The Bangkok Podcast

Greg Jorgensen & Ed Knuth
The Bangkok Podcast

Online since 2010! Greg Jorgensen and Ed Knuth have been knocking around Bangkok since the turn of the century. Exploring dark corners, eating amazing food, and interacting with fascinating people, the two have gotten to know and love Thailand's capital in all its confusing, mysterious glory. Every week they chat about topics near and dear to those living here, those visiting here, or those who are just curious about what it's like to live in Asia's craziest city. Want to explore Bangkok on your own? Check out Greg's self-guided audio tours on Voice Map! https://voicemap.me/publisher/greg-jorgensen

  1. Redefining What A Modern Family Means in Thailand

    6 DAYS AGO

    Redefining What A Modern Family Means in Thailand

    Continuing the exploration of some of the unexpectedly progressive moves that Thailand makes from time to time, Greg interviews his friend Jacob, an American, and his husband Geng, a Thai, about their marriage in Thailand as two men and their efforts to build a family through surrogacy. The couple begins by relating how they met and began dating, and Jacob adds that even at that stage he was looking into becoming a single father through some type of surrogacy. Luckily Geng was on board, and they began researching different clinics worldwide. They settled on a clinic in Colombia that they felt was very professional and transparent.  With a baby (the genetic son of Jacob) on the way, they decided to make their relationship legal, but at that time, same-sex marriages were still unrecognized in Thailand. Hence, they chose an online marriage in the U.S. state of Nevada. Now legal, they were then able to take their Colombian-born son back to Thailand. While there were no problems actually entering Thailand, their son was only recognized as an American tourist, with no legal connection to Geng.  The guys then explain that they plan to repeat the process with a genetic child of Geng, so they eventually hope to have two children. The next step then will be having their marriage legalized in Thailand, and finally they hope to secure the legal status of their children.  Whew! Talk about pushing the boundaries of a ‘conservative Buddhist’ country. 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.

    55 min
  2. Bangkok's Craft Brew Godfather: A Chat with Khun Chit (Classic Recast)

    JAN 28

    Bangkok's Craft Brew Godfather: A Chat with Khun Chit (Classic Recast)

    Greg interviews the fascinating Wichit Saiklao, godfather of craft beer in Thailand and founder of Chit Beer, with podcast friend Scott Coates sitting in for fun. Khun Chit relates how he first learned about homebrewing while living in the States, and after returning to Thailand and buying a small house on the river island of Ko Kret, he decided to give it a try with a kit he bought on Amazon. Just seven years later, he is a legend of Thai brewing, not just because of his own popular craft beers but also because of his brewing school which now has thousands of graduates.  Khun Chit explains his approach to Thai law, which in general prohibits small batch brewing: by focusing on staying under the radar while campaigning to change the law and spreading his love of brewing to his ‘army’ of brewers, he hopes to push Thai culture in the right direction. He estimates that there are already tens of thousands of Thai people brewing quietly at home, a number so large that eventually the Thai government will likely have to accept as a fact of life.  Greg, Scott and Khun Chit discuss the community of brewers that he has fostered and spread around the country, his ignoble first attempts at brewing, and what drives him forward. 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.

    42 min
  3. What's It Like Being An Exchange Student in Thailand?

    JAN 14

    What's It Like Being An Exchange Student in Thailand?

    Greg interviews our new friend Jannik Hiller about his experience as an exchange student in Thailand. Jannik explains that while a university student, he decided he wanted to do an exchange year in a country completely different from his native Germany, so he settled on Thailand, despite never having been here before.   Greg wonders about the quality of education in Thailand versus Germany, and Jannik explains that he was willing to sacrifice some academic quality just for the experience of traveling and living in a foreign land. Jannik then recounts his first month in the country, getting ready for school to start. After an initial shock, he fell in love with exploring Bangkok and acclimated to a dorm at Chulalongkorn University for international students. He talks about interacting with students from the U.S., Mexico, Japan, and Italy, a cosmopolitan experience that led him to pursue a Master’s Degree outside of Germany.  Jannik then expounds on the differences in the academic experience: Thai university is more formal than in Germany, given that students have to wear uniforms and the professors are treated with more deference. Further, the courses involved more group work and presentations than his typical classes back home.   Overall, Jannik’s experience at a Thai university was a very positive contrast to his typical European education, and with the help of the Bangkok Podcast, he has become a true Thai-phile (like the rest of us!). 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.

    47 min
  4. Keeping Resolutions in Bangkok: A Fool's Errand?

    JAN 7

    Keeping Resolutions in Bangkok: A Fool's Errand?

    Greg and Ed ring in 2025 with a difficult look back at their New Year’s Resolutions from 2024. They recognize the obvious: if you don’t keep your resolutions, you only have yourself to blame. But they try to answer the interesting question of whether Bangkok itself might make keeping certain resolutions more difficult.    Ed begins with a confession that he mostly failed in his efforts to improve his Thai. His plan was to study a well-regarded PDF of common Thai expressions, and while he did succeed in having a Thai friend make some recordings, he didn’t spend much time actually studying them. His second resolution was to watch the top ten best Thai films of all time, and watch them in Thai with Thai subtitles. Again, although he downloaded some of the films, he blew off actually doing the hard work. Ugh.    Greg fared somewhat better. Although he failed to watch a movie and read a book about key figures in Thai history, he did manage to spend more time at the Siam Society and develop a new hobby, the Japanese art of archery known as kyudo. Yea Greg!   Ed’s last resolution involved an effort to establish a new ‘third place.’ In this case, some serious effort was put forth at a very Thai local gym, but Ed failed to make any meaningful connections and eventually couldn’t muster the motivation to keep going.    Both guys conclude that expat life can make it difficult to keep these types of ‘self-improvement’ resolutions: expats tend to live in very self-contained bubbles that don’t make it easy to make significant changes to your life. Given this insight into the expat situation, in the end, it’s all on you to find a way to get it done. :) 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.

