The Bangkok Podcast | Expat Life In Thailand Via Expats From Canada & America

Greg interviews Chin Chongtong, the founder of Chili Paste Food Tours, a food-based tourism company in Bangkok. Khun Chin first relates her difficult early days as an untrained tour guide, giving informal tours around Bangkok, having to negotiate both massive floods and military coups that shut down half the city. After getting a formal tour guide certificate from the Thai government, she and a friend developed the concept of food-based tours around Bangkok and occasionally other parts of Thailand. Chin is known for her highly specialized tours and her ability to seek out the most unique or hole-in-the-wall locations serving hard-to-find-food for any audience - vegetarians, spice-lovers, or those who are simply adventurous and want a surprise. Greg and Chin then trade some behind-the-scenes stories about being a tour guide, in particular the need to be flexible and to have backup plans for every eventuality.  Obviously operating a business that relies on tourism right now is not easy, and Chin explains how sh

On this show the guys keep it real by discussing things they do not like about being an expat. Plus, patrons and listeners write in with their own pet peeves about being a stranger in the strange land of Thailand.  Ed begins with his number one complaint: being mistaken for a tourist. Even after 20 years in Thailand, he is still clearly not Thai, and Thais (especially those looking to make a buck) assume that ‘not-Thai’ equals tourist. This annoyance manifests itself in many ways, from constant pestering to buy tchotchkes to take home (wooden frog anyone?) to taxi drivers that won’t use the meter. Ed wishes for a permanent sign (or maybe a tattoo?) that makes clear he’s not fresh off the plane. Greg follows with a whole series of annoyances sent in by listeners, from the classic ‘can you take care of my friend’s friend while they are in Thailand’ to the more obscure favors asked by former expats who still need help from someone in-country (power of attorney, really?). The complaints run the gamut, but with on

Greg and Ed interview Dr. Sarah Taylor, the Canadian Ambassador to Thailand to discuss her role in Thailand, Thailand’s role in Asia, and what Canada and Thailand have in common...and don’t have in common.  Ambassador Taylor comes from a long line of diplomats, with parents who met while on mission overseas. Once bitten by the travel bug, she ended up majoring in archaeology but later began a career in the Canadian foreign service. She has had stints in several countries around the world, including Indonesia, the Philippines, and China, before becoming Canada’s Ambassador to Thailand in 2019. The ambassador discusses her job as well as Canada’s relationship with Thailand, especially in light of Canada’s much larger neighbor often hogging the international spotlight. She also discusses how Canada’s experience dealing with indigenous peoples could be helpful to the Thai government in its relationship to the various hill tribes scattered throughout North Thailand.  Among other things, the guys pepper the Ambassa

The guys return to their ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ series to discuss the sin of ‘Sloth.’ Greg notes in an introduction that sloth can be a little hard to define in that all the other sins involve actively doing something, whereas sloth of course can refer to simply being really lazy. The guys agree that for the purposes of the show they will rule out simply staying home and being a slug on the couch to answer the question - what are some of the best ways to spend a day in Bangkok being as slothful as possible? Greg begins with a simple idea: hanging out at one of Bangkok’s many swanky 5-star hotels. Sounds simple but long-term expats often overlook the awesome infrastructure built to cater to tourists. We can use it too! He also recommends dailypass.com, a membership service that allows you to take advantage of a hotel’s full amenities (such as gym and swimming pool) without being a guest...for a fee. Last, Greg goes back to the old faithful, the ultra 5-star cinema experience where you can be insanely pampered whi

Greg and Ed interview Oliver Ackermann, one of the co-producers of the Thailand-based Netflix series “The Serpent,” about 1970s era serial killer Charles Sobhraj. Oliver is a partner in Living Films, a prominent production company based in Thailand famous for shepherding large foreign productions (such as Hangover 2, which our buddy Chris Lowenstein talked about on season 1) through the maze of Thai government regulations as well as Thai culture in general. Oliver walks through his process of finding locations in Thailand that can mimic almost any place in the world, and laying the groundwork for a small army of people to make a globetrotting series about murder and deception in Bangkok. Oliver also discusses his role helping foreign actors adjust to Thai culture and temperature, interfacing with the Thai film board that must approve all scripts, the amazing local Thai film crews, the BBC’s obsessive research on the source material for ‘The Serpent,’ and how to find dozens of genuine, functioning 1970s era au

