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Thailand

Dara and Ed continue their journey in Thailand. The pair fly into Phuket and experience an island that is sinking under the weight of booming tourism.

In Thailand, Dara and Ed fly into Phuket and experience an island that is sinking under the weight of booming tourism. They meet up with a local environmentalist campaigning to protect Phuket's wildlife and help out at a turtle conservation centre, returning two turtles to the sea.

Moving on to the mainland, Dara and Ed travel to the capital city of Bangkok, which recently became the most visited city in the world. They are invited to a supper club, where they find out how the locals are reacting to the explosion in foreign visitors. Travelling out of the city on a rice barge, the boys arrive in the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya and visit its ruins before Ed takes up Muay Thai boxing for a day. Following the backpackers, the boys then board the night train to Chiang Mai, stop for a Thai massage and see how the city has adapted to life on the tourist trail. As they head towards the north of Thailand, Dara and Ed see some of the positive changes that tourism is bringing. They visit the Hmong hill tribe who have transformed their traditional go-karting track into a fee-paying attraction for tourists, bringing in some much needed dollars.

Finally, they end their journey in the Golden Triangle at a sanctuary for elephants that have been rescued from Thailand's logging industry. Here the income generated by a purpose-built, eco-friendly tourist resort is funding the welfare and future of the elephants and their handlers.

59 minutes

Music Played

  • Scissor Sisters

    Fire With Fire

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Dara O Briain
Presenter Ed Byrne
Executive Producer Fiona Caldwell
Director Pamela Gordon
Series Producer Pamela Gordon
Production Company Freemantle Media UK

Broadcasts

Dara and Ed's Great Big Adventure

Dara and Ed's Great Big Adventure

An epic 4,000-mile adventure on the Pan-American Highway