Sooner or later, we all spend some time in the hospital, so Greg and Ed riff on their myriad experiences in Bangkok hospitals over the years. But before we get into that, we should note - due to Thailand’s strict defamation laws, some of the places we talk about will remain nameless. 

But with that out of the way, we can say that Thailand in general has pretty good medical care, and it is standard advice for travelers in neighboring countries to get over the border into Thailand if they have any medical problems. But, as Ed notes, Thailand does not have very good legal protections against medical malpractice: if a doctor makes a mistake, don’t expect significant financial compensation from the Thai justice system.

Greg and Ed then trade anecdotes about their own experiences in the Thai medical system, each with some good and bad things to say. Ed’s life has been literally saved by competent doctors; Greg passed himself off as a Jedi in lieu of a real religion; both have been saved a ton of grief by getting a second opinion. Your mileage may vary, but both Greg and Ed agree, as a pure value proposition (i.e. what you get for the money), Thailand, though far from perfect, is a pretty good deal. 

Listen in for some great advice on how to maximize your chances of getting a good experience at a Bangkok hospital. 

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.

Greg and Ed discuss something that is more common than many people think: being wrong about expecting some Thai government project or initiative to fail. It’s pretty easy, as expats often fall into the rut of cynicism about the Thai government sticking to a plan and actually getting stuff done, but the truth is, Thailand sometimes gets stuff right! 

Greg begins by bringing up Benjakitti Forest Park. It replaced the Thai Tobacco Monopoly, which occupied prime real estate between Sukhumvit and Rama IV for many years. When Greg heard it was going to be made into a giant public park, he was like, “Yeah right, it’s gonna get taken over by mall and condo developers,” but lo and behold, the majestic Forest Park is now there for Bangkokers to see and enjoy, and has been written about in publications around the world. Ed follows with something different: when he heard about the epic scale of the COVID vaccine rollout in Thailand, he thought it would be widely inefficient with day-long queues. In fact, it was shockingly professional, and he was in and out of there in 30 minutes! 

Greg continues with a story about the eventual success of the Thai Elite Card, and Ed follows with a discussion of electronic banking in Thailand and the unexpected return of the Shinawatra clan to Thai politics. 

Lesson learned: Don’t fall into the cynicism trap!

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.

Greg and Ed discuss a few of the many ‘cringe’ moments they have experienced over the years in failing to fit into Thai culture or  ‘do the right thing’ according to Thai society.  Ed begins with the ‘classics,’ mistakes that probably most expats make, such as wai-ing a person younger than you are, accidentally pointing the bottom of your feet towards a statue of the Buddha, and improperly touching a Thai person’s head.  Greg follows with a more specific (and hilarious) story of buying a large cereal bowl only to have his Thai girlfriend reveal it to be a bowl intended to hold toilet water. Yuk! 

Ed then mentions a case of Thai language stubbornness where he insisted he like to eat ‘fireflies’ (‘hing-hoy’ in Thai) because of its similarity to the Thai word for clams (‘hoy’ but a different tone). Rule #1: Never argue with a Thai person about Thai language! Next, Greg recounts an embarrassing moment from a play he participated in during his brief career as a school teacher, where he kissed a fellow teacher (a Thai woman) on the cheek.  Rule #2: Don’t surprise a Thai woman who is not your wife or girlfriend with a kiss in public! 

Ed’s last story is more of a confession: for many years, he had a very difficult time telling his students apart and remembering their names, leading to some epic faux-pas. Greg concludes with a story about a confusing interaction with a homeless guy who Greg blew off even though he was trying to direct Greg to stand up because the Royal Motorcade was passing. Ouch! 

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.

Greg interviews repeat guest Justin Dunne, who previously appeared on Season 6, Episode 24, discussing his cool side project ‘Bangkok Haunts.’ Justin’s main gig is to be a legend of the Food & Beverage scene in Bangkok, having been the GM of the epic Bed Supperclub back in the day, and many more bars and restaurants between then and now. Oh yeah, he’s also the head of F&B consultancy Evolution48. 

