The Bangkok Podcast

Greg interviews old friend of the podcast Rikker Dockum, Thai language expert extraordinaire about the Thai Royal Society, an organization dedicated to overseeing, promoting and regulating the Thai language. Rikker begins by explaining that he actually wrote his undergraduate thesis on the Society more than 20 years ago, so he's a longstanding follower of their work. He notes that it originally modelled itself after the French Academy, which, among other things, develops French words for English equivalents. For instance, Greg brings up the issue of the word 'computer,' which is typically spoken in Thai as 'com-pu-TER,' even though the Institute has specified a true Thai word for the computer. Rikker goes through the etymology of the word, but Greg asks whether the work of the Institute is even necessary if people don't adopt the words they come up with. Rikker defends the use of public funds for work codifying 'official' Thai, noting that were it left to the private marketplace, the work would never get done. The old friends continue their conversation about the Institute, emphasizing the need for such an organization for a language like Thai, which is vital to the history and culture of Thailand, but plays little role outside the country. Very few languages in the world are so popularly dominant that their continued preservation is assured, and unfortunately, Thai language is not one of them. 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.

Bangkok has produced roughly nine billion stories about food. Street food. Michelin food. Hidden food. Grandma's-secret-recipe food. Food you absolutely must eat before you die, leave town, or apparently lose all credibility as a human being. But what if you live here and you just don't feel like Thai food tonight? Greg and Ed wander off the usual culinary path to talk about what long-term expats actually eat after twenty-five years in Bangkok, once the honeymoon period with pad kra pao has settled into something closer to a very comfortable marriage. Greg reckons about half his diet is still Thai. Ed eats it even more often, although these days fried rice and pad see ew barely register as "Thai food" to him at all. They're just dinner. Which means the real treats are often somewhere else. Burmese tea leaf salad from a tiny place near the office. Lebanese food around Sukhumvit Soi 3/1. Japanese ramen and sushi hidden in plain sight. Italian food with a faint whiff of Cleveland nostalgia. And, inevitably, Indian food from the kind of restaurant where the lighting is questionable, the furniture has seen things, and the meal turns out to be spectacular. They also admit an inconvenient truth: even in one of the best eating cities on Earth, it's remarkably easy to become boring. Same restaurants. Same dishes. Same order. Sometimes the only thing standing between you and a brilliant new meal is a friend saying, "Trust me, just come." Because Bangkok's secret weapon may not be Thai food at all. It may be that this city can feed almost any craving, from almost anywhere, often down a soi you've walked past a hundred times without noticing.

After visiting a rooftop bar with one of the most spectacular views in Bangkok, the boys discuss what the evolution and growth of the sky-high drinking/photo establishments says about the evolution and growth of Bangkok itself.  Greg begins by framing rooftop bars as a barometer of Bangkok's health, since they require investment, density, tourism, and confidence, and he notes that today's bars compete over who can claim the most dramatic view. Ed clarifies that the two hosts are jeans and t-shirt guys who care about views rather than trendiness. He recalls that when they first arrived, Sirocco at State Tower, made famous by The Hangover Part II, was nearly the only notable option, whereas Bangkok now ranks alongside New York and Dubai as a top rooftop city. Next, Greg describes a recent work evening at Le Du Kaan atop The Empire on Sathorn. He was struck that a bar set well back from the river could offer such a sweeping view, looking across at Mahanakhon at sunset, and that Baiyoke Tower, once the city's must-visit landmark, now looked small and distant. The hosts agree its neighborhood seems frozen in time, and Greg adds that even Moon Bar at the Banyan Tree is renovating to keep up with the competition. Ed then offers his photography advice. He recommends arriving well before sunset, framing the snaking bends of the Chao Phraya, seeking out Bangkok's spectacular cloud formations, and contrasting modern towers with temples like Wat Arun or older Chinese and European buildings. Greg shares a favorite shot of a small temple with State Tower looming behind it. Finally, the hosts discuss the abandoned Ghost Tower and the old trend of sneaking inside to take pictures.  

Hey, remember when the visa rules changed, making us all learn entirely new procedures and protocols? No, the other time. No, the other…no, not that one, the other time. Greg begins by discussing the latest tightening of Thailand's entry rules, especially the reduction of visa-exempt stays from sixty days back to thirty. He and Ed use the change to illustrate a broader problem for foreigners: Thai immigration rules are constantly evolving, and advice that was accurate only a few months ago may already be obsolete. Ed then argues that Thailand remains welcoming to visitors, but the old atmosphere of loosely enforced rules seems to be fading. The guys connect that shift partly to highly publicized cases of foreigners behaving badly and partly to a wider push by Thai authorities to enforce laws more literally. They stress that foreigners increasingly need to understand exactly what their visa permits rather than relying on what people historically got away with. Next, Greg and Ed discuss the traditional visa system, including the Non-B route for people working in Thailand and the awkward position of remote workers who were technically working while entering under other categories. They then examine the Destination Thailand Visa, designed partly for digital nomads and people pursuing approved "soft power" activities. They discuss its long validity, repeated six-month stays, and financial requirements. Toward the end, Ed explains recent changes making the DTV harder to obtain, including tighter residence requirements and criminal-record documentation. The overall message is that foreigners now need better planning, current information, and stricter compliance with the rules.

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 and general forgiving nature. So do your best out there fellow expats, but don't worry about it too much. It's all 'mai pen rai' in the end. :)