From the Producer/Director of Big Trouble in Thailand
Posted by sideshowBOB | Blog, Reader Submissions | Posted on September 11th, 2009
editor’s note – thought this deserved to be seen as a post.
This was a comment from this post.
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 programme. 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 programme. 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 the U.K. – on a shoestring. If you were expecting ‒insight” as one poster on a forum observed the programme 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 favourite 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 favourite – 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 U.S. 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.
58 Responses to “From the Producer/Director of Big Trouble in Thailand”
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Translator
This was posted as a response on my post as well…)
Gavin,
A very unexpected reply and thank you so much for taking the time to do so.
You’ve obviously been reading some of the forums, which is somethng I’d never adivse any professional to really do. They’re little more than shark tanks or, if you will, sandboxes where a few hardened keyboard warriors throw sand on everyone not in agreement with them. Anonymity spawn idiocracy and while blogs get some of that message boards are far worse.
I’m curious to see how Pattaya is shown in coming episodes. The jet ski scams are certainly here as well. I’m also curious about some fleeting footage shot inside the go-go bars. How’d you manage that?
In all, hard to watch if you own a business here. No entrepreneur ever likes bad press but, me personally, I found it not too far off the mark.
View all comments by Pattaya Ghost
How can the author make a comment that the JJ scene was NOT staged and then go into detail about how it WAS staged. OK, you didn’t give them a script. You didn’t have a live audience. But, the scene of the incident was pre-planned in a way. The Navy back-ups were all directed where to go (i.e. where the stage was), and the filming and sound was free to roam and record in such high quality. To me, that is staged.
The Rodney King beating is what I would call NOT staged…
View all comments by John Brown
Not too sure what the definition of “staged” is, but I have been living here long enough that it seems “real” to me.
If you travel around tourist places and have your eyes open at least part of the time, you will see a lot of “JJ’s” in Thailand. Tourist places attract people who prey on tourists; if this is a secret, it is not a well kept one. This is true all over the world, but especially true in Thailand’s most tourist-oriented places.
Let’s face it – Thailand attracts some of the scruffiest passport owners in the world. The guy with the cute girlfriend in jail had 5,000 baht on him and no money in the bank? Sounds about right. No one back home with a pot to piss in either? About par for the course. This is holding pen for low end people who lack any sense.
Pattaya is heaven for people who can’t get laid back home, without putting a blindfold on first, at least. Then you fill the place up with even bigger losers, like Brit tourists who think that if they are sober enough to focus their eyes, they can’t really be on holiday. Throw in the mafia police, who have been categorized by some world bodies as a terrorist organization and the cocktail is ready for serving.
Pattaya is not the bottom of the barrel, it is the dirt which the bottom of the barrel rests on. Shocking that people get shot in deck chairs and drunks get the shit beat out of them by brain damaged Thai bouncers with a hate on for foreigners. All of the stuff in Pattaya newspapers and cable run according to form and thugs from all over the world flock there.
I am looking forward to the rest of the series. No doubt, it will entertain me but it will not surprise me, I suspect.
My only complaint is that someone should have taught the narrator to pronounce “Phuket” properly. The ‘h’ is aspirated – Poo-ket. The same person should teach some of the Brits who live there how to say “Pattaya” too. They should hold this instruction during those last 5 minutes of the “real English breakfast,” the only time they are sober, it seems.
View all comments by Professor
Why all the fuss about this show so far 1 episode to draw us all in lets wait for a few more to really express an opinion.As a comment on the first episode it is very difficult to protect people from their own stupidity add drink and drugs into the mix and common sense flies out of the window.My trips to los have for the most part been wonderful except on the occasions when situations have arisen due to people who have had far to much to drink kicking off.
what is it about modern society that makes people who drink too much become aggressive for when i have too much i get mellow and want to go to sleep. But lets wait for the next 7 episodes and see what comes about.
View all comments by eunos
I watched episode 1 last night. I’ll certainly watch the rest of the series as well.
Yes, it was annoying that the narrator didn’t know how to pronounce Phuket, but hey – it’s Bravo TV – I was impressed that he could complete a sentence.