This is the second episode of Greg and Ed’s interview with Joe Cummings, expat extraordinaire. This episode begins with a bang as the guys discuss the future of cannabis in Thailand and then goes right into the kind of story that has to be heard to be believed, but basically it involves an attempted recruitment of Joe into the CIA while he was a graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley. Enough said. The guys follow with a discussion of Joe’s take on the current round of protests and how they relate to all the protests of the past (and Joe has seen MANY). Ed and Greg give their perspectives about what may be different about the current protesters while Joe offers a fairly skeptical perspective but with a hint of optimism. Last, Greg asks Joe a question from our patron Phil, about what adventures are left in Thailand. Joe explains that there are actually plenty of islands in the South that are relatively untravelled in Thailand. Greg finishes off with a few classic ‘Joe stories’ from his lon

Greg and Ed do a tag team interview of legendary Thailand expat Joe Cummings, a renaissance man and expert on Thai culture if there ever was one. Joining us during a break on his latest film role, Joe and Greg discuss how they met in the jungles of Mae Hong Son 18 years ago, and discuss how Joe went from being known primarily as a writer (most famously founding Lonely Planet Thailand) to being an actor, musician and consultant on Southeast Asian mythology and culture, most recently for the Disney film ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’. Although a consummate traveler and consumer of Thai nightlife, Joe also explains that he has two Master’s Degrees, one in Southeast Asian Studies and one in Applied Linguistics. It’s safe to say Joe’s expertise is grounded both in the academic world and the real world of his hundreds of adventures in Thailand and around the world.  The guys then traverse a wide range of subjects from the apparent increase in Asian representation in American cinema to the extent to which both the U.S.

Hey there! This type of content usually goes out to our patrons only, but we figured it was important and relevant to everyone, so we're putting it out to y'all! Our buddy Kevin and his wife Tip have just landed in Bangkok from the US after getting vaccinated and doing a whackload of paperwork. We check in with him to see what the process was like and get an idea of what people may have to deal with as they start to return to Thailand. Enjoy!

Utilizing a topic suggested by listener Wes, Greg and Ed discuss the unwritten ‘rules’ of Thai culture - the ones that everyone knows but aren’t written down anywhere, despite Ed wishing they were because he really has no idea what he’s doing right and wrong! As Greg notes, we all have to fake it until we make it. Greg then begins a series of specific puzzles that farangs have to navigate, including the proper use of the expletive ‘arai wa,’ knowing when or how much to lower your head when passing in front of someone, trying to determine the correct use of ‘nong’ and ‘phee’ when interacting with a stranger of indeterminate age, and how to wai someone when your hands are otherwise occupied.  The guys discuss each puzzle, but Ed notes his overarching problem: what to do when Thai people treat him as a foreigner and don’t follow Thailand’s cultural norms. Should farangs follow Thai rules when Thais don’t? No one knows! But Greg and Ed agree that the impact of these difficulties is lessened by Thais flexibility a

Greg interviews three local comedians, Justin St-Denis, Chris Raufheisen, and Tana Sukke, about life as a stand-up in Bangkok. After a few quick bios Greg dives right in with his brief experience as a standup in Canada and then later in Bangkok, which kicks off a discussion about the recent history of western-style stand-up comedy in Bangkok.  Tana discusses the difficulty of doing comedy in a foreign language, as well as the difference between English comedy and Thai comedy. Greg and the gang try to figure out the seeming Thai preference for silly gags and sound effects and discuss famous Thai comedian Note Udom and his Netflix special. According to Tana, Note is unique in that he’s truly doing stand-up as opposed to playing a character on stage.  Greg then takes questions from the patrons, and the first question involves the effect of ‘pc’ or ‘woke’ culture on comedy in Bangkok. Luckily, the local comics agree that the Thai scene has largely been immune to the sometimes judgmental audiences in the West, par

