004 in more or less a landslide. However, this apparent 'success' led to a backlash in the form of a coup d'etat from a conservative establishment in 2006, followed by years of political turmoil. After Thaksin's sister Yingluck won an election in 2012, another coup followed in 2014. Since then, the military has held a firm grasp on the government, but lo and behold, Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn is the leading candidate in the upcoming election. The more things change, the more they stay the same in modern Thai politics. Greg and Ed discuss whether or not any of this really matters to expats in Thailand. We can't vote, so why bother going deep? The guys offer differing perspectives on the issue, leaving it up to each expat to decide on their own. 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.

28 Mars 202342min

This is the second part of a two part interview with Paul and Yuangrat Wedel, longtime scholars and writers on Thai history and society. The first part of the interview focused on the roots of radicalism in Thai politics, especially the cultural impact of the Hindu 'sakdina' system. The second part begins with a discussion of the 1932 coup that led to the dissolution of absolute monarchy. Paul explains the education of both Pridi Banomyong and Phibul Songkhram in France, and their desire to bring Western liberal ideas to Siam. Pridi, the civilian, took a particularly leftist view of economics and tried to indoctrinate those views in the first Thai constitution. Subsequently, after the split between Pridi and Phibul, Pridi's more radical views were used against him and played a role in his eventual exile from Thailand. The conversation continues to cover the rise of the military in Thai politics, the role of satire in Thai society, the student uprisings of the 1970s, and eventually to the more recent protests against the current military-backed government. Has anything really changed? If not, is there reason for optimism? Listen in for the views of two true experts on Thailand with a genuinely long view of Thai history. 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.

21 Mars 20231h

Greg and Ed interview a fascinating and very erudite couple, Paul and Yuangrat Wedel. Paul, a native of New Jersey, met Yuangrat, a native of Nakhon Si Thammarat, in Bangkok in the late 1970s and through various twists and turns ended up both getting advanced degrees in the States and carrying on a romance and eventually getting married. (Their daughter, documentary filmmaker Pailin Wedel, is a former guest of the show, as is Pailin's husband Patrick). After setting up their life in Thailand, with Yuangrat working as a professor at Thammasat University and Paul doing NGO work, they decided to use Yuangrat's PhD dissertation as the basis for a book about radical politics in Thai history. Greg and Ed query Paul and Yuangrat about the fascinating story of Marxism and socialism in Thai history, something many Thais are entirely ignorant of. Yuangrat traces its origins back to the 'sakdina' system, a complex social hierarchy imported into Thai culture through the influence of Hinduism based on land owndership. This system created a clear separation between social classes, providing a fertile breeding ground for later far left politics that sought to free the lower working classes from the higher privileged classes. This leads to an engrossing discussion of the rise of Chinese merchants in Thai society, the effect foreign radical thought had on a groundbreaking Thai journalist, and eventually to the movement for constitutional monarchy in Thailand. Listen in if you are curious to hear a discussion on an often forgotten but truly interesting part of Thai history, and check back for part 2 next week. 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.

14 Mars 202354min

Greg and Ed look at a few recent world rankings to see where Thailand fits into a world with nearly two hundred different countries. First, Greg brings up the 'Global Power City Index,' a comprehensive ranking of 48 large cities around the world that focuses on a city's 'magnetism' or ability to attract visitors and expats. Greg outlines some of the factors measured, including livability, environment, economy and cultural interaction. Ed guesses that Bangkok will probably rank fairly low based on these criteria due to the bad traffic, air pollution, and relative lack of cultural resources. Greg reveals that in fact Bangkok ranks 40th out of 48. The guys discuss the fairness of the rankings and compare Bangkok to closely ranked cities such as Tel Aviv and Kuala Lumpur. Greg and Ed consider the 'low' ranking fair with the caveat that the competition is stiff and certainly doesn't imply Bangkok is not worth a visit. Next, Greg brings up the Internations Expat City ranking which claims that 79% of expats in Bangkok are satisfied with living in the city. Both guys consider this an impressive showing. The Forbes 'Quit Your Job and Move Abroad' list is next, and Thailand ties with Italy as the ninth best country in the world to escape to. Last, Greg and Ed take issue with a survey that listed Thailand as the 4th cheapest country in the world to visit. Ed notes that this can only be true with multiple caveats, especially the fact that the actual poorest/cheapest countries in the world are places that no one would really want to visit anyway. And Greg notes that general ratings of Thailand can be misleading because the cost of visiting Bangkok or tourist venues throughout the country is significantly more expensive than the 'real' Thailand that most Thais live in. So for most visitors, they are unlikely to find the cheap prices mentioned in the article. 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.

7 Mars 202336min