Most of the documentaries I’ve seen on Thailand, particularly those with a focus on the “dark side”, have left me shaking my head – but this one was entertaining enough and seemed pretty accurate in what it chose to portray.
Is there more to Phuket than jetski ripoffs? Sure. Is there more to Ko Pha Ngan than buckets and dope? Sure. Is there more to Pattaya than whores, booze and beatings? Well, barely.
The programme wasn’t about expanding beyond those horizons though – it was about focussing on what happens to idiots when they behave like idiots here, and in making those stories as entertaining as possible – and it did a pretty good job.
Some scenes did seem a little staged, but I’m not going to argue with the director if he says that they weren’t. The only thing that seemed really odd to me was that the gang of Royal Marines didn’t spot that JJ was only wielding a BB gun. And did they really think he was going to open fire in front of a TV crew?
I thought the star of the show was definitely the pissed up Aussie with the head injury though. Some excellent swearing there.
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
Considering he got 7 years in prison… i guess he doesn’t have to worry about a visa run. 7 Years, fuck me… he should be granted a Thai Passport.
View all comments by Canadian Boy
I’ll define “staged” then… It is a situation that has an air or hint of planning. It is an area where an “event’ is supposed to take place. The “actors” on the stage were predefined whether paid or not. The sound and the video is “above par” to those events that are “unstaged”. The producer/director is there to “exploit” the actor(s) and make them feel good about the production.
Further, “staged” actors have a hidden agenda too. They are ON STAGE to promote a certain value/character/agenda… It is certainly not a random event that they find themselves in the situation… or on the STAGE…
I’m certainly not saying that the events and underlying circumstances are untrue, but the players here certainly don’t mind being on TV. So far, except for the Austrailian reject, all faces have been shown in full force. The Austrailian scene is the only “unstaged” event in the whole episode. And so their faces were blanked out (son and pop). Why? This is “unstaged after alll”
Oh… you didn’t (or couldn’t because of the big boss at Bravo?) get the permission to use the footage of the Austrailian because he was obviously either a retard or drunk and could not give you permission or could care less at that point, but probably both, Mr. Author?
Yeah, another indication (the blanked out faces) that all the other scenes were just being “staged”…
You are obviously just a “marketing machine wanna be” trying to impress whomever you try to impress… Slave to your little world, i would guess and just trying to justify it to the masses to “up” your ratings…
Sorry… I am not buying it. Your little video(s) (so far) are hilarious… and I am not even drunk yet.
Wait until that happens
View all comments by John Brown
JB – wow…. I am paying for the next round of drinks.
View all comments by Canadian Boy
Tried watching that show when it first became available, wrote it off as idiotic after a quick skim.
After reading the p/d’s post thought I’d take another look. Right the first time.
Maybe the raw footage would convince me.
View all comments by Seven
Downloaded the torrent, watched it, then deleted it. A waste of valuable disc space.. 555+
Lazily made and badly edited (too much jumping from story to story, too many recaps etc)
Puzzled anyone would put their name to this crap.
View all comments by ziggypop
I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT!!
View all comments by human tsunami
@ Human Cuntsunami — lol
View all comments by Canadian Boy
JJ’s been arrested and the Gov is cracking down. (Be interesting to see how far he’s willing to push it).
http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=7765
View all comments by Down South
Meanwhile, damage control in full flow. Thai friend tells me Ch 5 just did a story on the JJ incident, pointing out that is was all acted, and possibly never happened.
So why they arrested poor JJ?
View all comments by Down South
@ZiggyPop
Amen to that.
View all comments by The Lord
lol, why all the hate John Brown? I suggest chilling out. You seem to think if faces are not blurred it is staged and vice versa. Neither is necessarily true.
Quite enjoyed it myself for a bit of a laugh. Looking forward to the next ones.
View all comments by JL
I’ll define “staged” then… It is a situation that has an air or hint of planning. It is an area where an “event’ is supposed to take place. The “actors” on the stage were predefined whether paid or not. The sound and the video is “above par” to those events that are “unstaged”.
