Greg and Ed discuss the long, strange and complex history between Thailand and Cambodia in an attempt to shed some light on the tragic current conflict. Greg begins with some early history. The majority of Southeast Asia was once part of the Khmer Empire based in Angkor. Eventually Thai kingdoms in Sukhothai and Ayutthaya achieved independence, but tension between the two powers was constant. In a complex maelstrom of alliance and conflict, each power borrowed, copied and outright stole selected cultural artifacts from each other, such that untangling the exact pedigree of multiple shared cultural touchstones can be difficult.

Like many empires in history, the Khmer power began to wane in the face of territorial integrity, outside threats, inside warring, and eventually, the rise of Thai kingdoms (as well as Viet ones), all of which led to the slow decline of Angkor. In the late 1800s, the Khmers sought the protection of France, who bullied Siam into ceding territory that would eventually become modern Cambodia. Japan played a similar role in World War II. After the war in Vietnam, radical communists took over Cambodia and destroyed many institutions of modernity, but their extreme nature led them to be invaded by Vietnam, who eventually installed Hun Sen as prime minister. When Vietnam faltered in the 80s and 90s, Cambodia turned to China as a patron.

When Thaksin Shinawatra, an outsider among the Thai elite, rose to power, he formed an unlikely bond with the Hun Sen clan in Cambodia. However, the recent Shinawatra foray into legalized casinos in Thailand was too much for the friendship, and Hun Sen betrayed Thaksin's daughter, leading to the downfall of her government. Both countries used the incident and long-gestating disputes over the border to stoke nationalist fervor, and provocations eventually led to all out conflict.

Greg and Ed agree that while the two countries have clear issues to settle, the ongoing violence can only make matters worse, and diplomacy, with or without the help of Donald Trump, must prevail.

Note that this episode was recorded on December 10, so there may or may not have been important developments by the time you hear this.

On this show, Greg and Ed discuss what Greg would do if he was the boss man in charge of Thailand, echoing a similar show with Ed's plans earlier in the year. (Check out Season 7, Episode 54 if you are curious.) Greg begins with an interesting but ambitious plan to establish bike lanes underneath the elevated portion of the BTS and MRT. Ed immediately welcomes the idea, but both recognize what a massive undertaking it would be. Currently there are long walkways under certain portions of the BTS, but there are miles upon miles of essentially unused 'space' underneath other portions that would be perfect for bicycles. Hey, no one said this would be cheap, just better.

Next, Greg suggests that a portion of revenue from traffic fines be put towards police budgets, traffic safety programs, and community education based on improved metrics like response time, crime rate and community sentiment. The guys consider the idea eminently feasible and wonder whether it might be implemented already.

On that note, Greg talks about his idea to use heavy fines for air polluters in a similar fashion, only to discover that last month Thailand's new clean air bill does just that.

Greg continues with a myriad of other bold plans involving expanding sidewalks, planting trees, and installing free massage chairs in malls. Listen in for the details and Ed's always insightful feedback.

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

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 enjoy Bangkok, which is very hard to do if you don't have full mobility.

Khun Saba explains that he became aware of the difficulty of moving around Thai cities, especially Bangkok, after he became disabled, and notes that while physical and structural issues are important, the key issue is really awareness. Simply put, if people blindly accept all the problems with transportation in Bangkok, then of course they will never be solved.

Greg asks Khun Saba about a notorious incident in which he broke a pane of glass when he couldn't use the elevator at Asoke BTS Station. The circumstances were unusual and need to be fully listened to to be understood, but the incident highlights the daily frustration of disabled people in Bangkok.

Khun Saba also makes clear that his organization fights for the rights of all Bangkokians to safe and convenient access to transportation in the city and not just the rights of people who are actually physically disabled. He describes his dream of making Bangkok a city of truly international standards where all citizens are equal in terms of their access to the city. We urge you to like the page of Accessibility is Freedom - you'll get some great insight into Bangkok from a whole different point of view.

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.

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 minute changes.

In Part 2 of Greg and Ed's interview with John Schachnovsky, the former head of the FBI in Thailand, the men continue discussing John's varied responsibilities in the Land of Smiles, this time focusing on specific cases. John brings up the he played in the Asian Tsunami of 2004 and how the FBI used its technology to help identify myriad victims. John mentions that due to the close working relationship between the U.S. and Thai governments, the FBI would lend a helping hand (often one with advanced technology) anytime it could.

Greg then brings up a very current issue - the horrible crimes being committed by cross border scam centers. John mentions that the issue was already hot for the FBI several years ago during his tenure. He emphasizes the unique complexity of such crimes - they involve multiple nations, honchos who themselves often come from other countries such as China, and lower level perpetrators who are themselves often victims of trafficking.

To wrap up, the guys get personal and discuss John's love of Thailand and his project getting his wife to agree to stay in the country permanently. Greg and Ed wouldn't know anything about that!

