The Beach

EXT. BANGKOK. NIGHT

A single headlamp in close up shines directly and brightly

out. Extreme noise and light.

Beyond its glare can be seen the outline of a motorized

tricycle ("tuk-tud") and its Thai driver.

A young man, Richard, sits in the back, his rucksack beside

him, swaying with the motion of the vehicle. He is worn and

sweating.

They travel through nocturnal Bangkok: fleets of tuk-tuks,

taxis, road works, food vendors, dogs, tourists.

Music and credits.

EXT. KHAO SAN ROAD. NIGHT

The bright headlight comes to a halt.

Richard climbs down from the tuk-tuk

RICHARD (V.O.)

When you hit Bangkok, there's really only

one place to go. The street is busy, full

of Thai's and travelers.

Richard picks his way through the crowd, his rucksack on his

back.

He absorbs the scene as he passes boarding houses and hotels,

and the shops and stalls selling food, clothes, pirated

tapes, jewelry, travel tickets, and international phone

calls. Restaurants are filled with western travelers watching

American films or European sport.

RICHARD (V.O.)

(continuing)

The Khao San Road is a decompression

chamber between east and west. It's where

you learn to breathe car fumes and

tropical air for the very first time, or

else carefully rearrange your memories

before you catch your flight home.

Richard is approached by a young male Thai Hustler who walks

backwards in front of him while making his pitch.

HUSTLER:

You need somewhere to stay?

RICHARD:

I'll be OK, Thanks.

Richard politely ignores each of his subsequent offers.

HUSTLER:

What do you want? Sell your passport? Buy

passport? Airline tickets? You want silk?

I'll take you to the best silk place? You

get a suit in twenty-four hours. Diamonds?

You want to come with me, you get present

for your girlfriend. Maybe no girlfriend.

You want a girl, no problem. Good time.

Boy girl f***ing no problem. You want to

drink some snake blood?

At this last one Richard stops and addresses the Hustler.

RICHARD:

No thanks.

Richard walks on, the hustler fading out behind him.

HUSTLER:

You want designer clothes? I get you

Versache, Gucci, Armani, no problem. You

want a camera, all the best makes: Nikon,

Leica, Canon I can get you.

RICHARD (V.O.)

Yeah, it's all here: you an phone home,

meet up with strangers, split up with

your friends, watch Hollywood movies

while you sip Budweiser and eat a burger

or get some massage and green chicken

soup. You could be anywhere in the world

but you could only find it here. And what

do they want, all these people?

EXT. KHAO SAN ROAD. NIGHT./ INT. BARS AND SHOPS. NIGHT.

Various young travelers, male and female, in snapshot

exerpts, address their comments to the camera or each other.

TRAVELER 1

Where you been?

TRAVELER 2

Where you going?

TRAVELER 3

I've been there.

TRAVELER 4

It's a waste of time.

TRAVELER 1

We just got back.

TRAVELER 2

Fantastic.

TRAVELER 3

How much did it cost?

TRAVELER 5

A complete rip off.

TRAVELER 3

Too many people. There's a much better

place along the coast.

TRAVELER 4

We're going exploring. We've read this

book. It tells us all the best places to

explore.

TRAVELER 2

I know a place that everyone says is

really unspoiled.

TRAVELER 1

I heard they built a big hotel there.

TRAVELER 5

Some sort of sewage problem, apparently.

TRAVELER 1

We're going anyway: all the rooms have

got air conditioning.

RICHARD (V.O.)

But for me it's all about finding out

something about a place, and something

about yourself. And when you get off the

beaten track, that's where you find out

what there is to find out.

Richard turns into one of the restaurants.

INT. RESTAURANT. NIGHT.

The restaurant extends deeply back away from the street.

Richard passes many diners not dissimilar to himself. Some

are talking, many are engrossed in the video entertainment.

At the back he reaches a reception desk where he drops his

pack.

A Thai female HOTEL RECEPTIONIST sits behind the desk. She

immediately shows Richard a "menu" of available rooms. The

menu offers a spread of prices for

single/double/window/fan/aircon/bathroom.

Richard points to the cheapest combination and hands over

300 bath.

The Receptionist becomes aware that he is being started at.

A worn, disheveled man in his mid-thirties is standing at

the nearby bar, a bottle in his hand, studying Richard. This

is Daffy.

RICHARD:

Good evening.

Daffy says nothing but continues to stare and takes a drink.

Richard will not be stared down. Neither turns away.

The Receptionist passes over a key and smiles broadly.

HOTEL RECEPTIONIST

Welcome to Thailand.

Richard turns to her.

RICHARD:

Thank you.

INT SHOWER. NIGHT

In a small windowless shower room, Richard stands

motionless, eyes closed, facing with pleasure the spray of

cold water.

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. NIGHT

The sound of the shower can be heard through a door marked

with a shower sign.

The sound stops and the door is opened. Richard emerges

with a towel wrapped around his waist, carrying his key and

washbag.

He walks the short distance to his room. He puts the key in

the door but the lock is stiff and he has to fiddle with it,

bent over and dripping water on the floor.

While he is doing so, the sound of footsteps climbing nearby

stairs can be heard.

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