The Dangers of Letting Bangkok's Delivery Apps Take Over [S7.E37]

Greg and Ed discuss the 'delivery lifestyle,' the habit of
staying at home and relying on delivery services to bring food
and products straight to your doorstep. Both guys admit to
slipping into this habit, but Greg enjoys getting out more and
tooling around town in his fancy automobile, so it's Ed that has
really embraced this habit. The question is this: Is it good or
bad? 


Ed begins with some obvious pros: it's super convenient and
allows you to avoid the stress of traffic and crowds, something
Bangkok is infamous for. The options for delivery are endless,
such that it's possible to basically order ANYTHING you want,
whether from within Thailand or from China. And the actual costs
of delivery are low.


But what are the downsides? Greg brings up the danger of becoming
a homebody and missing out on the social interaction of shopping
and running errands in a city that's simply just fun to explore.
Ed concurs that the expat bubble is already bad enough and
actually forcing yourself to interact with Thai people in malls
and markets is probably a good thing. Other risks include
overspending and dealing with frustrating miscommunications and
logistical snafus. 


Last, Greg brings up the problem of misleading marketing by
delivery companies that front as 'restaurants' when they are
really just 'ghost kitchens' without public space at all, which
can be a psychological letdown to someone yearning for a bit of
social activity at their favorite restaurant only to find it's
simply a kitchen with a lineup of Grab drivers out front.


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