The Bangkok Podcast

When Jaded Expats Wrongly Predict Thai Failures [S8.E4]


Listen Later

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.

 

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Bangkok PodcastBy Greg Jorgensen & Ed Knuth

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

128 ratings


More shows like The Bangkok Podcast

View all
Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,774 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,734 Listeners

Tokyo Podcast by Anthony Joh

Tokyo Podcast

54 Listeners

GaijinPot by GaijinPot

GaijinPot

15 Listeners

Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

Decoder with Nilay Patel

3,140 Listeners

Under the Radar by Relay

Under the Radar

210 Listeners

The Dave Chang Show by The Ringer

The Dave Chang Show

8,358 Listeners

The Intelligence from The Economist by The Economist

The Intelligence from The Economist

2,528 Listeners

รอบโลก by กรุณาบัวคำศรี by karunabuakamsri

รอบโลก by กรุณาบัวคำศรี

21 Listeners

The Stack Overflow Podcast by The Stack Overflow Podcast

The Stack Overflow Podcast

63 Listeners

All About Thailand by Lonely Traveler Productions

All About Thailand

7 Listeners

ลงทุนแมน by longtunman

ลงทุนแมน

5 Listeners

The Decibel by The Globe and Mail

The Decibel

119 Listeners

เล่ารอบโลก by Thai PBS Podcast, Thai PBS Radio

เล่ารอบโลก

2 Listeners

Good Morning Thailand by The Thaiger

Good Morning Thailand

11 Listeners

One Night in Bangkok by One Night in Bangkok

One Night in Bangkok

12 Listeners

Pattaya Down Under by Soi Boi's

Pattaya Down Under

6 Listeners