Ahh, summer time. When everyone heads down to the beach to get that wonderful golden tan that makes you look like a Hollywood star. Except in Asia, where perceptions of skin tone often run counter to what they do in the west. Over here, pasty, white skin is much more desirable and has come to denote affluence, wealth and success.

In This episode of Bangkok Podcast, Anthony and Greg discuss how Thais shun dark skin and yearn for white skin, how beauty products and advertising try to promote the message that you'll only find love and success if you're pasty, and what effect it has on the psyche of someone growing up with a dark complexion.

Anthony also gives us the lowdown on his visit to a part of Bangkok that most western expats never see - the cloistered Japanese nightclub scene.