The guys begin by discussing Bangkok’s rise in status as a culinary capital. Justin contends there are many factors, not least of which is Bangkok’s ability to capture Michelin ratings, which is a traditional way to get on the international stage for great food. Another explanation is the shift in Bangkok away from the previous sole emphasis on street food to more diverse, upscale offerings. And last, food shows on TV and the Internet, including high-profile foodies such as Anthony Bourdain, had an effect.

Justin also mentions other significant milestones in the development of the food scene in Bangkok. One is the shift towards employing both Burmese and Filipino staff, which helped change the customer service culture more towards an international standard. Another is the rise of food delivery services and the embrace of technology, such as QR codes, which have reduced the friction points so much that the motivation for cooking at home is reduced. In short, Bangkok has a restaurant culture where a high percentage of people from all walks of life are either eating out or ordering in. Combined with relatively low prices compared to other international capitals, you have the recipe for a food paradise.

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.

Greg and Ed introduce Season 8 of the podcast first by looking back and all that has been achieved. Greg runs through some crazy stats, just a few of which are that there have been a total of 885 shows and more than 1.6 million (!) total streams or downloads. Insane! 

Next, the guys check in with Season 1 co-host Tony Joh and frequent podcast guest Phra Phandit. Tony relates his journey first to Japan and then back to Canada, and his business of vlogging his solo motorcycle adventures. Luckily he’s doing great, and Greg and he shared some early podcast stories.  Phra Pandit then tells his own Canada story and brings us up to date on his various retreat projects.

Last, Greg and Ed do a Zoom call with the podfather himself, Evo Terra. Evo is at home in Arizona having recently returned from Belize. He recaps his EARLY career in podcasting for listeners new to the show and then brings us up to date on his business producing mainly fiction performance shows. The legend continues! 

The guys sign off with promises of great things to come in the new season.

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.

Greg and Ed do a first for the the show, with a panel discussion with four guests! Why four? Well, everyone knows that cliche about Bangkok being a heaven for expat men, but we didn’t know much about expat women. It stands to reason that one woman can’t speak for all women, so we upped the game a bit.

After some introductions, we get into the meat of the show, with a myriad of stories that show how complex, nuanced, and (depending on the person) important the issue is to a life well lived in the capital.

Among many other things, the ladies discuss the differences between the attention they get back home and what they get in Bangkok, what it’s like to date Thai men (and women), the quality of farang men in Thailand, and a host of other issues.

There are also some hilarious(ly awful) Tinder stories, anecdotes about being approached on the street, issues that single moms have to deal with, discussion about western women who leave Thailand bitter and angry, and how Asian American women are treated in Thailand. Suffice it to say more than one can of worms are opened up in part one of a two-part mega interview.

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.

Greg and Ed discuss a fascinating question: Are Thai weddings or American weddings more fun? The question was raised after Greg attended the wedding of friend of the podcast Daniel Fraser. As everyone knows, Dan is a legit expert on travel in Thailand, in addition to being a bit of a celebrity in the country due to his appearances in various TV shows and movies. Greg noted that the experience reminded him how much more fun Thai weddings are than Western weddings, leading Ed to raise his eyebrows a bit and raise a few objections.

Ed admits that Thai weddings can be very interesting due to their local cultural aspects, which would certainly apply to Dan’s well-choreographed affair. And, of course, all weddings can be heartfelt experiences due to your wishes for the bride and groom. But when it comes to FUN in the conventional sense of the term, Ed argues that most Thai weddings are nothing more than elaborate dinners and typically lack the band, the dancing, and the drunkenness that are de rigueur at most American weddings. For fun rather than formality, Ed opts for Western weddings. 

