HMS Bulwark in Phuket
Phuket jet-ski operator JJ Naiman apologised to the Thai people for disappointing them on national television tonight, but said he was tricked into appearing on the controversial British television series ‘Big Trouble in Thailand.’
The jet ski operator who was shown bringing a gun out on British Royal Marines from HMS Bulwark, who were on Phuket on R & R, said he had been misled into thinking the film was ‘good for tourism’.
And Channel 3 gave a sympathetic hearing to JJ’s claim that the gun incident was set-up. He claimed the producer filmed him with the gun separately and then introduced it into his confrontation with the Royal Marine, 21-yr-old Jack Tebbott.
Producer Gavin Hill reacted to the claim with mild amusement. ‘I do have problems with the way this show is being put together but the gun incident is quite clear. It is a rolling shot, there are no cuts except when JJ tells me to stop filming
‘Perhaps he wanted to impress the Marines to show them, look I can use a gun too, but they definitely took it as a threat and have already posted their views up on the internet.
‘JJ is talking to Tebbott when he sorts of jumps a little and heads towards his hut. I follow with the camera rolling thinking, well I hope he is not just going to take a pee, then he takes out the gun and brings it out.
‘I think they thought, ‘Boy we are dealing with a loose cannon here, maybe a whacko!’
‘If somebody wants to make an issue of this I think I am on pretty strong ground.
‘We of course never told JJ we were making a film to promote tourism. We told him we were filming with the Thai police to show how Brits behave on holiday.
‘Actually they day we met JJ he said he had just come out of jail for having no licences for his guns.’
The gun – don’t those pale legs belong to Marines?
Footnote: The editors in London did however move sound from another part of the video and put it over the point when JJ arrived with the gun. Gavin Hill has complained about this.
Here are his comments:
No -(this refers to my question. Did I get it wrong, was this not rolling footage?) but good detective work going on there,(noticing the sound had been changed picked up by one website here (www.thailandlandofsmiles.com) which accords with what I told you about Vera moving the audio.
There is no cut from the moment JJ walks out of his hut-like place where he keeps his guns.
I tilted down with the camera when he said don’t film. After that there’s the effect of the TV going on the blink.
Why did they put that in? Because JJ goes and puts the gun back in his hut and everything fizzles out – that was the climax.
I can upload the video tomorrow – have it here, if that would help.
In terms of the link below you are right – there is no cut between JJ emerging with the gun, hidden behind his back and approaching the Marines, during which time I’m focused on the gun.
Anyway, the point is – in the midst of negotiations, whilst awaiting Tim, MP – JJ produces the gun and the Marines are justifiably rattled. They were, they said so at the time and have posted as much since. But they weren’t scared out of their wits because, I guess, they’re used to being around guns and I think they’re quite smart, level-headed chaps not prone to panic.
I was worrying at the time far more than the Marines were.
Hope this clears things up. The fact remains that Vera did over-sensationalize this clip by moving the earlier audio over to JJ approaching the Marines, gun in hand. I am troubled by this, but aside from dramatic effect I’m not sure it alters what was an unnerving and unpredictable situation with a drunken lout backed up by thugs, holding a man to ransom and demanding cash from him. The gun was an unnecessary addition and escalation to the proceedings and JJ only has himself to blame for that – whatever his motive was for bringing out the gun. And it’s the only moment where I’m filming without his consent – that said he was to cover it all with a blanket release form
