Greg and Ed discuss some negative expat stereotypes - roughly the person you (probably) don’t want to become while living in Thailand...at least forever. We all fall prey to stereotypes sometimes - they have to come from somewhere - but if you’re not careful, you can become comfortable with some of these lifestyles and before you know it, they come to define your new identity in your new home, and suddenly you’re known as The Whiner, or The Apologist.

And that’s just the beginning! Heaven forbid that people start to know you as The Premature Pontificator, or The Creep, The Slob, The Bubble Boy or The Player. Like we said, it’s hard to escape most of these all the time, but Bangkok’s mai-pen-rai lifestyle is addictive, and trust us - before you know it, a decade has gone by and you’re still wearing that old Chang singlet out to dinner that you bought when you first arrived on Khao San Road (that’d be The Slob). Have a listen and see how Greg and Ed define these common tropes.

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On part 2 of 2 Greg continues his interview with returning show favorite, Phra Pandit on the Buddhist interpretation of the Seven Deadly Sins of western religion. Without wasting any time they pick up where they left off last week and dive right into it with sloth, one of Greg’s favorites. Defined in Buddhism as ‘torpor’ or ‘indolence’ Phra Pandit explains that in Buddhism this trait tends to hinder meditation, and can lead to someone being withdrawn and apathetic, which of course is not something any good Buddhist should do. Also includes a sly critique on Millennials from Phra Pandit.

Next up is wrath, defined as uncontrolled feelings of anger, rage and hatred. Phra Pandit gives a personal anecdote where he was approaching this emotion with a taxi driver while dealing with an empty stomach, but notes that anger tends to be delusionary while leading you astray if you are not in control of your emotions.

Envy is next, characterized as a sad or resentful covetousness of the possessions of someone else. Noting that jealousy and envy are two different emotions, Phra Pandit makes a connection to people using this emotion when they think that life isn’t fair.

Finishing off with Pride - considered the ‘most demonic’ of all sins - Phra Pandit comments that SOME pride is healthy - pride in your accomplishments, your kids, your hard work - but when it crosses over into arrogance is when things can get out of hand.

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Greg interviews returning show favorite, Phra Pandit on the Buddhist interpretation of the Seven Deadly Sins of western religion. After a brief introduction explaining Phra Pandit’s current (temporary) abode in Toronto, Canada, the guys get down to business. First, Phra Pandit notes that in his work with highly varied groups of people, there is often agreement on ‘good’ and ‘bad’ qualities in people. That being said, he notes that not every religion would necessarily value each quality equally.

Greg jumps in with his favorite sin of ‘Lust,’ and Phra Pandit says that ‘improper sexual conduct’ is prohibited in the Five Precepts that Buddhists are expected to follow. He discusses how the term ‘improper’ can be interpreted, with an emphasis on the harm being caused in a particular case, rather than specific rules.

Next up is ‘Gluttony,’ practically the theme of the Bangkok Podcast. Interestingly, Phra Pandit discusses the issue of overweight monks in Thailand and points out that the precepts actually allow monks to eat sugary snacks in the evening, while most people think that monks are prohibited from eating entirely. However, monks are prohibited from ‘overeating,’ which is parallel to the most basic meaning of ‘gluttony.’

The two mean continue with a couple more of the sins on this Part One of a two-part series.

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Having had the somewhat unenviable (?) POV of living in Bangkok both in their 20s AND in their late 40s (and more), Greg and Ed pro/con Bangkok for different age groups. Is Bangkok really a city for twenty-somethings or fifty-somethings? Greg begins by focusing on the older crowd. On the plus side, Bangkok offers many social opportunities that have a cultural bent, such as the Siam Society, museum groups, and even gourmet restaurants that tend to appeal to a more mature crowd with disposable time and income. Further, the Land of Smiles is a great place to pamper yourself, with more spas and beauty clinics than you can shake a stick at. Last, the simple truth is that Bangkok is a great place to up your standard of living without increasing costs, due to what money can buy compared to back home.

However, all is not rainbows and butterflies for the older crowd. Bangkok is a chaotic, loud, and traffic-jammed place, something that older people may have a much lower threshold for. There is also a distinct lack of high culture, such as shows and museums that are truly world class. Last, getting around town is slow and in general inconvenient.

Ed then tackles the younger crowd. Ed notes that Bangkok is a great place to live cheaply, a fantastic place for that feeling of ‘anything can happen’ adventure, and a great hub for travel around Asia. On the downside though, the Big Mango is actually not a great place for clubs or dancing, especially, late at night, is not a fantastic place to boost your career, and not particularly good for dating, at least if you are into meaningful relationships.

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Greg and Ed interview Dave Lawrence of Pegleg Legal about the technicalities of divorce in Thailand. Although Ed previously discussed his big ‘D’ on an earlier show, his situation was so simple that it’s probably not representative of the typical divorce. Dave begins with his process for new clients. First, he asks if the marriage was registered in Thailand. Many ‘couples’ actually never get legally married in Thailand, which of course changes your legal rights. Second, he asks if the couple has any children. As one would expect, kids tend to significantly complicate matters. However, Dave makes clear if a couple is not legally married, then the mother automatically becomes the sole custodian of the child, and the biological father has no automatic rights.

Next, Ed asks Dave about ‘common law’ marriage, the idea that a couple can be deemed legally married just by living together for a certain number of years, but it turns out that concept doesn’t exist under Thai law. If it ain’t on paper, it ain’t real, at least in Thailand. The guys continue peppering Dave with various marriage and divorce scenarios, including what property is considered ‘marital property’ subject to division and how child custody is handled by biological fathers who have a properly registered marriage.

The topic isn’t exactly rosy, but the big ‘D’ is something that we are all better off knowing something about.

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Greg and Ed perform an interesting test of the current state of AI: can you actually trust what different AI’s have to say about Bangkok and Thailand? Greg uses ChatGPT, while Ed is a Google guy through and through, so Gemini it is. The first question involves a bit of Thai history: exactly when and for how long did Thailand use a red flag with a white elephant? Proper research reveals the correct answer is 1855-1917, but ChatGPT misses by a wide mark, with an answer of 1917 to 2017 (!). Gemini does considerably better, with an answer of 1855-1916.

ChatGPT does better with the next straightforward question: Is Bangkok a province of Thailand? The technically correct answer is ‘no,’ because Bangkok is designated as a ‘special administrative area’ in the Thai system of government. Both AI get the answer right, with Gemini possibly providing a more thorough explanation.

The challenge continues, with questions about Japan and Thailand in World War II, directions in Bangkok, and the history of Southern Thailand. Both AI models do an okay job but also clearly make some factual stumbles. So the lesson of the day appears to be that AI might be helpful as a general background research tool, but always check your facts and don’t count on it 100% - especially when it comes to trying to understand Bangkok!

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This is Part Two of Greg and Ed’s interview with 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. In this part of the interview, the couple focus on the historical characters and events that are interwoven into the fictional narrative. Greg asks about the sensitivity of dealing with certain high status characters, but Paul and Yuangrat make clear that they very closely followed historical records about public statements and acts.

The interview continues to address such matters as the technology changes that swamped Siam at the turn of the century, the delicate political relationship between Bangkok and the southern sultanates/provinces, and plans for the next episode in the narrative which will encompass the 1932 coup that ended absolute monarchy in Thailand. Listen in for a fascinating interview with a truly erudite couple!

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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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