Greg begs to differ, however (as he did on his blog ‘Greg to Differ’), and argues that Isaan weddings can include frivolity from the get-go, including shots of ya dong or Thai moonshine in the a.m. (!) Ed concedes there’s no topping that, but theorizes that perhaps there’s a difference between the typical Bangkok wedding, which might be more Thai-Chinese, and the typical Isaan wedding, which might be more fun and informal. Perhaps Ed just needs to attend some weddings out in the provinces! 

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.

Greg and Ed discuss the recent troubling decrease in overall Thai tourism numbers. In general, since COVID, the Thai tourism industry has bounced back quite well, and projections were that 2025 numbers would exceed the pre-COVID peak of 39 million visitors. However, starting at the end of last year, numbers didn’t meet expectations, and since then the dip has become more severe.

So what happened? The guys cycle through several different factors. First, the earthquake at the end of March certainly didn’t help matters, with many tourists canceling their trips for the Thai New Year in April. Second, and perhaps more concerning, several security incidents affecting Chinese tourists has led to a bit of a backlash in the largest source of tourists to Thailand. In particular, a Chinese celebrity was kidnapped and held for ransom, sparking fears that Thailand was not safe. Further, numerous stories of Burmese and Cambodian scam call centers that press foreigners into service have magnified the problem.

Ed notes that while overall numbers have dipped, the numbers from most Western countries have risen in accord with projections. Hence, the problem is limited to Asian tourists. Greg points out that the ‘White Lotus Effect’ might be the kind of thing that sparks interest in Westerners, but not in Asians, who may already feel familiar with a tropical climate and many aspects of Thai culture. 

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.

Greg and Ed tackle a frustrating aspect of learning Thai - borrowed English words that are pronounced according to the rules normally applied to native Thai words. Ed makes clear they are not just talking about accent or ‘prosody’ - the cadence of pronunciation - but actually specific changes to pronunciation that are part of the rules of the Thai language.

Examples are the best teacher so the guys jump right in. Ed begins with the all-time classic of ‘check bin,’ based on the two English words ‘check’ and ‘bill.’ The only problem is that in Thai, when a word ends in the Thai letter that sounds like ‘l’ (‘Law Ling’), it is pronounced like an ‘n,’ so by English rules, the pronunciation is completely different than the spelling. But welcome to the Thai language! Greg continues with ‘foot bawn,’ following the same rule, and Ed then discusses ‘of-fit,’ from the English word ‘office,’ which actually comes from the fact that Thais don’t end words with a an ‘s’ or soft ‘c’ sound, but instead replace it with a ‘t.’

The guys continue, running through many more minefields and intricacies of the pronunciation of loan words, with the help of Greg’s wife, who gives a baseline example in Thai. To top it off, Greg and Ed bring on special guest Jon, an old friend of the podcast, with a classic story about the difficulties of correctly hearing English words in Thai.

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.

In this month's Classic Recast, Greg interviews Palm, a professional translator of English to Thai, but in a very specific context: subtitles for film and television. Palm begins by explaining that she literally learned English by being a couch potato and watching a lot of Western TV shows and movies, surviving by figuring out the subtitles word by word. This led naturally to an interest in doing it for a living, and lo and behold, her dream came to when she got a job translating for MTV Thailand. Eventually, this led to translating for a major video distribution company (which shall remain anonymous). 

Greg quizzes Palm on the difficulties of her job and how she can possibly find Thai equivalents for all the weird expressions and slang in English. Palm notes that this in fact makes her job fun, as she often has to do research to first make sure she has the proper understanding in her own head before she can determine the best Thai equivalent. Unsurprisingly, curse words are quite difficult, and Greg and Palm discuss some rude expressions and how Palm approaches translating them. 

They also discuss the difference between simply translating a word, and translating intentions, concepts, and context. Apply this to, say, hip-hop culture, or RuPaul’s show “Drag Race”, and you can see where it becomes difficult! 

Palm concludes with some advice for wannabe subtitlers, so listen in for some excellent career guidance if you are so inclined. 

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.