FILM AUSTRALIA COLLECTION

Title Details

Thailand - Do Good Receive Good, Do Evil Receive Evil

This program attempts to analyse the mechanisms that hold Thailand together and examine the historical and cultural background of Thailand.
Series : Asian Insight | Episode : 6 | Year : 1976 | Total Duration : 52 Minutes | Producer : John Temple, Don Murray, Ron Hannam
Director : Arch Nicholson |
A boy from a hill tribe on the Thai Burma border helps a crew member with the camera. A boy stands out on a bamboo ladder over a river above fishing nets. Aerial view of a temple, Bangkok. Aerial view of Bangkok showing two temple sites. Aerial view of Bangkok showing Wat Arun or the Temple of the Dawn.
Army officer standing guard as a helicopter lands at a hill tribe village on the Thai Burma border. Buddhist monks queueing to receive alms in front of the Giant Swing and Wat Suthat temple. Buddhist monks receiving alms in front of Wat Suthat temple. Buddhist monks receiving alms in front of Wat Suthat temple. Dean Semler and crew at Buddhist temple, Doi Suthep.
Farmers shovelling grain. Girls from a hill tribe on the Thai Burma border in traditional dress. Novice monks doing construction work. Portrait of a farmer. Portrait of an elderly Thai woman.
Queen Sirikit talks with girls from a hill tribe village on the Thai Burma border. Remains of a temple amongst the ruins of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Statue of Buddha. Sunset over the city skyline, Bangkok. Thai Buddhist monks walking in pairs.
Thai farmer harvesting grain. Thai farmer with buffaloes. Thai fisherman inspecting his net on a boat. Thai woman inspecting seafood at a street side market. Thai women selling food from boats on a river.
Three pagodas of Wat Phra Si Sanphet amongst the ruins of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Two men competing in a kickboxing match. View of a temple from across a river. Women from a hill tribe on the Thai Burma border in traditional dress.
Zoom out from two children and two Buddhist monks in saffron robes canoeing down tropical river and VS paddling with oars. VS Thai villagers preparing food and feeding monks. MS footage of King arriving in car to ceremonial welcome and walking under umbrella and taking salute. VS people watching as he receives floral tributes. WS palace and pan down to various boats and watercraft on harbour.
Access No. 134235 | 1 min 15 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
MS presenter John Temple in motorised long boat talking to camera about the contradictions in Thai society. WS of Buddhist monks in saffron robes aboard boat and VS passenger boats past camera. Graphic map of Asia and opening titles. WS city view with grass then traffic on streets in foreground and temples in background. Closer pans past various temple spires. CU rooster crowing and WS roosters in street with monk walking across screen.
Access No. 134240 | 2 mins 1 sec | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
VS Buddhist monk in saffron robes followed by another man walking to monastery. MS people walking with monks towards camera. MS presenter John Temple speaking to camera about Thai religion and the Buddhist monks. WS of receding line of monks sitting in prayer inside monastery. MS slow pan along row of monks chanting. WS graphic map of Asia showing original location of Thai peoples and their southern movement and the movement of the Buddhist religion.
Access No. 134241 | 2 mins 13 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
VS Buddhist monks in saffron robes lining up for servings of rice in food pots. VS people in crowd releasing birds from small timber cages as a way of gaining merit. CUs children singing in line and GS monks. VS monks inside monastery praying in front of alter topped by Buddha statue. VS children praying and CU small boy picking nose. GS monk ringing bell and VS alters and monk praying
Access No. 134242 | 3 mins 29 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
Zoom out from food apportioned into various bowls and monks in saffron robes seated on floor around the food serving themselves. VS monks eating and CU of monk having his hair shaved off by another and GS monk washing with bucket. Tilt from feet up of elderly monk ambling in garden. VS monks meditating. VS ceremonial procession in temple grounds led by elderly men and dancing elderly women in white robes.
Access No. 134243 | 1 min 47 secs | 1960s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
VS Thai villagers worshipping the spirit of the monastery grounds and the bodhi tree with food offerings. Zoom out from temple roof to small spirit house on the border of the temple grounds. VS Thai families burning incense at alter. MS ornately dressed young Thai women dancers performing and GS performance.
Access No. 134244 | 1 min 46 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
VS examples of Thai women in responsible occupations including MS modern educated young director of casting for a major advertising agency talking to actors and behind cameras, MS female Thai doctor examining baby with stethoscope, VS bank run by women in various roles. CUs counting money and banknotes, MS on telephones, WS office floor, VS serving male customers.
Access No. 134245 | 1 min 14 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
WS Thai river and VS water traffic with various kinds of boats, barges, house boats etc. Tracks past houses on stilts next to shore, some with spirit houses on stilts next to them. MS presenter John Temple talking about the Thai philosophy. VS Thais trading from boats on the river. VS boat laden with hay and floating vegetable and food market also including butcher, bird seller all conducting business in small boats.
Access No. 134246 | 2 mins 1 sec | 1970s | Bangkok, Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
WS zoom from speed boat on river to rice workers in fields and MS people harvesting rice by hand with sickles, one with balaclava over face. WS bucolic scenes of workers in field. VS two men Thai boxing in village street watched by smiling villagers and children. VS aggressive form of pole fighting in boxing ring to music.
Access No. 134247 | 1 min 49 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
Track of Bangkok bus towards and past camera with passengers hanging out of doors. GS pedestrians along footpaths and MS pan across congested traffic. WS traffic past huge movie billboards. VS Thais on streets of various social classes. Zoom to Lord Abbot of Djitta Bhawan, a monastery and spiritual battle school near Bangkok with VS of Lord Abbot preaching particular strain of Buddhism to followers.
