BBC i player ; Thailand

[Londoner]

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002jwhg/thailand-the-dark-side-of-paradise

Anyone seen it yet? 

 

 

[Patanawet]

I player only available within the U.K., but there's VPN I suppose.

[zoomomancs]

12 hours ago, Londoner said:

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002jwhg/thailand-the-dark-side-of-paradise

Anyone seen it yet? 

 

 

Amusing part where they film in Soi Cowboy and get hassled by the police

[Travellerdave]

I’ve seen all three episodes

number 1 featured mainly Khai Sarn Road and the canabis boom. Présenter nearly got arrested in Soi Cowboy

Number  2 visited Soi 6 Pattaya. Further difficulties with the police

Number 3 tye 20 year old female presenter found paradise on Koh Panyan 

no mention at all about the gay scene 

[Londoner]

Thanks for the warning. I wasn't very hopeful of seeing anything to interest me!

[kentguy2025]

It's a load of old crap 

[forrestreid]

No offense intended Londoner, but I found the thread title a bit misleading. I initially clicked in thinking it was about someone trying to access BBC iPlayer from Thailand...

Anyway, I’ve watched the first two episodes of the show so far, and while I wouldn’t call it amazing, I don’t think it’s fair to say it’s terrible either. For this kind of programme made by a British TV company, it’s fairly decent. My main issue is that, like many British TV shows about the LOS, it gives the misleading impression that half the tourists there are British.

I suspect most readers here won’t be particularly sympathetic to the way these sorts of programmes tend to portray Thailand’s sex industry. That said, if you watch with an open mind, there are some funny moments. One that stood out was the presenter’s interview with a Soi Cowboy bar girl. She was amusingly enthusiastic when talking about the British teenage lads who hire her—especially the ones whose fathers paid her to “break them in.” That clearly shocked the presenter!

While the show didn’t explicitly cover the gay scene, I wouldn’t say it was entirely lacking in rainbow representation. If you saw the segment at the Pattaya sex clinic, you’ll probably know what I mean.

And, if you are not a complete rice queen, there is quite a few cute young British guys in view. Lucas (the young guy interviewed in Pattaya ) was quite adorable and that poor guy who was stabbed in Ko Phangan was a not too bad looking either.

[forrestreid]

14 hours ago, Londoner said:

Thanks for the warning. I wasn't very hopeful of seeing anything to interest me!

Well, if you are pining for Thailand in the cold British winter Londoner, a you could do worse than watch it.

[forrestreid]

22 hours ago, Travellerdave said:

...Number 1 featured mainly Khai Sarn Road and the canabis boom. Présenter nearly got arrested in Soi Cowboy

Number  2 visited Soi 6 Pattaya. Further difficulties with the police....

 

Actually, if anybody could have a beef with the series, I think it might be the Thai police and establishment generally. It looks like she got a bit of help from the Thai police for the filming she did in the sex trade area, but then it went wrong, however it was never explained exactly what the problem was. It seems to me like she maybe got permission to do a quick run through of Soi Cowboy and Pattaya Soi  6, but the police didn’t realise she was going to linger so long and try to interview people. I don’t know, I would’ve liked to have heard to Thai police viewpoint on those events anyway.

And, in general, the series tends  to give the impression of  Thailand as a place that you didn’t know what the rules were and you could fall afoul at any moment. I know from a simplistic reading that is true, but from my experience of reading about Thailand over the years, I think that in many cases people could have avoided problems if they’re a bit more sensitive to the subtle rules.

For instance, when she was interviewing the English guy who now runs cannabis shops Ko Phangan, he said he got in trouble and a spell in jail because “some Thai people don’t like farangs handling money”.

This was rather a sinister way of explaining that, as a foreign business owner in Thailand who is strictly forbidden from doing the ordinary work of the business (like serving customers), he had presumably allowed himself to be caught out.

Not saying its not a crazy rule, but it is well known what it is.

 

[PeterRS]

Dropping a relatively ingenue reporter into Thailand and expecting them to make a series of programmes that will convey the reality of life in the country is a typical BBC habit, it seems. There are plenty of reporters, some like Jonathan Head who has been based in Bangkok for more than 20 years, who work for the BBC and who could do what I am certain would be a much better job. But he knows the pitfalls and the corruption and the police and the laws. He would probably turn such an assignment down.

On the other hand, there are some excellent BBC reporters. I think particularly of two the BBC managed to infiltrate into Myanmar -  the latest being Quentin Sommerville last year - who really gave viewers a far better idea of what real life was like with the militias fighting the junta forces.

[Londoner]

 I suspect that in a media-world of dumbing-down, ignorance  (or "freshness") is preferred. The cult of the amateur rather than  that of the expert. The transformation of BBC Radio 3 in recent years is an example.

On the other hand, it may be just me getting old.

[Keithambrose]

9 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Dropping a relatively ingenue reporter into Thailand and expecting them to make a series of programmes that will convey the reality of life in the country is a typical BBC habit, it seems. There are plenty of reporters, some like Jonathan Head who has been based in Bangkok for more than 20 years, who work for the BBC and who could do what I am certain would be a much better job. But he knows the pitfalls and the corruption and the police and the laws. He would probably turn such an assignment down.

On the other hand, there are some excellent BBC reporters. I think particularly of two the BBC managed to infiltrate into Myanmar -  the latest being Quentin Sommerville last year - who really gave viewers a far better idea of what real life was like with the militias fighting the junta forces.

My view is that the series was a waste of time. Clearly  no research  had been done about Thailand,  and the role of the BIB. The reporter appeared to be pretty dumb, appearing surprised that guys go to a go go bar for sex, etc. Also that people get drunk at events, and have accidents.  Has she not been to her local town on a Saturday  night? No enquiry about travel insurance, nothing in depth about problems  expats have with residence permits, property issues, etc. It was all that life is basically  wonderful.  One or two references to some issues, but, in my view, the sort of superficial  crap we now see so much of. However, the presenter does take every opportunity to show off her cosmetic  surgery,  and her dental work!

[PeterRS]

6 hours ago, Londoner said:

 I suspect that in a media-world of dumbing-down, ignorance  (or "freshness") is preferred. The cult of the amateur rather than  that of the expert. The transformation of BBC Radio 3 in recent years is an example.

On the other hand, it may be just me getting old.

As I have written elsewhere, I started my career as a general trainee with the BBC. In those far off days, standards were high and the BBC news department in particular was particularly regarded worldwide for its quality and accuracy. I cannot speak of BBC television today for the little I see is on an annual two week visit to the UK. The World Service on BBC radio used to be broadcast around the clock each day. The foreign language news programmes used to broadcast in 45 different languages  several times a day. I understand the English Service is still in existence but the number of languages for foreign language news has been reduced to 27.

That apart, and accepting that there have been a few scandals as with programmes on the pedophile Jimmy Savile after his death and most recently its fired primary television news reader for exchanging indecent images of underage boys, I am told by former colleagues that the quality of most of its news-type programmes is still pretty high. The quality of some of its senior management and its own internal reporting standards need revamping, but there is seemingly no desire to dumb down as with any networks eslsewhere. But the recent programme on Thailand is clearly a major exception.

Complaining to the BBC through its complaints page is a useless exercise in frustration. I happen to enjoy badminton, but while its sports pages have a dedicated badminton page, it never reviews the world's main badminton events. It is also massively out of date. The last "news" item about badminton is on 8 March 2020! Complain and it advises your letter will be passed to heads of departments. Then you get a mail saying these people do not agree. I do not believe any of the complaint letters actually are read by anyone. Heads need to be bashed together - but it will never happen.