It’s a much-repeated situation: happy-go-lucky tourist arrives in Thailand, declines to take out insurance, gets into a motorbike accident, ends up in hospital, gets himself into a bit of a pickle.
For Nathan, a 28-year old Australian tourist holidaying in Phuket, this is where his problems started. And to top it all off, his situation was filmed for the Australian observational TV programme, The Embassy.
Nathan was holidaying in Phuket on a so-called body improvement programme, reports News.com.au, taking growth hormones and steroids and wooing the local women in his spare time.
He recorded his explicit endeavours on his trusty GoPro, as so many tourists and bloggers nowadays do.
The GoPro also captured the moment that Nathan wound up in a nasty motorcycle accident that left him badly injured and in need of medical attention.
Fast forward to a Thai hospital, Nathan finds himself in something of a sticky situation: he’s sustained serious injuries, he’s uninsured and the company who he hired the motorcycle from are asking for serious compensation to the tune of AU$5,000.
Nathan is adamant that the accident was not his fault but tells police – who have also seized his passport – that the GoPro he recorded the incident on has broken and so cannot be used as evidence.
Of course, it hasn’t broken – Nathan just isn’t keen on the Thai police watching his documented steroid usage and homemade sex tapes that make up some of the earlier footage.
At this point, officials from the Australian embassy intervene to provide assistance, alerted by Nathan’s mother that he was in the hospital.
“He really hadn’t done anything wrong until he lied to the police. That was the big issue,” says Trudy McGowan, who was the first secretary and consul at the Australian Embassy at the time of the incident.
“What he doesn’t get, and what many tourists don’t get, is that the police couldn’t care less. They aren’t interested in his home movies — it’s the lying that is more serious,” she concludes.
Nathan eventually comes clean after McGowan warns him that his lying, as well as lack of respect for the locals, could have wider repercussions than just a paltry compensation fee to pay.
We’ll have to watch The Embassy to see what becomes of Jason – here’s hoping that next time he holidays abroad, he’ll take out travel insurance!
The Embassy broadcasts in Australia on Channel 9 at 8.30pm tonight.
Featured image is of Nathan and is via Channel 9