View all comments by Prufrock
Documentary? Wow I can’t wait t see it on Youtube.
View all comments by Bored silly
As an entrepreneur in Thailand, I have to admit that these things indeed happened here.
However, your documentation is exaggerated when it comes how the Thais react.
I watched the one where Jack and JJ was in it, and it looks pretty wierd how Jack, a Royal Marine stood there and received a severe insult from JJ. Most farangs I know would give JJ a punch on the face already, especially Marines, who have a high pride in themselves.
Dont get me wrong, I’m not a soldier, nor can I be one, but that’s what my experience tells me.
These things happens in Thailand, and the source are from the Thais themselves, including the government and the vendors. As long as the government corruption exist, these things will keep going on.
Lastly, Japanese and Taiwanese had ceased to tour in Thailand due to the same problem and I hope for the government to do something about it.
As for these documentation, it would be better if our Director would know better than not to ‘set up’ a few things and exaggerate it or else it’ll be a film rather than a documentation. Some tourists are worse than others, some are better than all, keep in mind not all are bad.
Good luck.
View all comments by Seizhin
Down South — The fact he was arrested and more is in the main post.
Bored Silly — The Youtube is in the main post as well.
View all comments by Pattaya Ghost
Jet Ski scam reports on bangkokscams website.
http://www.bangkokscams.com/scams-in-thailand/jet-ski-scam-in-kamala-beach-phuket.html#jc_allComments
View all comments by JJ
As one of the Royal Marines who appears in the background of this, I can definately say that it wasn’t staged. We did walk away from the jet ski owner when we realised that a scam was occuring (we didn’t run away). However Jack didn’t. We then found out where he was from the other jet ski vendors on the beach and tracked him down. As for whether the gun was bb or otherwise, I still wouldn’t really want to get shot by it!
View all comments by PJ1664
“PJ 1664″
sounds like something they yell out during role call.
View all comments by Canadian Boy
PJ1664: Sorry to hear that you’re one of those unfortunate tourist here. However, the fact still comes in that our director had revealed that JJ knows him. Whatever the case, I’d still like to hear how much JJ received from our Director.
View all comments by Seizhin
Man,
A guy makes a documentary on what is happening on a regular basis to visitors, posts an explanation, and some here give him a hard time.
View all comments by JJ
PJ1664, if your MP knew it was a scam and the damage to the jet ski was old, why did Jack still give JJ 35,000 baht? I wouldn’t have given him one satang. Who cares about a potential international incident. Get the Phuket governor involved if you have to since the local police are obviously involved in this scam.
View all comments by Orenthal
The MP agreed to 35K because the scared Jack had offered that sum before his arrival. It was clearly a face saving accommodtion to avoid further trouble.
Next episode tonight!
View all comments by Combover
I watched it. I enjoyed it. The chick arrested for cannabis is pretty cute. A weak chin, but cute. Why is she with a guy who has no money? If she used her good looks like an Asian chick would to link up with a guy with money, she could have been out of the clink in no time.
View all comments by gavinmac
@gm: You mean… They’re not all whores, after all?
I thought she had an annoying voice, but perhaps people will scoff a little less in future when I suggest that attractive white chicks can still be found in Northern England…
Looking forward to part 2.
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
BBB u meant to say “north of England” yes?
View all comments by Riodon
This uncut version of the jet ski dispute shows the marine admitting that his jet ski had been struck by a jet ski ridden by one of his friends. He claims, rather unconvincingly, not to remember much about the collision. It seems that JJ might have had a point in pursuing his financial claim … and also demonstrates what can be done by clever editing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjMy3zQU7_Q
View all comments by On Nutter
The guy in that video looks like a 9year old being bollocked in front of his head master
I dont buy the ‘I dont remember crashing’ line for a minute
View all comments by Young Penfold
@gm: I found myself thinking much the same thing when she blubbered that she had no money. “Pass yourself around the station”. Many local males have a fetish to ‘try’ a foreigner – especially a blonde. I’m sure that they would have come up with a wig for her if she asked. Probably would have thrown in a few whisky cokes as looseners too….
