The Bangkok Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Greg welcomes back Patrick Winn to the podcast, an intrepid writer and expert on all things dark and shady in Southeast Asia. He previously appeared on the show to discuss his book “Hello Shadowlands,” and he returns to explain his new work, “Narcotopia: In Search of the Asian Drug Cartel That Survived The CIA.” Patrick begins by explaining the unique political situation that the country of Myanmar is in right now. Besides a literal civil war, portions of the country, such as the ‘Wa State’ in the northeast, are essentially autonomous, self-governing areas. Patrick explains that free travel in and out of the area is generally not permitted, and if you just showed up, you would be detained and interrogated by the Wa State Army. 

Next, Greg asked the genesis of Patrick’s new book. Patrick explains that he’s been fascinated by the ‘state within a state’ for over a decade and has struggled to find an opportunity to interview any important Wa leaders, due to the fact that the Wa State is notorious for being a manufacturer of methamphetamine pills. In fact, some prominent Wa leaders are actually wanted by the U.S. DEA. Patrick recounts a fascinating story of how he managed through an intermediary to finally make contact, and the resulting interview and subsequent research constitutes the backbone of his book. 

The guys continue with a twisting tale of the DEA and CIA’s surprising relationship with this mysterious subculture inside of the already complex state of Myanmar, and the effect its having on Thailand’s middle class, which is a huge consumer of the infamous drugs that the country produces.

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Putting on their best tarot reading hat…or numerology hat…or tea leaf hat…whatever…Greg and Ed make their best prognostications about the future of Bangkok, relying only on their accumulated wisdom and experience. Greg begins by asking Ed whether Bangkok will ever solve its ‘sinking’ problem, and Ed responds pessimistically. Although the science is clear that the sea is rising and Bangkok is sinking, the government does not seem to be taking any drastic action to address the impending calamity, a la the film “Don’t Look Up.” Certainly, SOMETHING will have to be done, but Ed expects it to be too little, too late.

Ed then asks Greg whether Thailand will ever have to give up its ‘pragmatic neutrality’ and make a choice between China and the U.S. Greg argues that Thailand will do its best to avoid making such a choice, but if a conflict does occur between the two superpowers, Greg thinks Thailand will likely choose to side with China, for proximity and cultural reasons. 

Greg then wonders what Ed thinks about the future of high speed rail in Thailand. On this topic, Ed is more optimistic: there’s something about public transportation that the government has figured out, and Ed expects that multiple super fast, modern rail lines are coming in the near future. Ed then queries Greg about his thoughts on Nana Plaza, the legendary red light complex on Sukhumvit that happens to be located on prime real estate. Greg reluctantly predicts that the owners are likely to eventually cave to some mega condo or mall project.

The guys continue with some predictions on Thai politics and older malls in Bangkok. 

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 interview Paul and Yuangrat Wedel, returning guests to the show who previously talked about their book “Radical Thought, Thai Mind.” This time around the fascinating couple discuss their two novels, “Beads On A String” and “Dark Karma,” each historical fiction based in Southern Thailand.

The two begin with a discussion of the origin of the novels. In short, Yuangrat grew up in the deep South of Thailand with a family of mixed ethnicity, including Thai, Malay, Mon, and Chinese ancestry. This rich family tree provided the raw material for the characters who populate the story. Then the couple did serious historical research on the epic changes that the South of Thailand went through in the late 1800s and early 1900s. With the character and the historical framework, they then wove a fictional story that intersects with actual historical events. 

Greg, having dug into the first novel, attests to the pull of the story, which is a fascinating (and surprisingly horny!) look into a part of Thailand that was caught in the middle of a whirlwind of change, and the people that played a role in how it evolved. The discussion looks at topics that still play a big role in Thailand today - royalty, religion, money, corruption, gambling, and complex family dynamics. Against the backdrop of southern Thailand at the turn of the 20th, it’s a fascinating look back into the past and the creation of a story that’s as layered and nuanced as the real-life details the novels portray.