Access No. 134248 | 1 min 45 secs | 1970s | Bangkok, Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
VS Thai children wearing saffron robes carrying out various activities for concrete production from lifting basketfuls of stones to mixing concrete in mixer. CU bald heads of children marching in line at monastery and GS of them entering temple leaving footwear at door. Tilt from flowers in alter on wall to lecturer at microphone in front of Buddhist academics. MS faces of seated academics.
Access No. 134249 | 1 min 29 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
MS Publisher Sulak Sivakasa speaking about the Buddhist monks' increasing loss of spiritual leadership. VS group of monks gathered around tables in discussion and making notes. VS people cutting and shaping flat metal for making monks' food bowls. GS bowls softened in flames and VS people sanding and filing bowls. VS row of monks in saffron robes accepting gifts in merit making ceremony. VS villagers offering gifts and receiving blessings.
Access No. 134250 | 2 mins 59 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
Zoom out from Buddha statue to monks kneeling in prayer and VS chanting. Tilt down from palm tree to group of people in white robes meditating. CU pan past faces of children, women and men of different ages from group, most with eyes closed. WS of seated group in front of temple. VS King Bhumibol and Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn with attendants in military-style dress standing in front of singing crowds. MS princesses.
Access No. 134251 | 1 min 52 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
VS King Bhumibol, Queen Sirikit and other royal family members in front of cheering, singing and dancing crowds. VS crowds in prayer and the Royal family mixing with with their subjects. MS statue of elephant and zoom out to WS of palace and VS other temples. MS presenter John Temple speaking to camera about the Thai shared outlook.
Access No. 134253 | 3 mins 4 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
MS helicopter hovering in air and zoom out to WS northern hills tribe village below with villagers and military gathered. MS villagers in identical outfits and military saluting King and Queen as they disembark from helicopter and walk amongst villagers. VS children singing for the royals. VS children in everyday tribal dress and CU face of villager smoking pipe. GS King handing out presents and accepting gifts from villagers.
Access No. 134254 | 2 mins 3 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
WS city streets and traffic of Chiang Mai with rickshaws etc towards camera. GS buses and pedestrians in crowded streets. VS street markets and CUs of men and women smoking roughly rolled cigarettes. CU silverworker working on pot and CU woodworker carving timber. GS two women carvers at work. Low angle pan of Burmese temple ruins and zoom out from Burmese Buddha statue.
Access No. 134255 | 1 min 24 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
Tilt up from statue outside Burmese temple ruins to dragon sculpture holding Thai in his mouth. VS outside Burmese temples of busy Chiang Mai streets. Graphic map of South East Asia with Chiang Mai marked along with the other cities down the county towards the coast. WS people working in fields with city of former capital city Ayuthaya in distance. VS temple ruins. Zoom out from temple.
Access No. 134256 | 1 min 19 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
CUs paintings depicting warfare against the Burmese. High angle pan over ruins in Ayuthaya with map superimposed over images. Pan across ruins to seated Buddha statue. Track of presenter John Temple walking through ruins and tilt down stupa. Pan along enormous statue of reclining Buddha. VS city street scenes showing traffic, pedestrians, people eating, smoking, children on tricycles and some of the Chinese population.
Access No. 134257 | 2 mins 57 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
VS Chinese in Thailand sawing ice and day to day living in enclaves. GS man carrying Chinese lanterns. Speedboat down river past fishing boats POV passenger. WS man feeding large flock of ducks on river banks. CU of ducklings. VS man with ox and VS farmers rice farming in central plains from boats. VS harvesting, threshing, winnowing. VS schoolchildren arriving at school by rowing boats and carrying tin lunch containers.
Access No. 134258 | 2 mins 29 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
VS rural Thai society showing man being shaved, indoor market, people eating, woman washing in river and CU fish being cooked. VS meat being chopped, man feeding livestock and fisherman on river casting net. Track of boat down river past stationary boats with rice fields in background. GS busy Bangkok ferry stop with pan of western tourists amongst Asians waiting to board boat.
Access No. 134259 | 1 min 55 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
GS tourists at tables on balcony of Oriental Hotel. GS woman in bikini and VS tourists in streets of Bangkok dealing with Thais. MS tourists taking photographs of temples. GS Thai dancers being photographed on lawn. B&W 1973 file footage of student demonstrations against the military regime. 1976 footage of violence between right and left wing students and the generals. VS arrests and public burning of bodies.
Access No. 134260 | 3 mins 5 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
Aerial track over stupa and temple built on rock and wider aerials of temple and Bangkok district. Various aerials over walled temples. VS boats on river, backstreets and slums. GS street market. MS woman in nightclub performing with balls suspended from nipples by red light. VS Asian and Western nightclub patrons at bar. CU Thai woman smoking in red light.
Access No. 134261 | 1 min 44 secs | 1970s | Bangkok, Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |
GS group of brothel workers reclining on cushions looking bored. CUs woman in massage parlour giving massage. WS sign for cocktail lounge at night. VS night life with traffic and pedestrians in streets lit with signs. GS temples and statues lit at night. MS presenter John Temple telling a story of Buddha to camera. Various aerials over Bangkok. Track down river past buildings and GS Bangkok street scenes
Access No. 134262 | 3 mins 58 secs | 1970s | Thailand | © NFSA | Colour |