View all comments by Naki
@Gavinmac – Are you questioning her ability to absorb an uppercut? Id like to test that theory
The chick in the video looks like a mouse, and she has that geenric studnet/emo girl voice that drives me nuts.
Why the fuck do English girls talk like that? If I was that guy, Id be glad to get away from the bitches whiney tones for a few months
View all comments by Young Penfold
@on nutter. interesting to see the uncut version but the damage is still obviously old and very conveniently hidden away under the blue bumper.
View all comments by JL
She’s just lucky she’s not in the same cell as me….
View all comments by Canadian Boy
@Combover – you mentioned that the second episode showed last night? If anyone could post a link to download I would be ever so grateful…
View all comments by Naki
UK Nova is the quickest site for UK shows. You do need to register though (it’s free), and try to seed for a few days as well once you’ve got the show…
http://www.uknova.com/
View all comments by Combover
Correct me if i’m wrong and i know someone will lol,
when their senior officer went over to that jetski to look for damage; didn’t he say (under his breath) if the damage was old then the damaged area would look discoloured?
Then the clip turns to the Thai fella also talking about the same thing, but points out that the damage can clearly be seen as NOT being discoloured therefore it was fresh/ recent damage, but, the senior officer then looks the Thai fella in the eye and tells him it’s old damage!?
I thought – wtf is going here. Now after reading this thread about was the scene staged? i’m now looking back on that scene and thinking did someone get their lines wrong during this clip? Something a bit fishy going here i reckon?
Apart from this i found the program entertaining watching unsavvy travellers putting themselves in situations where the Thai police and law just won’t tolerate. I know that there is a certain degree of “bent” behaviour by some Thai cops, but, Thai cops don’t take any shit from asshole visitors to Thailand.
Oh yea, almost forget, just had to love that scene about the girl who got caught with the puff that actually belonged to her boyfriend! But, did you notice how he didn’t mention or say how he would attempt to come to the aid of his girlfriend who faces a minimum of 5 yrs, by admitting it was his and that she was innocent?? Nahhhh, he’ll fuck off back to blighty and leave that poor pathetic girl to face the music! What a man, what a fucking man eh!! If she does go down for a spell in prison, she’ll be mindful of this i’m sure.
Looking forward to seeing the second episode.
View all comments by Eddie T
Gavin. Excellent and necessary documentry. I was in Phukett Provincial Prison with Eric, Clint, Sonny Dave and the others in Febuary. It win’t be difficult for you to find my story. Stitched up by embassy, strapped by court guards after being threatened with a cop’s gun while handcuffed to a thai kid. Found to be innocent but kept in jail. Pathetic new charges put in place to consolidate incarceration. Immigration staff literally lie about me. Lawyer does a runner with bail money
Anyway, the lads’ stories are stifled and the uniforms they are wearing is forced for the cameras. Lying about the conditions for example. About half of the prisoners sleep with bandanas cause of the smell . There is much I’d like to tell you. It could lead to a follow up . That’s my psuedonym address.
View all comments by Jan
Episode 2 was also very good. I like when they show British guys acting really pathetic. In episode 1, it was the wimp who agreed to pay 35,000 baht for minot damage to the jet ski. In episode 2, the urinator crying “me so scared.”
I feel much better about being American now.
View all comments by gavinmac
I also enjoyed episode 2, and thought the Thais came out rather well, from Pattaya volunteer Noi, to the guys who made the citizen’s arrest of The Urinator, to the court that gave Misha a fine and a slap on the wrist for cannabis possession, to the spiffingly clean and pleasant looking Phuket Prison.
Would like to have seen The Urinator get a few days in the slammer for his discourtesy and subsequent idiocy. And I don’t think an American should feel too smug either – the bully boy mercenary and the coward with the bottle are also representative of the genral pond life in Pattaya.
View all comments by Combover
I have worked with Gavin and would work with him again. From what I saw of Trouble in Thailand it was done well and accurately. In my 12 years living here (another six before this visiting here) I would say what I saw so far portrayed some of the uglier things that some tourists face daily in Thailand. Yes tourists face similar things in other parts of the world as well. However this story was on Thailand and from what I saw so far it seemed legitimate.