Tune in for part two of the intriguing interview next week. 

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Ed reminisces on 22 years in Thailand and tries to summarize exactly why he has decided to stay for so long. It’s hard to sum up, of course, but Ed manages to come up with five positives and three negatives, and Greg helps to clarify things as he goes along. 

On the positive side, Ed mentions Thailand’s depth and variety, with many niches and subcultures that it would take a lifetime to explore. As Greg notes, if you are bored in Bangkok, the problem is not Bangkok. Ed also talks about how some things DO change and get better in Bangkok, despite frequent grumblings from most who live here - new weed laws, expanded public transportation and more public parks to name a few. In addition to other points, the boys also agree that there is a very supportive community of expats to ease foreigners’ transition to living long term in the land of smiles. 

As for negatives, Ed cannot resist bringing up classic persistent problems in Thailand that NEVER seems to get properly addressed no matter how predictable they are (see Bangkok’s recent floods) as well as the sad state of Thailand’s bureaucracy that is NOT very expat friendly compared to other countries. 

Of course Ed’s decision is clear: the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. 

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Greg interviews Jyri Järviaho, Finland’s Ambassador to Thailand. Although Greg makes a valiant attempt at pronouncing the Ambassador’s name, the two begin by discussing the difficulty of Finnish, with the Ambassador explaining that it is a unique language that it is completely different from its neighbors, especially its western ones, such as Germany and Sweden. Next, the Ambassador recounts his diplomatic journey from a small village in Finland to university and later to a job with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and eventually various diplomatic postings around Europe and central Asia. Suffice it to say, he’s happy to be in the warm weather of Thailand.

The Ambassador next tells the fascinating story of Thailand and Finland’s first diplomatic contact. Finland’s first ambassador to Asia was on a trip to establish relations with Japan when he received a telegram in Singapore indicating that the country of Siam had recognized Finland as it had recently declared independence from Russia. The intrepid ambassador then re-routed to Bangkok and managed to make the first diplomatic contact with a representative of the Thai government. 

The two men continue by discussing the rest of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, the trade in both goods and services, and the struggle by the Finnish Embassy to establish a unique identity in the eyes of the Thai people. 

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Greg and Ed discuss the fascinating topic of old Western pop songs that enjoy a shocking degree of popularity in Thailand. For those foreigners who have spent any amount of time in the Land of Smiles, there are just certain songs you are likely to hear over and over again in restaurants and bars. Why these particular songs? Well, the guys just don’t know, but do their best to offer some theories.

The big three have to be “Hotel California,” “Country Roads,” and “I Will Survive.” Greg suggests that the 1960s and 70s were a seminal period in Thai history when American pop culture was first being absorbed by Thais (see also the Cambodian surf rock sub-culture and its tragic end). Even though much more was to come, perhaps this first wave left an indelible impression on Thai society. Ed likes this explanation, but also suggests that Thais’ penchant for folk and country pop and rock music may be due to their melodic catchiness and ‘heart on the sleeve’ sentimentality. Why else would Thais like a song about going back home to West Virginia? :)

Ed also offers a specific theory about ‘I Will Survive,’ that it appeals to Thai women who are bound by Thai culture to be cute and smile no matter what, even though they may be struggling inside. Greg sees this point, but thinks it might be more due to the song’s easy to understand lyrics and easy to sing along melody.

The boys go through a number of other tunes that are oddly popular in Thailand, including songs by Credence Clearwater Revival, Stevie Ray Vaughn and even an old Hebrew folk song! Let us know what songs we missed and why you think they are so popular in the Land of Smiles. 

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.

Greg finishes up his interview with linguist and raconteur Stu Ja Raj. Stu begins with a classic: the super annoying fact that the Thai numbers 11 and 18 can be very difficult for foreigners to pronounce correctly. Stu explains in detail the small differences in tongue placement that make such a difference to Thai ears. This segues into a discussion of the ultra-common word ‘kap khun kap’ and how even this basic word for ‘thank you’ is often mispronounced by foreigners.

