News: ‘Big Trouble in Thailand’ (TV Show from UK)

[Sved]

Originally Posted by Stephen Cleary

Foreign tourist police volunteers have no right to get involved with local drug dealers. The bald headed cop claims on another website that he went along with a Thai cop. Supposedly, it was the Thai cop who ordered the search etc... Very suspicious filming, as the documentary certainly makes it look as though the farang cop was in charge.
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I don't believe Foreign tourist police volunteers have any legal authority over Thais altho I think he did a good job with the drunk guy

[Richard Barrow]

Originally Posted by Sved

Yes agreed

Another thought is this: He went to return his jetski where the JJ guy tried to scam him. The guy claimed the damage didn't happen when he drove the jetski.. fair enough but when did the cameras show up?? Did he call them too? Very strange

If you read the newspaper articles linked to earlier you will see that the film crew had earlier interviewed JJ. He then later telephoned the film crew to say a marine had damaged his jet ski and run off. They quickly went to JJ's place where they found him already arguing with the marine. They also said there was a lot of footage that they shot that was left out. I would think this would have dragged on for several hours judging by other reports that have been sent to us. It is possible that the marine sent a message to his friends to bring some money to help him. Then later contacted his boss. It does look staged, but it could also be some very clever camerawork and editing.

Here is another article from Andrew Drummond:

http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2009/...s-in-thailand/

[Sved]

Originally Posted by Richard Barrow

If you read the newspaper articles linked to earlier you will see that the film crew had earlier interviewed JJ. He then later telephoned the film crew to say a marine had damaged his jet ski and run off. They quickly went to JJ's place where they found him already arguing with the marine. They also said there was a lot of footage that they shot that was left out. I would think this would have dragged on for several hours judging by other reports that have been sent to us. It is possible that the marine sent a message to his friends to bring some money to help him. Then later contacted his boss. It does look staged, but it could also be some very clever camerawork and editing.

Here is another article from Andrew Drummond:

http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2009/...s-in-thailand/

So the scammer called the TV team himself so he could get everything on tape and later be arrested

[misterA]

Originally Posted by Richard Barrow

Overall it doesn't really put Thailand in a bad light. It is more of an embarrassment for all foreign tourists.

I agree - the jet ski incident seems a black eye for Thailand - but for the most part - a great example of badly behaved tourists.

[Richard Barrow]

He was basically being too cocky and full of himself. Now he is paying for it. Though it is not clear how long he will stay locked up. It was only a BB gun and there isn't much other evidence. It would be interesting now to have a follow up to this episode. If this series is like any other then future episodes haven't been finished yet and so there could be time for a postscript.

[Khun Don]

JJ gets arrested and slung in the slammer-to keep the Governor-and, by the swiftness of the latter's action- Bangkok -happy.
But not a word from the Governor-or anyone- on the "Brown Mafia" illegal demand for THB 65,000 "Bail money"!
Predict "business as usual" on all scams in Phuket within a month.

[Richard Barrow]

It is starting to snowball with both print media and television picking up the story. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has only just found out (presumably from the local media) and are desperately trying to do damage control. Basically anything they will do now is too little too late.

Here is the video from ch. 7 news this morning:

http://www.ch7.com/news/news_thailan...&p=376&d=47056

Now we are all waiting to see what revelations will come out from next week's show. Who will get arrested and who will lose their job over this?

[Stephen Cleary]

Get a sneaky feeling that JJ is regretting this video! In the meantime, the other jetski lads are gonna want to lynch him, maybe even the cops if it's found out they've been taking kickbacks.
When he gets outta prison, he'd better disappear off Phuket Island as soon as possible.

I very doubt JJ was told that the video was gonna be filmed on national tv, maybe fooled him to thinking it was a student project or something like that. It is possible the police are gonna want to see the whole footage shot, if they are gonna win a strong prosecution against JJ.

Going on from what Don mentioned, is there gonna be a crackdown against the on-going police extortion of druggies on Koh Phangan? If it is similar to the aaction against the airport cops - very doubt it.

Btw: from a reliable police source. Police officers wanting to be transferred to the likes of Koh Phangan, Phuket, Pattaya etc..... often have to pay hundreds of thousands of baht to those in-charge of transfer locations. For the position of superintendant etc.... youre talking a million plus.

[Surawut]

This was also covered on Channel 3 this morning on Sorayud's เรื่องเล่าเช้านี้ program. After the clip was shown I thought Sorayud and his female assistant compere were silent and actually looked shocked for a second or two.