Jason Bleibtreu
Bangkok
View all comments by Jason
Gavin,
Why didn’t you get a permit to film the sequences for British TV?
View all comments by Scott
Scott – we had all permits necessary to film, to the best of my knowledge. The Thais aren’t daft – they don’t allow you into seven jails over a four month period fully escorted, including Bangkok Central Prison, to film conditions and interview inmates if your paperwork isn’t in order. I’ve had my photo taken with the Directors of most of the Thai prisons I visited and have lunched with them. Some very nice people indeed work in the Thai Prison Service and it was something of a pleasure as well as a unique opportunity to venture ‘inside’. So, we weren’t exactly under the radar. I was invited to address a meeting of the Thai Tourist Police top brass in Bangkok to brief them on our project in late May before being given the go-ahead. We have interviewed the Chief of the Thai Tourist Police at least twice, attended nearly all of their recent training exercises and GPS launches up and down the country, and were given the fullest of co-operation – again for which I am very grateful. We followed the movements of the Tourist Police Volunteers over four months, and filmed the Thai police regulars (all varieties) on patrol, carrying out stop and searches, making arrests and practicing on the shooting range etc etc. We secured the necessary letters of authorisation on each and every occasion in order for filming to take place legitimately and obtained signed release forms from all the authorities concerned. We have not exactly been inconspicuous and we have around 2,000 production stills of us in action doing exactly what we pledged we would in order to be granted the incredible and privileged access we were – that is to promote the excellent work of the Thai police and their foreign helpers by profiling their efforts to extend every courtesy and offer assistance to people who very wisely choose Thailand as their holiday destination. I hope this answers your question.
View all comments by Gavin Hill
Gavin,
Thanks for your response however it clearly states in the rules and regulations for foreign production shoots that a representative of the Film Board accompany every shoot that takes place, your production did not have one becasue no request to shoot in Thailand was ever filed (according to the Thailand Film Board at yesterday’s press conference. The story, as I understand it, is your Thai “fixer” tried to pass the shoot off as a domestic shoot, not requiring the permits for a foreign production shoot (which you already have admitted it was).
So this whole hullabaloo should not be over content of production (we all know negative situations that exist here – and in all other countries of the world) but over legality of shoot in the first place.
View all comments by Scott
The journalists are the real problem. They don’t understand Thailand………
View all comments by JJ
@Scott: In my experience in working in Asian countries where there is a high level of corruption, if one brings up the argument of “but the law says” to a local, then the local will likely look at you like you just stepped off the bus from Mars. I recall a study done at one time that showed that corrupt countries in fact have about 3 times more laws on the books (and officially ‘current’) than less corrupt countries. The reason is so that a government figure can pull out some antiquated unenforced law to back them up when the shit hits the fan – as exactly what has happened in this case.
In reality the law is no protection in countries with corruption (try bringing in a shipment of household effects without paying duty to experience the full fun of law ambiguity). The only effective protection is relationship (or a hellavu lot of cash).
One may believe that they have set up a business venture following the full letter of the law, but if you piss off someone high ranking then you’ll quickly find out that there is some “law” or “rule” that you have been flaunting. And the argument that no one else has been following it either doesn’t stand, ’cause that is not the real issue.
Bend over and think of Mother England….
View all comments by Naki
Scott – you obviously don’t have experience of filming in Thailand, nor Thailand itself it would appear.
From the Bangkok Post today: (I rest my case).
“Sasisupa Sungvaribud, president of the Film Production Services Association, said the recordings took the form of a reality show and the events depicted were obviously staged and scripts written for the film.”
Actually, before I rest my case I refute absolutely – once more, yawn – any allegation the events depicted were obviously staged and scripts written for the film.