    35 min
  5. Looking Back, Looking Forward: What’s Next for BP in 2025

    12/31/2024

    Looking Back, Looking Forward: What’s Next for BP in 2025

    In a year-end wrap up, Greg and Ed discuss their favorite shows of the year and some plans for the podcast in 2025. Ed begins by waxing rhapsodic over his early year interview with David Cluck, Hollywood assistant director who has been based in Bangkok for the last 10 years or so (S7, Ep. 6-7). The flow of the interview was aided by the fact that David and Ed are friends, but Ed points out that it’s rare to sit down with a friend and discuss their career in depth. As a film nerd, Ed (and Greg) enjoyed David’s experience and insider storytelling ability. Greg then brings up our episode on Bangkok in your 20s vs. Bangkok in your 50s (S7, Ep. 29). Greg enjoys having pearls of wisdom about living in Bangkok that only come from having lived in Thailand so long, and Ed appreciated the way the city’s pros have changed for him from the early days to his (now) fifty-ish lifestyle. Next, Ed mentioned his other favorite interview show, with Ron Weaver, ‘American-Thai Guy’ (S7, Ep. 11-12). Both Ed and Greg enjoyed Ron’s personality and insights, and the fact that his experience as an African-American guy gave him a different take on expat life in Thailand. Greg’s next favorite episode was the one on ‘Expat Math,’ our attempt to understand Bangkok with various theories and equations (S7, Ep. 16). There’s no denying Bangkok’s chaotic nature, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely random, and the guys enjoy trying to wrap their heads around the City of Angels and come up with some guiding principles. Ed’s last favorite episode was his take on Bangkok vs. Hong Kong (S7, Ep. 24). As someone who doesn’t travel all that much, Ed enjoyed being able to experience the iconic city and weigh it against his home. Greg wraps up the favorites by bringing up our show on ‘The Limits of Mai Pen Rai,’ (S7, Ep. 40). Both guys agree this might be their ‘angriest’ episode, but defend the right to put their foot down when it comes to inaction to solve problems that result in horrible tragedies, especially when they’re in the service of improving safety for everyone. Last, Greg and Ed discuss their plan to use the last week of every month to air an old show, rather than putting out a new show every week. The truth is the guys need a breather to help them brainstorm new material, but also think listeners would benefit from listening to many of the old gems from previous years. 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.

    36 min
  6. Setting Down Roots in Bangkok: Should You Rent or Buy?

    12/18/2024

    Setting Down Roots in Bangkok: Should You Rent or Buy?

    Greg and Ed tackle the age-old question for expats living in Thailand: Should I buy or rent a condo or house? The boys begin by making clear there is not one simple answer to this question, and it depends a LOT on a person’s particular circumstances, such as budget, length of stay, and investment expectations. Nevertheless, there are general questions that everyone should consider when making this decision. Hat tip to a video that ThailandBound posted for providing the brainstorming.    The guys go through seven separate topics, ranging from possible double pricing for Thais and foreigners, to the consideration that must be given to condo maintenance fees and the difficulty of finding repairmen if you are an owner. Further, Bangkok is famous for new construction, and each new building may have amenities that make your 5-year-old building feel (and look) ancient by comparison. On top of all this, there are cultural considerations, such as Thais’ notorious fear of ghosts and bad luck in general, hence their preference for buying new rather than lived-in residences.   While there’s no single answer for all expats, everyone planning a long stay in the Kingdom should certainly consider these factors before making such an important decision.  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.

    30 min
  7. Filmmaker James Newman on his Documentary Bangkok: City of Angels

    12/10/2024

    Filmmaker James Newman on his Documentary Bangkok: City of Angels

    Greg interviews writer and filmmaker James Newman, a long-time expat in Thailand who recently made a documentary film about our beloved city of Bangkok. James starts out explaining his background in London as an insurance executive, his subsequent departure to Thailand, and his career as a writer during the e-book boom of the naughts. Around 2017 he transitioned to filmmaking and made a successful short film called ‘Crazy Medicine,’ directed by friend of the podcast Richie Moore.  But today’s show centers on James’ recent film, “Bangkok: City of Angels,” an attempt to capture the chaotic appeal of Bangkok in documentary form. James discusses his decision to cover a broad arc of Thai history, from a cholera outbreak 200 years ago to the more recent COVID pandemic, explaining that he wanted to show the ways in which history can appear to repeat itself and the ways that Thais overcome adversity.  The two discuss the dozens of significant events in Thai history that have shaped Bangkok, from the founding of the city through to World War II and the Vietnam War. More recently, the film considers the 1997 financial crisis, the various political upheavals, up through the pandemic, during which the film was shot.  While it may be impossible to capture the true essence of Bangkok in one film, “Bangkok: City of Angels” certainly is a serious effort in that direction. 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.

    43 min
4.6
out of 5
127 Ratings

About

Online since 2010! Greg Jorgensen and Ed Knuth have been knocking around Bangkok since the turn of the century. Exploring dark corners, eating amazing food, and interacting with fascinating people, the two have gotten to know and love Thailand's capital in all its confusing, mysterious glory. Every week they chat about topics near and dear to those living here, those visiting here, or those who are just curious about what it's like to live in Asia's craziest city. Want to explore Bangkok on your own? Check out Greg's self-guided audio tours on Voice Map! https://voicemap.me/publisher/greg-jorgensen

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