Foreign Fool: A Conversation with Author Alan Platt

(Direct download .mp3) We are lucky to be joined by another farang Thai speaker for our Thai language series, Adam Bradshaw. Adam has a large online following who enjoy watching his energetic and easy to understand YouTube videos where he explains the more commonly heard English phrases to his Thai audience. Things like "What's up?" and the difference between "Up the street" and "Down the street" can be very confusing for non-native speakers, but Adam makes it easy. He talks about how Thai students learn English, the methods he used for learning Thai, how his Thai YouTube audience thought his voice was dubbed by a Thai speaker, and tells us about how he interviewed the Prime Minister of Thailand in Thai. He also helps us translate a phrase that we all use on a daily basis: 2 Legit 2 Quit. Greg also tells us abou this swanky new glasses, and he and Tony talk about how Thailand is a great place to get some routine personal maintenance done if you have the chance - things like seeing the dentist, getting your eyes checked or going for a physical. Show Links: Adam Bradshaw YouTube Mobile in Japan Thantakit Dental

23 Jan 201148min

On this episode, Tony and Greg discuss the ins and outs of finding a job in Thailand. A lot of people - after a vacation full of fun and frivolity - think that moving to Thailand will be a sure way to leave the rat race and live a life of blissful utopia. However, while working in Thailand is still (in our opinion) an infinitely better and more interesting experience than working at home, the truth of the matter that working here is not the endless party many want it to be.  Office politics, rush hour, overdue bills and looming deadlines are inescapable truths to any job, and Thailand is no different. On top of that, there are things such as work permits and the lack of social safety nets to consider. Tony and Greg talk a bit about this, as well as the best places and methods to find jobs here, including a discussion on the most popular route into the Thai workforce - teaching English. Tony also tells us about his recent illness, and Greg recounts the horrifying day in High School he had to be sent home because of chicken pox.

16 Jan 201140min

On the second part of our interview with talk show host and all around cool dude Woody Malintachinda, we learn a bit more about Woody's job and some of the crazy stories that come from being on TV. From being told he's "nobody" by American celebrity handlers to dealing with self-censorship to what he thinks of Twitter and his fans (even when they criticize him), it's a fascinting peek into one of the most well-known (and certainly most energetic) Thai TV personalities around. Greg also talks about a book that he's reading that takes place in Bangkok 300 years in the future, and how its plot is taken from some of problems that we have to deal with in Bangkok today.

9 Jan 201145min

On the first part of a special two-part episode, we are very pleased to welcome one of Thailand's top talk show personalities, Woody Milintachinda. As host and producer of 'Woody Kerd Ma Kui' (Born to Talk), Woody is well known to Thais all over the country for his unique style of interviewing everyone from supermodels to fortune tellers to politicians. Sometimes controversial but always interesting, Woody joins Bangkok Podcast to talk about his childhood in the US and Switzerland, the positive and negative aspects of being a high-profile TV star, and how he hides his mid-afternoon naps from his staff. In addition, Greg talks about his New Year's Eve party, and Tony goes into detail about his recent trip to Japan, explaining just how different Tokyo is to Bangkok, and how Tokyo would likely simply stop working if a bit of Bangkok's chaotic nature were introduced into the mix.

2 Jan 201155min

For the last show of 2010, Tony and Greg decided to learn a little about more about how each of them views their adopted city. To that end, each of them came up with five questions about life in Bangkok without telling the other what they were; improvisational podcasting at its finest! What did Greg ask Tony? What did Tony ask Greg? The answers are all in episode #33 of Bangkok Podcast. They also talk about Tony's upcoming trip to Japan, and how Christmas is celebrated in Bangkok... or rather, how it's not celebrated. Happy New Year and thanks for making our first year a huge success!

23 Dec 201043min

While our regular Thai language Jedi Rikker takes a well-deserved break, we're joined today by Hamish Chalmers, another noted Thai speaker, blogger, Tweeter and all-around nice guy. As a teacher at a well-regarded international school, Hamish has some unique insights into how students of languages (Thai or otherwise) learn, what methodologies work best, and how teachers can shape their lessons to suit each students' particular needs. Hamish also tells us how he learned Thai through pure stubbornness, how he hopes people use his website, and how much he loves Japanese pears. In addition, Tony and Greg talk about last night's Bangkok Podcast Christmas party, and want to give a BIG thanks to Dani and Martin for helping us with registration, as well as a wonderful, awesome gift that they gave us that makes all this podcasting rigmarole worth it.

19 Dec 201043min

On this episode we disucss the much-hated, much-maligned visa run, the process of renewing your visa by traveling outside of the country that you live in. Most anyone who lives in Thailand has experienced this process, and Tony and Greg go over the who, what, why, and how of the whole process, drawing on personal experience to try and answer a few questions: is it better to do on your own or use a service? Can you send your passport with an agency and stay at home? How do you deal with border bribery, and which border crossing is the best? Also, Tony - in the name of research - has used three of the most popular visa run services and gives us a rundown of the pros and cons of each one. Who has the best lunch? Who has the friendliest staff? And most importantly, which ones use a big bus, and which ones use tiny vans? Greg also tells us about his recent trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia, and we discuss how Twitter came to the aid of our friend, adventure-seeker @Vaitor, when he found himself in a Thai hospital and needed the help of a translator.

12 Dec 201043min

Ask anyone in the world what they see when they think of Thailand, and chances are that one of those things will be monks. They are a part of life here - wandering the streets early in the morning, shopping at markets, riding the skytrain - but for most foreigners, they remain somewhat mysterious and at a distance. To change those perceptions, Bangkok Podcast is very happy to welcome Phra Pandit, a Brit who was ordained as a monk in 1996 and is now a very visible part of Bangkok's Buddhist community. We ask Phra Pandit all the nitty gritty about being a monk: why are the robes orange? What time do you wake up? What does your family think? And what's the deal with meditation? He gives us a very unique and interesting insight into a side of life that most of us will never see, including details on his blog and Facebook group. Look for Phra Pandit on future shows, as he will return to further school us in the many interesting aspects of Buddhism. Tony and Greg also take a cue from some listener mail and discuss the best places to go for a jog in Bangkok, and also continue with information on the BANGKOK PODCAST CHRISTMAS PARTY!

29 Nov 201043min