One only has to – albeit laboriously – watch the raw footage of events uploaded to You Tube and draw their own conclusions. Or spend a few days in Patong or Chaweng with the Tourist Police like we did, with their full authorisation and co-operation – in fact the Chief of the Thai Tourist Police was interviewed by me – not a Thai – AND IN ENGLISH which he speaks fluently with my Scottish AP present and the Executive Producer jet-lagged from Clapham, London looking on. The Chief of the Thai Tourist Police even asked my AP’s parents, who are (were??) due to visit Thailand, to call him when they landed. We all got on like a house on fire.
I’m bored of the smokescreen of was it faked, or wasn’t it.
I despair where all this is going because, as I have previously said, we went out of our way to promote the image of the police in Thailand. Read into that what you will, for now.
I’ll leave it there, but I won’t be called a liar – and when you Scott come to know Thailand as well as I do you’ll agree with me that making false allegations is not only defamatory but not the Thai way.
View all comments by Gavin Hill
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/153006/pm-thailand-to-be-asean-industrial-hub
View all comments by Gavin Hill
“You’ve obviously been reading some of the forums, which is somethng I’d never adivse any professional to really do.”
Felt that required a second posting.
View all comments by no
Ouch…
http://www.my-thai-friend.com/2009/09/big-trouble-for-black-sheep-in-thailand.html
View all comments by ziggypop
I found it funny..
The official Thai news had just announced that Gavin Hill did not shot it all by yourself, but you had the help from a cable company in Thailand (I forgot the name). The company, admitted to have been hired by the Bravo.
The cable company had been interrogated for demoting Thailand and for ‘illegally’ participating with you.
Your license was still under-operation, and Bravo is still not officially allowed to broadcast it.
Truth or not I dont know, I hardly trust what’s coming out from the Thai government, but I still disagree with your film.
You might first want to broadcast the political corruption ‘live’ before doing it to other country to purposely cause an international reputation damage.
View all comments by Seizhin
Seizhin, Your last paragraph implies a deliberate act by Mr Hill.
Please enlighten the rest of us…
View all comments by Rowley Birkin
Core to the issue was posted by Scott above:
So this whole hullabaloo should not be over content of production (we all know negative situations that exist here – and in all other countries of the world) but over legality of shoot in the first place.
As an expat independent filmmaker in another s. Asian country, I agree with Scott, and I don’t see where Gavin has addressed this point. From experience, u have to play by the rules, or u pay the price.
View all comments by forumhound
Forumhound – happy to address the point … I am confident that our shoot in Thailand was perfectly legal, Black Sheep Productions having gained on Vera/Bravo’s behalf all the permissions necessary. All authorities were properly consulted about the nature of our project and advised and agreed accordingly, including the Thai Film Office, Chief of the Thai Tourist Police and Director of Prisons/Dept. of Corrections. We made no secret of what were doing and obtained signed releases from all concerned approving the astounding access we were given. Otherwise filming over four months across Thailand and in seven jails – no less – would have been out of the question. Thai prisons are just as difficult to get into as they are out of. I’m wondering if the public interest content of the first episode in our series highlighting a very real issue of concern to tourists is in any way linked to the hindsight threat of prosecution reported in the Bangkok Post.
View all comments by Gavin Hill
Once all 8 episodes have aired I suspect the “I’ll huff & i’ll puff & i’ll blow your house down” will all boil down to that prat with the gun!
View all comments by Rowley Birkin
Living in Thailand, I think the series is brilliant, for two reasons, and I understand these weren’t the original intent.
First, Thailand is famous for not acting unless there is public embarassment, and this will trigger action on a number of fronts, in a positive way.
Second, it’s amusing to see how Thais react to this embarassment. Denial, allegations the foreigner staged everything. Maybe this is the true problem in Thai society; a complete inability to look in the mirror.
I have lived here 6 years, and have experienced more scams and corruption here than in the 4 other (developing) countries I’ve lived in prior. The list of stories is unending. What is abnormal here is that this is more like a developed nation, but it’s corruption is on par with the lowest of the low.
Finally, it shouldn’t be a surprise every viewer has drawn different perspectives, because it touches on a lot of topics, and every one of them has a different sensitivity depending on one’s passport and country of residence.
View all comments by Ziggy