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The Bangkok Podcast

The Bangkok Podcast

By: Greg Jorgensen & Ed Knuth
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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-jorgensenBangkok Podcast 778220 Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • Don't Do These Things: How to Earn an Expat Demerit Badge [S8.E9] (Classic ReCast)
    Aug 26 2025

    In a follow-up to previous episodes on expat ‘Merit Badges,’ Greg and Ed discuss ‘DEmerit Badges,’ mistakes that long term expats make that they should NOT make. In other words, if you’ve lived in Thailand for a while, and you act like a n00b, you deserve a demerit.

    Greg begins with the classic fashion faux-pas of all foreigners in Thailand for more than a few months: wearing elephant pants. As the official mark of being brand new to Thailand, these flimsy pajama bottoms are verboten for long-timers (and that’s still true, notwithstanding their surge in popularity among hi-so Thais). Ed then brings up raising your voice or getting angry in public with a Thai person in their official capacity. Simply put, anger in public gets you nothing in Thai culture, except possibly some disrespect.

    The guys continue running through several more no-no’s for expats and repeat tourists, from forgetting your passport to bum gun blunders. If you don’t want to embarrass yourself, listen in for advice on how to look like you belong in Thailand.

    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.

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    37 mins
  • Bangkok Smackdown: Lumphini Park vs Benjakitti Park [S8.E8]
    Aug 19 2025

    Greg and Ed discuss the pros and cons of Lumphini and Benjakitti parks in central Bangkok, and best of all - you get to vote for your favorite by clicking here! The boys begin almost with a disclaimer: both parks are genuinely awesome, and there’s no way to definitely declare one park obviously superior to another. Nevertheless, each has its strengths and weaknesses.

    Lumphini is the classic ‘Central Park’ of Thailand and has had more than 100 years to mature and develop a large group of dedicated visitors. It is landscaped and manicured in a more traditional way, and in some respects might mirror a kind of ‘international standard’ for parks. It is excellent for walkers and joggers, but not so much for bikers who are limited by restrictive hours. There are facilities for other types of exercise, but those facilities are probably insufficient for the massive number of the park’s visitors.

    Benjakitti on the other hand is newer and larger and has much better options for a variety of sports, including pickle ball, basketball, badminton and table tennis. It’s also much friendlier to cyclists, who have dedicated lanes through much of the park. But Benjakitti is much less manicured throughout much of its spaces, representing the ‘forest’ (or sometimes ‘jungle’) in its name, as it’s intended to represent a genuine biological ecosystem. Essentially, it’s less ‘tamed.’

    Both parks provide excellent opportunities for general walking and jogging and of course photography. Both parks MUST be on the list of repeat tourists and expats.

    Vote for YOUR favorite park here!

    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.

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    39 mins
  • Tourism Challenge: Comparing Thailand to Europe as a Traveler [S8.E7]
    Aug 13 2025

    While Greg is travelling in Canada, Ed interviews old friend of the podcast Jonathan about his recent trip to Europe. Jon and his Thai wife Poom spent a couple weeks on vacation, first in Paris and then in Poland. Jon begins talking about the multicultural nature of Paris, something he’s familiar with as a native New Yorker. He and his wife revelled in Paris’s famous street culture: streets are very walkable, cafes abound, and sights are aplenty. In fact, Jon’s only worry was being ID’d as an American, leading to a funny story about his and his wife attempting to look European. Listen in for the details. Ed asks about the safety of Paris, something it’s not known for, and Jon admitted to being apprehensive but admits that at least on this trip, they never felt uncomfortable.

    On to Poland! Ed asks if there was an immediate difference between France and Poland, and Jon noted that both are very European and that he did not feel straight away as if he was in a different world. However, one difference was that Poland appeared to be less multicultural, causing he and his wife to be a little more self-conscious. But the Poles were friendly, and surprisingly, he and his wife found an excellent Thai restaurant in Krakow. Who would have guessed?

    Jon reveals his true colors as a Bangkoker when he admits that after two weeks of the Old World, he was more than ready to return to the Big Mango.

    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.

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    58 mins
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