Stu next explains the concept of ‘kham puan,’ which is a Thai word for a type of pun or slang that involves switching around the order of consonants or vowels in Thai to create funny or indirect phrases for inappropriate (or indecent) things. More or less Stu brings us into the Matrix of the creative use of the Thai language by native speakers, as if learning ‘straight’ Thai wasn’t already hard enough. Greg follows with some of his own hilarious missteps (quite literally, as he stepped on a sea urchin but described it in Thai in a wildly inappropriate manner).

Listen in for a fascinating walk through the minefield that is the Thai language. Want more? Check out Stu on YouTube.

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.

Greg interviews our old pal Stu Jay Raj - linguist, polyglot, and true Renaissance man. As you would expect, the topic is the Thai language and foreigners’ struggle to learn it properly, but with a focus on the trouble you can get into if you don’t understand how tones work. 

Stu begins with an important point: the nature of English allows a fair amount of flexibility in pronunciation and accent without sacrificing intelligibility, whereas Thai does not. In short, ‘getting close’ to correct Thai is often not good enough, leading to frustration among foreigners who don’t understand why Thais cannot figure out what they are saying. 

Greg gives Stu a few examples of difficulties he has faced, starting with the pronunciation of the popular street “Charoen Krung.” It turns out even something so short and seemingly simple is not so, and even if a foreigner’s tones are correct, a slight mispronunciation of the vowels can confound native speakers. Greg then brings up a common Thai curse word and the shocked reaction of Thais to any foreigner who uses it. Stu goes into an in depth explanation of close Thai relationships that allow a casualness with language that is very difficult to replicate as a foreigner.

The two continue discussing the Thai language minefield with Stu dropping many pearls of wisdom along the way. Listen in next week for Part 2 of this interview. 

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.

As is tradition, Greg and Ed spend the first episode of the brand new season 6 (!) looking back, looking forward, and discussing podcasting as a whole. 

When Greg and Tony first started speaking into their panty hose-covered mics (seriously) in 2010 they had no idea they’d be laying the groundwork for such a long-running show. From the days of hauling gear to a rented room to record face to face, to taking advantage of online recording and discovering new ways to streamline the workflow and work with new digital tools, it’s been one big learning experience.

The boys also discuss why they think season 6 will be a particularly interesting one, as Thailand comes face-to-face with some pretty big issues that can’t be ignored, and the world (hopefully) starts to come back to spend money at bars, hotels, beaches and malls and help Thailand get back on its feet. 

They also manage to complain about their lack of coverage by the New York Times and premier a new segment called Would You Rather. Here’s to a brand new season!

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.

In the last episode of Season 5, Greg interviews Samaporn Teeravechyan, also known as Dr. Joy. Dr. Joy works at the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, essentially the arm of the Thai government that focuses on scientific research. She explains that her expertise is in virology, and that she received her Phd in the United States after moving around the world as a child. Currently, Dr. Joy’s focus is on the development of a nasal vaccine for COVID-19.

Greg asks Dr. Joy why Thailand is not particularly well known for scientific research and that leads to an extensive discussion of the issue. First, although things have gotten better, the total amount of funding for research and development provided by the Thai government is significantly less than in Western countries. Second, to make matters even worse, her field relies on specimens and materials only available in the U.S., and due to transportation and customs costs, Thai labs have to pay more. Add to that all the delays involved, even though virological research is often very time sensitive. Last, Thailand’s political instability makes funding even more uncertain, so you can clearly see the types of obstacles Thai researchers face compared to more developed countries. 

Next, Greg questions Dr. Joy about the specifics of her current research on an intra-nasal vaccine for COVID-19, and why such a vaccine may prove superior to the current ones on the market. The two finish off their discussion with a few very exciting and promising lines of research currently being conducted in labs funded by the Thai government. 

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.