Us Mini-series To Be Shot In Thailand

[george]

US mini-series to be shot in Thailand

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: -- A spacious seaside plot in Nakhon Si Thammarat has been turned into an 18th century Caribbean pirate village for the filming of a US television mini-series about the legendary pirate Blackbeard.

Chris Lowenstein, production director of US-based Living Films, said the company is spending about Bt200 million to build the set in the southern province's Khanom district.

Construction of the set is almost finished and filming of the four-hour mini-series could begin around the middle of next month, he said.

Almost three centuries ago Blackbeard, formerly a British seaman named Edward Teach or Thatch, led a band of sea robbers along the shipping lanes off North America and the Caribbean.

The set, a plot of more than 10 rai that has been rented from a local businessperson, was chosen because of its beautiful surroundings and proximity to the airport, hospital and hotels, Lowenstein said.

The crew for the mini-series will spend about six months in Khanom and about 300 extras will be hired - most of them foreigners, he said.

The company has had projects in Thailand before, but most were shot in Andaman coastal provinces like Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga, according to Lowenstein.

Local officials and businesses in Khanom expect the project will give a boost to the district's economy and tourism industry.

District chief Santad Na Nakorn said the hundreds of foreign crewmembers and extras hired for the mini-series could generate at least Bt10 million in business for local hotels. Related businesses and the district's tourism industry will also benefit.

Santad said the district office had received many phone calls from people who wanted to know about the district's natural beauty, following Living Films' decision to shoot there.

Many tourists from other provinces have also visited the site for the mini-series, he said.

Suliporn Seriwiwattana, who heads the Nakhon Si Thammarat Tourism Business Association, said she hoped the mini-series would attract more tourists to the province.

She said that given its potential in terms of natural beauty, Nakhon Si Thammarat could become one of the country's top tourist destinations.

--The Nation 2005-06-11