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

Key links for this show: StuJay.com Hey, do you know the difference between ใ and ไ? What about เ and แ? Well, we sort of do, but you know who really does? This week's guest, Stu Jay Raj. What started as a simple question from Greg to Stu about Thai vowels gets turned around as Stu - noted linguist, polyglot, and all around swell dude - starts asking questions of Greg, slowly revealing a method of thinking about Thai vowels that isn't so obvious. Thai language learners will be mouthing along with Stu as he delves into the very DNA of the base sounds that make up most Thai vowel combinations. Not only that, you'll begin to understand the very important connection in the Thai language between what a vowel sounds like, and the position your mouth, throat, and tongue need to be in to arrive at the correct sound. Also, did you know that the Thai language is abugida? We didn't even know that word existed until this show, but Stu gives us a crash course on what it means. In Love, Loathe, or Leave, Ed - Mr. Taxi himself - asks Greg what he thinks of one of the oldest tricks in the book for taxi drivers to squeeze a bit of extra money from their fares...and whether or not it's always a scam, or sometimes just a bit of bad luck. As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

15 Maj 201836min

Greg and Ed have each been in Thailand for more than 15 years, and along the way have done a lot of things right - but also a lot of things wrong. So in the spirit of the almighty do-over, they each thought of three pieces of advice they would give to their early Thailand selves. First of all, the boys skip the obvious piece of advice - learn Thai - which should be #1 on the list of everyone planning to spend more than 6 month here. From there they get into the nitty-gritty - from dating advice to how to avoid stressing out over Thai politics, to leaving Bangkok in the rearview, to making a point to visit some of its lesser-known cultural resources, Greg and Ed think of a few important points that would have made their early Thailand experience not so much better, but possibly richer and more rewarding. And in this week's Love, Loathe, or Leave, Greg asks Ed his thoughts on the weak, bendy, nearly useless forks and spoons at Thai food courts (and, most frustratingly, in Greg's kitchen). It's safe to say neither loves them, but listen in for some musings on why, exactly, Thais put up with such lame cutlery. As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

8 Maj 201829min

You may remember a month ago Greg and Ed invited our wonderful listeners to write in with details on how long they have been living in Thailand. Listen in to hear the boys discuss the results - or if you're more disposed to pretty colors, check out the neat-o pie chart on the website. Greg then begins a conversation about Thai funerals with frequent podcast guest Phra Pandit, a British-born Buddhist monk here in Thailand. Greg notes that Thai funerals seem to be less serious and emotional than funerals back home, and Phra Pandit points out that Thai funerals are typically stretched out over several days, somewhat muting the emotional intensity of the event. Pandit also stresses that many of the rituals seen at Thai funerals are not set in stone, and there is considerable variety in the specifics of each funeral - like throwing coins (really), knocking on coffins (really), and man-handling a corpse into a more convenient position for funeral rites (yikes...really). Greg also gets schooled on why reincarnation in Buddhism is not thought of as a good thing, because one never knows in what situation one might be reborn, and any merit that can be done at the funeral in honor of the deceased might tip the karma balance in your favor. Finally, Pandit gives us a few somewhat humorous (but also pretty gruesome) behind-the-scenes rituals and, uh...manual chores that one must do to make sure a funeral goes off as planned. For Love, Loathe, or Leave, Ed challenges Greg to say anything good about inappropriately loud music at Thai markets and malls, but Greg admits he hates it - though not enough to flee the Land of Smiles. As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

1 Maj 201834min

Continuing with a series started in season 2 on some of Bangkok's more interesting neighborhoods, the boys discuss one of their favorites: Banglamphu. But before they can chat about that, exactly what is Banglamphu? It's not an official district, but it's probably best known for Khao San Road, with its borders hitting Ratchadamnoen in the south, the river to the west, north to Krung Kasem Canal, and east to Ratchadamnoen Nok. Not a huge chunk of land. Is Banglamphu a good place to live, or just to visit? Despite the area being dominated by hotels, guesthouses, and hostels, there are still some good places to hang your hat - you just need to know where to look. (Hint: try just across the river for a steep drop in price) The guys then wrestle with the elephant in the room (so to speak), by discussing Khao San Road. Awesome party road with bars and shopping, or awful hippie ghetto with gross "Thai" food? It's pretty subjective, but both Ed and Greg agree - don't eat the scorpions. All of this, plus a few personal favorite restaurants, live music venues, and tips on avoiding the madness of being stuck in a taxi as you try to get in or out of sweet, sweet Banglamphu. In 'Love, Loathe, or Leave,' Greg queries Ed on the metal, clanging change boxes carried by money collectors on buses and boats throughout the city. What are they for? What do they do? Why are they so loud? As with most things in Bangkok, it probably makes a lot more sense than it appears on first look. As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

