Ed Ponders a New Class: Teaching Contemporary Thailand to Thais [S8.E27]

Greg and Ed discuss Ed's new class at his Thai university: "Contemporary Thai Society in the Modern World." The guys have a laugh at the thought of a white guy from Ohio teaching young Thais about their own country, but Ed notes that he has been living in Thailand as an adult for 25 years, whereas his students are only 18-20 years old. One point for Ed! Further, there's considerable value to getting an 'outsider' view of one's own country. Greg admits that his knowledge of his own birth country is scant in many ways. Ed and Greg banter about different topics that should be covered. Ed notes that there are a few gimmes: the upcoming election is perfect fodder for the class, and the 'Middle Income Trap' is a much discussed problem in the development of the Thai economy. The guys weigh the pros and cons of discussing the darker side to Thai society, such gambling and prostitution, with Ed admitting he hasn't made up his mind yet. Greg talks about his brave attempt at a 'Facts About Thailand' quiz that Ed gave his students on the first day of class, and Ed scores his quiz. Greg got 36 questions out of 50 correct (apparently spot on with Greg's actual academic performance!). If you are interested in taking the quiz yourself, follow the link here . If you beat Greg's score, he'll personally send you a gift card for Central Department Store worth 10,000 baht!* *this is not even remotely true.

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Ed Ponders a New Class: Teaching Contemporary Thailand to Thais [S8.E27] is an episode from The Bangkok Podcast | Stories, Rants & Conversations on Life in Asia's Craziest City by Greg Jorgensen & Ed Knuth.

This episode is 43:55 long.

This episode was published on Jan 13, 2026.

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