Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand - Episode 1

Episode One of Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand is pretty engaging stuff. The conspiratorially breathy delivery of the presenter, the short sharp clips of partying tourists and scantily clad go-go dancers, plus there is Howard, the most unlikely peacekeeper on the planet. More of him later.

The agenda is much the same as most of these documentaries, picking out the shock horror stories that will have you quivering in your seat, vowing never to set foot in that awful country. Unlike City Scam Bangkok, however, BTITT lets the participants do most of the talking and the viewer gets to judge the merits of each case for themselves.

We meet the Royal Marine whose boss backs him to the hilt, when he refuses to accept the blame for damage to a jet ski. The senior officer shows his cultural sensitivity by screaming at the Thai  proprietor that he is a crook, whilst the local is clearly no expert is conflict resolution either. He decides that bringing his gun to the table will expedite negotiations. The Marine continues to maintain his innocence right up until the point that the owner reminds him that he ran away when challenged and initially offered 35,000 baht as compensation. Cue collapse of the case for the defence.

Misha is the sweet but dopey party girl caught with her boyfriend's drugs, Dave is the "reformed" drug dealer, who finished his jail term in the UK and came to Thailand for a new start... dealing drugs. Both seemed to be of the view that they knew what they were doing was wrong, but the Thais seemed so nice, they never thought they would be punished for it. We are invited to feel sorry for people who broke the law, because the punishment; widely publicised, is really tough. Thanks but I think I will pass.

Howard is the star of the show. A police volunteer, his job is to keep tourists out of jail rather than send them to it. He endures a stream of invective from a drunken Aussie, then tells the boy's father to look after him because he is drunk. If you spoke like that to a western policeman, you might just accidentally fall down the stairs of the cell block.

I was sure I would detest BTITT, but I  am pleasantly surprised by Episode 1.  For the moment I am working on the basis that the producers have a highly developed sense of irony. They let the aggrieved parties speak for themselves, then the presenter invites the viewer to sympathise with their rough treatment at the hands of the locals. Meanwhile the director is saying "Look at this dickhead" can you believe the trouble he got himself into?

Episode 2 awaits.

View episode one at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgou4ZHqAZY

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