If you can’t resist thought-provoking discussions about everyday issues, side-splitting opinions on the current state of music or intriguing stories about all things Thai, this is the best time to plug in your earphones and press play. Here are some of the most gripping podcasts that will help you shake up your stay-at-home routine. 

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These Shorty Award-winning podcasts have over 150 episodes discussing modern life, how to survive it, and how the Internet and technology shape our lives today. Be sure to check out our favorite episode of the bunch: Long Distance parts I and II (episodes no. 102 and 103).
 

S Town

What begins as an investigation into an alleged murder spirals into a poetic and often heartaching meditation on life, loss, the state of the planet and life in smalltown Alabama. In need of a Sherlock Holmes-esque alternative to get your inner detective juices flowing? Well, this is it. 
 

My Dad Wrote A Porno

With over 250 million downloads, a ton of celebrity fans and sell-out live shows worldwide, this laugh-out-loud podcast is guaranteed to lift your mood. With the help of actor James Cooper and beloved broadcaster Alice Levine, British director and actor Jamie Morton reads and dissects a horrendously-written erotic novel, authored by his own father.

The Guilty Feminist

Hosted by London-based, Australian-born comedian Deborah Frances-White, this podcast is recorded in front of a live audience. Together with Danish comedian co-creator Sofie Hagen and special guests, she discusses topics relating to 21st century feminism—body positivity, leadership, sex education—while creating a platform to confess the insecurities, hypocrisies and fears that underlie their lofty principles to hilarious effect. 

Good One

This light-hearted podcast by stand-up comedian Marc Maron is about funny people, by funny people. And don’t we all need a little laughter right now? Also, check out his Netflix special “End Times Fun” afterward. Very topical.

Credit: Your Favorite Band Sucks

Your Favorite Band Sucks

From Led Zeppelin to Daft Punk, this comedy podcast hosted by music nerds Mark Mosley and Tyler Mahan Coe will dive into overrated bands who make music that sucks. It’s like going to a record store, picking out a few records, then going up to the front counter to check out, only to be greeted by pretentious, eye-rolling hipsters who are judging your choices. The question is, are you strong enough press play and learn why your favorite band sucks?

Brewed in Bangkok

Don’t get us wrong. This podcast has nothing to do with beer—well, most of the time. What you’ll hear is rarely-heard stories of interesting peeps in Thailand, mostly expats. German-British tech guru Karsten Aichholz’s monthly podcast brings in interesting local characters, from the foreign owner of a tanning salon to a 2004 Tsunami survivor. For the latter, the interview actually took place in the water between Bamboo Island and Koh Phi Phi, too.

Poet in Bangkok

This quirky and cultural podcast centers on issues regarding making art in Thailand. Started last year, the podcast has so far featured authors Colin Cheney and Donald Quist, as well as a wide variety of Bangkok-based artists such as Thai-language film director and Friese-Greene Club founder Paul Spurrier, painter Chris Coles and Note Pongsuang, a local artist and core member of one of Bangkok’s most revered party organizers, Dudesweet.
 

Learn Thai Podcast

If you are an expat living and/or working in Thailand, the Learn Thai Podcast could prove invaluable. This podcast focuses on teaching real “street Thai,” spoken by everyday people. Conversation lessons use native Thai speakers talking naturally as they would in ordinary circumstances. This means that listeners are learning current, modern Thai rather than the old-school style of the lingo.