[Stephen Cleary]

"It was not staged" Interview with the producer/director

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/big-tro...scandal-11555/

I'M THE Producer/Director of 'Big Trouble In Thailand' or 'Thai Cops' as it was known during production. I came up with the idea and shot it mostly myself, with the help of a Thai cameraman.

And with the full co-operation of the authorities concerned in Thailand whom I cannot thank enough for their kind co-operation and trust.

Thanks for the write-up, by the way - a solid summary.

The sequence with JJ was NOT staged and I hope he is not in jail based solely on his contribution to the series. JJ was a willing participant and at the very least I am grateful for his contribution to the program. JJ was not paid to take part in the filming.

In fact. he invited us along. Nor were the Royal Marines paid as I'm sure they would be happy to confirm. Nobody was paid.

These days I'M lucky to be paid in TV - as the self-shooting P/D.
You want to see an email from my boss complaining how much the shoot was costing. That would shatter some illusions, believe you me.

I am grateful for the comments about the camerawork - someone on a forum somewhere called it "too good". Please pass that onto Vera Productions and Bravo, my employers.

I have had very little involvement and influence in the editing of the series - my job was to provide the content from the field, on the ground in Thailand.

We (my Assistant Producer, our Thai fixer and I) filmed JJ over a few days in Phuket. I met him in the lobby of the Patong Beach Resort where he was trying to get an Indian family to pay up for the damage he said their son had caused to a jet ski and a parasail tow rope he'd severed.

I had heard of jet ski scams - a fight that took place and was captured on camera in Chaweng, Samui - and I asked JJ if he would take part in our filming to tell his side of the story.

I explained that we wanted to show both sides, that undoubtedly in my view foreign tourists must damage jet skis, there must be genuine cases. Based on this understanding JJ agreed to take part in our program.

He also understood that our primary focus was British tourists in Thailand. JJ agreed to call us when he had a case which would illustrate that not all jet ski hire outfits are scam artists.

That case turned out to be the Royal Marines who we'd also been following around Phuket during the visit of their ship HMS Bulwark. And when the call came JJ even sent a motorcycle and sidecar to pick us up. I have the photo of me in transit.

We had a good working relationship with both the Royal Marines Military Police and JJ. In the end - when JJ called our fixer with the case - the two parties ended up coming together, and the rest is, well, all over Bravo and the internet.

I simply filmed what unfolded (albeit with flair and agility :-)

If anyone is still of the opinion that the scene with JJ is faked then I will today provide links to the raw, uncut footage from the events of that day and our full interviews with JJ - before and after.

If JJ must face trial by TV then at least let it be as fair as possible. For those who seem to profess a knowledge of the reality of 'reality' TV production - and I've lectured at university in it - comparing the unedited material with the broadcast version will be illustrative.

I set out to make 'Thai Cops' - a Thai version of the sorts of shows you see all the time in the U.S. and Britain. - on a shoestring. If you were expecting "insight" as one poster on a forum observed the program lacked then you're unlikely to find it on Bravo I'm afraid - certainly as I define the word.

These days you are also extremely unlikely to find insight anywhere on TV. So, as an old favorite UK TV show of mine used to say: "Go out and do something less boring instead".

Not to put too fine a point on it if Bravo were a pub in Pattaya it would be 'The Dog's Bollocks'. Or 'The Lazy Pig' where we popped in for a few drinks. See lads of 'The Lazy Pig'? I had no intention of "tripping you up".

I simply wanted to make an engaging - entertaining even - series about the work of the Thai police, the Brits who assist them and the tourists, preferably Brits, who unfortunately get into trouble in what can be a very foreign and culturally challenging country indeed.

I will say that of all the countries I've been to Thailand is my favorite - by far. And that this series was even possible is for me why Thailand is so amazing and magical. I would urge people to travel to Thailand.

Even the prisoners we interviewed in Thai jails aren't keen to return to the UK - either to serve the remaining periods of their sentence or when they're released.

Years ago I used to work on a US series called 'Real TV' in Los Angeles - probably the first caught-on-camera show which sold around the world making Paramount Domestic TV who produced it $25 million USD a year.

I never heard anyone say it would damage America's reputation or put Brits off traveling to Disneyworld. Same goes for Hill Street Blues, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, America's Scariest Police Chases and The Wire.

And in the UK better not watch the nightly news - it's horrendous and would put off even the most hardy Korean from booking a fortnight for two there. But enough of Gordon Brown.

If you have any questions about the making of Thai Cops I believe in absolute transparency - so ask away.

And gird your loins for today's first online TV 'tutorial'!

Thanks everyone for your interest,

Gavin.