Michael Hurley
Independent scholar and ethnographer focused on Southeast Asia, author of Waterways of Bangkok: Memory, Landscape, and Twilight (NUS Press, 2025), who conducts fieldwork on urban waterways, memory, and landscape.
Best podcasts with Michael Hurley
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Feb 1, 2026 • 45min
Michael Hurley, "Waterways of Bangkok: Memory, Landscape and Twilight" (NUS Press, 2025)
Michael Hurley, an independent scholar of Southeast Asian urban waterways, reflects on Bangkok’s Chaophraya River and its role in history and culture. He explores the city’s waterborne traditions, shifting livelihoods as roads replaced canals, and the impacts of flooding, pollution, and memory on urban life. The conversation also traces ethnic communities and hints at a new project on rain and monsoon rituals.
Feb 1, 2026 • 45min
Michael Hurley, "Waterways of Bangkok: Memory, Landscape and Twilight" (NUS Press, 2025)
Michael Hurley, an independent scholar and ethnographer of Southeast Asia, explores Bangkok’s Chaophraya River and its cultural grip on the city. He discusses the river’s role in daily waterborne life, the shift from canals to roads, and the mix of ethnic communities along the waterways. Conversation also touches on flooding, pollution, and his next project on monsoon rain.