We think almost every long-term expat has been asked how long they’ve been here before, only to see the challenge, throw down their card, and ask the inevitable: “How about you?” It’s an unspoken contest. But does it even matter? Greg and Ed tackle this issue of status, noting that although they’ve been in Thailand TWENTY YEARS, that number is dwarfed by such legendary expats as Joe Cummings (soon to be a guest on the podcast), who arrived in Thailand in 1977. Ed jokes that part of the appeal of the podcast is that the guys love to talk about all their mistakes and misunderstandings, but certainly they have learned a lot in twenty years. Greg throws out the distressing thought that simply being here twenty years may not lead to any more wisdom than being here ten, as Ed notes he probably is at his peak knowledge of Thailand now only because of his role as co-host of the podcast, which forces him to raise his game. The boys end up trading stories about various old timers they have met, with Joe C. leading the

Greg interviews Colonel Johnny Thoyts, an old friend who has been retired in Thailand for over 20 years. Johnny has had an interesting time in Thailand - as the former British military attaché, he summarizes his career and his various experiences living in Thailand and dealing with some of the country’s top military and diplomatic brass.  Next, Johnny recounts his life in Bangkok, Hua Hin, and more recently Khorat. Greg and Johnny discuss the cultural quirks of Thailand, from the Thais reaction to older foreigners living in Thailand to the Thai attitude of ‘mai pen rai.’  Then, Johnny relates the changing retirement rules in Thailand, including the cash required in Thai banks to support a retirement visa. He emphasizes the fairly harsh nature of Thai laws that apply to resident expats, as opposed to the laws of neighboring countries such as Malaysia. Although he likes his life in Thailand and has resigned himself to it, his dream (and the dream of many expats) is that Thailand revise the laws that apply to lo

The guys discuss the sticky situation of what it means to lose your job in Thailand as an expat, and the relative insecurity that all of us have, no matter how long we’ve lived here.  Ed gives a quick overview of the law: if you have a non-immigrant ‘B’ visa connected to a work permit and a Thai company, and your work permit is canceled, then your visa is also automatically canceled and you have exactly 7 days to leave the country. Now it may be possible to re-enter as a tourist, of course, but even that can cause significant life disruptions because it is not possible to get a new work permit with a tourist visa! Greg jumps in with a personal story of losing his job last year due to the ravages of COVID on the travel industry. He was in a particularly scary situation given that he is married with a kid, and even with all his years in Thailand, he would have been subject to the same 7-day rule as everybody else. Thankfully he had some luck and found a new job. Bullet dodged.  Greg and Ed discuss the fairness

Greg interviews Midnight Poonkasetwattana and Inad Rendon, the Executive Director and Program Director at APCOM, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of gay men who are facing discrimination. We begin by raising the issue of the image of Thailand as a very gay-friendly place. Does the reality match the reputation? According to Midnight, in some ways, because Thai culture is less confrontational and LGBTQI people in Thailand are unlikely to face violence. However, Midnight notes that the West often provides legal protections lacking in Thailand, such as same-sex marriage or partnership rights.  Inad tells his story of living in the Philippines as a gay and HIV-positive man, and the differences between his past life and what it’s like living in Thailand. In general, the Philippines was more conservative and traditional, given the influence of Catholicism and Islam. But Inad concurs that it’s a mistake to think of Thailand as a gay paradise. Check out TestBKK for more info on what’s being done in th

Welcome to season 5! Greg and Ed discuss the new season, which admittedly is mostly a continuation of the last season - if it ain’t broke, etc. But some nostalgia is warranted, and the guys reminisce about the last two seasons since Evo’s departure. Ed can’t believe he’s done 150 shows plus, and both guys make some modest suggestions for changing things up. Maybe some shows should include video, at least for the patrons? Ed suggests revisiting earlier topics and updating them with new info. Greg concurs, and talks about some plans he has to get some higher-profile guests.  Inserted are interviews with our gracious former co-hosts, Tony Joh and Evo Terra. Tony and Greg reminisce about the let’s-see-if-this-works experience of season 1 and gives a few updates on his current status in Canada, planning a return to Japan and/or Europe, and re-launching the Tokyo Podcast. Evo then talks about his life in Arizona, and his insistence on using Thai in every Thai restaurant he can find in the States. Turns out Evo has

Hey guys, Greg and Ed are taking this week off for a short break, but we'll be back with the first episode of SEASON FIVE (OMG) of the show on March 17. See you then!