24 Apr 201825min

Useful links: The Surprising Reason There Are So Many Thai Restaurants in America Hot Thai Kitchen We're happy to have Pailin Chongchitnant as our guest this week, creator and host of Hot Thai Kitchen, a popular YouTube channel based in Vancouver, Canada that shows people how to cook delicious Thai food recipes in their kitchens. A handful of places - Italy, Japan, Vietnam, India - have food that's so tied to their culture that the food itself is somewhat of an ambassador, and Thailand is no exception. The question then becomes how much Thai culture can a foreigner absorb simply by watching how the national cuisine is prepared? Pailin also gives some insight into how Thai food is perceived overseas & how "hipster Thai" joints are taking over, and describes how she comes up with ideas for shows. She also describes some of the insane ways foreigners try to give their native food a Thai spin by splashing peanut sauce on it - or even using - (ugh) - peanut butter! And in a post-interview email that Greg reads, Pailin also weighs in on a recent article describing how the Thai government helps Thai nationals overseas open Thai restaurants, which may or may not help the cause, depending on how passionate the owner is about "real" Thai food. As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

17 Apr 201843min

Ahhh, Songkran, a waterfight so insane that people in other countries know all about it. Love it or hate it, it's THE holiday on the Thai calendar, and unless you've got a (probably damp) ticket in your (probably damp) little hands, it's hard to avoid. Greg starts off showing how poorly he can recollect the origins of Songkran off the top of his head, before he and Ed discuss the infamous "Ministry of Culture Gets Pissed at Topless Dancing Girls" episode of Songkran 2011, which left people alternately laughing, livid, or losing face. (Read Kaewmala's excellent insight into that episode here, and a NY Times story here) Ed also shares his belief that Songkran might be the perfect Thai holiday, where old and new, conservative and liberal, and reserved and raucous clash in the most Thai of ways. You'll also get to hear them recollect stories about friends getting soaked despite not wanting to, how a pitcher of beer was poured over Greg's head one year, and why two (now)-jaded dudes might head out again this year just to see what's up. As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. 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 Apr 201834min

Going vegetarian in Bangkok has always struck Greg as somewhat of an inconvenience - I mean, how many vegetarian street food stalls do you know? But guess who's been on a full-on vegan diet for the past year? That's right, Ed. And guess who is going to give Greg some insight on actually how easy it is to be a vegetarian in Bangkok? Well...yes, of course, also Ed. You've been here before, I see. Ed - a noted vegan - dishes a bit on what he thinks of the politics and clique-iness of strict diets, as well as the role that religion may play for some people, while Greg - a noted carnivore - recollects a few tales of searching for food in Bangkok with vegan friends. Let's just say it wasn't his favorite dining experience. We also spin up Love, Loathe or Leave, where Ed wants to hear Greg's thought on the (ongoing...maybe?) effort to clean food vendors off of Bangkok's sidewalks. As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

3 Apr 201825min

Welcome back! For the first show of season 3, Greg introduces you to the new co-host of the Bangkok Podcast, Ed "The Truth" Knuth. Together they have a combined 35 years in the Big Mango, so they reminisce a bit about what the city was like when they first got here, how it compares to now, and what they think the city will look like in 10 or 20 years. Purely based on conjecture, of course, they have no real experience with this, but since when has making uneducated predictions been a bad idea? One of the things Greg and Ed discuss is the future of Bangkok's train network - click here to see a map that Greg made that shows what Bangkok will (hopefully) look like in 10 or so years. We also thank Patreon supporter Mike Herrin, who hides his steamy real life Bangkok adventures behind a veil of boring office work. And don't worry about losing one of the favorite parts of the show - Greg surprises Ed with a Love, Loathe, or Leave that has to do with motorbike taxi drivers who might be trying to kidnap you...or just simply random dudes trying to make a few extra baht. As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get early access, bonus shows, and special swag. 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 Mars 201831min