Bangkok for Nerds! Understanding the Chaos With Some Sweet Math [S7.E16]

The Bangkok Podcast

If math can be used to solve everything from the orbits of galaxies to the swirl in a snail’s shell, then surely it can be applied to Bangkok to shed some light on the chaos?

In a fun show, Greg presents certain semi-mathematical ‘equations’ to help us all understand Bangkok a bit better. While not scientific in the strictest, these rules of thumb may help you navigate the chaos of the Big Mango with a little more confidence.

First, the guys discuss all the variables that affect traffic travel times in Bangkok. The season, school status, your destination, public holidays, and time of day (among others), all seem to matter. For noobs these factors can be tough to string together, but for experienced expats it becomes a must. Next, Greg brings up the truism that often we are forced to choose between transportation that is fast, cheap, or comfortable; two out of three seems the best you can do. For example, motorbikes are fast and cheap, but certainly not comfortable (or safe for that matter).

Greg and Ed continue with great advice on the relationship between flips flops and quality vacations, gatorade availability in the city, whether to walk or run in the rain, and a great shortcut to determining the quality of a hotel by friend of the podcast Dan Fraser.

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