Greg interviews Chris Larkin, creator of ThaiCitizenship.com, a website that answers all the confusing, conflicting, confounding questions about getting citizenship in Thailand. Half Thai-Half Australian, Chris grew up mainly in Australia and got his Thai passport in his early twenties. Now married to a woman from New Zealand, it was their yearly slog up to Chaeng Wattana to deal with visas and work permits that led them down the path of getting Thai citizenship for her, and setting up a site to help others get the info they need. Greg and Chris walk through the two main routes to citizenship: via permanent residency, or applying directly via marriage. The requirements are similar but not exactly the same, and some strategy is needed to determine what is best for you. Chris runs through some common misunderstandings (that you must be fluent in Thai for example), discusses the process, and lays out what he has learned over the years about best practices.  In short Chris says that the process is definitely some

If Thailand is good for one thing, it’s ‘interesting’ expats, and Greg and Ed keep it light with a humorous discussion of some of the crazy characters they’ve met over the years in Bangkok. All names have been changed of course, but Greg recounts a few stories of ‘Chandler’, an out-of-control, heavy drinking, motorcycle riding, jacket busting, wrecking ball of an expat, as well an African refugee who recounted stories of civil war that sobered Greg up real quick. Ed counters with a few stories of a chap who couldn’t open his refrigerator door lest he be electrocuted and spent his evenings dropping acid and watching his pet turtles race, as well as a Swedish friend who ended up getting deported and incarcerated back home on the continent. There are always stories to entertain and lessons to learn if you ask a question and listen, and Bangkok is a fantastic place to mine for stories and lessons. And remember - if you’re bored in Bangkok, the problem ain’t Bangkok. :) Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free ve

Ed interviews Chokwan ‘Kitty’ Chopaka, an expert on the cannabis industry in Thailand. The interview begins with a discussion of how Kitty ended up in this field - strangely, it was her mother that suggested she’d make a great ‘ganjapreneur.’ After trying a cannabis venture in the U.S., Kitty founded the Thai company Elevated Estate, which serves as both an educator to the entire industry and a consultant to cannabis startups in Thailand.  Ed and Kitty work through the roughly four categories of the cannabis industry: hemp products with very low levels of THC, CBD oil also with low levels but designed as a medical treatment, medical marijuana with high levels of THC, and full blown recreational cannabis. It turns out the Thai government just recently started accepting applications from prospective hemp farmers, and Kitty thinks that products could hit the shelves by the end of the year. Kitty walks us through what’s available in Thailand, what might be available soon, and where the gray lines (and red tape) a

In a return to our Neighborhood Focus series, Greg and Ed check out Soi Suan Phlu and some of the surrounding area, broadly known as either Sathorn or Yen Akat. We start with a discussion about Suan Phlu of yesteryear, when almost all foreigners had to go there for a miserable immigration ritual. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Suan Phlu seemed dreary and certainly not a place you would hang out once you were done wrestling with the Thai bureaucracy. However, over the years, Soi Suan Phlu has slowly changed. Although the immigration office is still open, it is used primarily for ASEAN immigrants, with most farangs relegated to a long ride out to the super dome at Chaeng Wattana. But the effect on Suan Phlu has been undoubtedly positive. Although far from the gentrification of Thong Lor, it has its share of cocktail bars, cozy coffee shops, farang food, and a serious plethora of Thai street food of all types.  The long and short of it is that Soi Suan Phlu is well worth a visit for the cozy neighborhood atmosphere tha