Get John's book here!

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 explaining his early career with the FBI and his subsequent move to Bangkok. Greg and Ed ask about the exact role of the FBI oversees and John explains in detail. First, as a branch of the U.S. government, the FBI has no legal jurisdiction in Thailand and must work directly with the Thai government for everything they do. Second, the FBI's role is entirely distinct from the CIA. The FBI does law enforcement, the CIA does intelligence gathering with a focus on American national security. That being said, the two agencies did and do share information when it supports their respective missions.

Next, the men focus on the reputation of the Royal Thai Police, which, to put it bluntly, is not good. John stresses that he found the RTP to be hardworking and professional overall, but admits that in some cases, the RTP had different ideas about what counts as 'corruption' and what does not. He emphasizes that, at least in his experience, the reputation is undeserved and he hopes to correct it in his book, which you can get here, or at Asia Books in Thailand.

Tune in next week for Part 2 and a discussion of some of John's more famous cases.

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 country's prosperity, competitiveness and social longevity. The guys walk through the issues one by one and give their take on its significance,

The first issue is border security. Ed points out that Thailand actually has major security issues on the Burmese, Malaysian, and Cambodian borders, something that is easy to forget from the security of Bangkok. In fact several of the later issues tie in to this problem, including the major problems of government corruption and of scam centers in Cambodia and Burma, that implicate Thailand in international crime networks. Greg points out that these 'scam cities' are sometimes connected to the Thai power grid or Internet service and may also be trafficking victims through Bangkok. As a 'rule of law' guy, Ed emphasizes the importance of cleaning up these issues and ridding Southeast Asia of its Wild West image.

Another cluster of issues centers around the economy, such as the slower the expected recovery of the tourism sector after COVID and Thailand's perennial fixture in the 'middle income trap,' clearly surpassing Cambodia but somehow also managing to be miles away from South Korea and Japan.

Check in for discussion of a bunch of other topics, including demographics, AI adoption, and environmental problems, and make sure to read the full article for a more thorough breakdown of each issue.

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 as well as the stories and history behind it.

On this show Greg interviews Art and Irma, owners of Siri Sala Private Thai Villa, located off of Charan Sanitwong Road, not far from where Ed lives. The couple begins with the story of how they discovered the property - at the time, an old family home that had fallen into disrepair - while on a boat ride down the Bangkok Noi Canal, and the various serendipitous events that were necessary for them to become the new owners.

Greg then discusses with them the extensive rebuilding and renovations that needed to be done to complete the space. The entrepreneurial couple explains the lengthy design process, one driven by a desire to maintain the authenticity of a traditional Thai house, but with the lived-in practicality of a genuine home, as opposed to a museum piece. Next, the conversation moves to the various uses of the unique location. Irma explains that events were the primary intended purpose, but that very quickly video productions were knocking on their door. After several smaller shoots, they were chosen to play a major part in White Lotus, Season 3, and Greg talks with Art and Irma about that amazing experience.

Last, the couple announces the impending opening of Siri Sila as a boutique hotel, that allows rental of individual rooms or the whole property, as well as entire buyouts for those who want a memorable stay they will never forget.

Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

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 experience Bangkok was in the early days, and how helpful it was to make a network of friends that you could turn to for advice.

Of course, not all advice is great, especially when you're talking with random people about how your new foreign home works. We think it's fair to say that most advice you get is subjective and can probably be taken with a grain of salt, but some advice…some advice is gold, and should be locked away for further investigation.

Greg and Ed take a look back at their early days in the Kingdom and each come up with 2 bits of advice that they got that they did not lock away for further investigation, and now - in their wise old age - regret. From dating to geography, sometimes it pays to listen to old-timers to make the most of your new situation.

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.

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 the capital city of malls and mall culture, and each mall seems to have its own identity. The guys walk through Greg's somewhat salty slogans from ten years ago to see if they are still valid.

Here are some representative examples: MBK - "Not even we know what stores lurk in our dark corners and forgotten depths." Ed chuckles at the appropriateness of the slogan, given that MBK seems chock full of unexpected side areas and forgotten hallways. EmQuartier - "Come for the cool food hall and interesting stores. Stay because you can't find the exit." Once again, Ed concurs, having just been at the infamously architecturally complex mall. Central World - "Stop whining, the 5 km walk will do you good." With its renovations over the years, this mall has undoubtedly improved, but one fact can't be denied: it's freaking huge. So if you need some more steps to get to your 10k for the day, this is the mall to do it.

Ed even chimes in with some of his own slogans for Bangkok's new malls, such as Icon Siam: "A mall designed 100% for Asians: as long as you are a rich Chinese tourist." This time Greg nods his head in agreement. Listen in for our take on the bounty of unique malls through the city.

Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.