All language subtitles for BBC.Thailand.Earths.Tropical.Paradise.2of3.The.Central.Heartland.720p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org

In the heart of South East
Asia is an ancient kingdom.

With over 3,000km of coastline.

But beyond its golden shores

there are secret worlds.

Home to mysterious creatures...

..and forest giants.

This is a fast-changing country

where East and West collide.

People and animals must
work together to survive.

Forming unique relationships.

A spiritual land...

..full of magic and wonder.

This is Thailand.

Each morning,

a magical chorus rings
through the forests

of Khao Yai National
Park in central Thailand.

The cry of the lar gibbon
bonds males and females.

These intelligent apes
often pair for life

and advertise their
territorial rights with song.

In their forest sanctuary,
this cream-coloured male

and his dark-haired mate
are raising a youngster.

Grooming helps keep family bonds strong

for the ten or more years
they'll stay together.

Finding food is the next priority.

And it's not always easy.

It requires an intimate knowledge
of their patch of forest.

Building momentum helps
them swing from tree to tree

at speeds of more than 50km per hour.

Following memory maps of
highways through the tree tops,

the gibbons find the
perfect places to forage.

But sometimes a gibbon
highway meets a human highway.

When the fruiting trees
are on the other side,

there's a big problem.

Gibbons are strictly arboreal.

So they're reluctant to leave the trees

and are vulnerable on the ground.

Crossing a busy road on
foot would be too dangerous.

No-one passing below this rope
bridge gives it a second thought.

But, for the gibbons, it's a lifeline.

The rope bridge allows
the park's gibbons

to access fresh feeding grounds.

The devoted couple have
located a fruiting fig tree.

Time for a lazy breakfast.

Their lives have been made
just a little bit safer

by a human helping hand.

Life in one of Asia's
fastest-changing countries

means people and animals are
finding new ways to get along.

Central Thailand is the richest
and most productive region.

Its fertile flood plains
nourish rice fields

that cover 40% of all the farmland.

Where the land meets
the Gulf of Thailand...

..lies the great city of Bangkok.

Around 8 million people live
in the nation's capital.

And this bustling central region
is known as the nation's rice bowl.

Even here,
there are magical places to be found,

hidden from view...

..where age-old beliefs and
traditional practices live on...

..and time seems to have stood still.

Phraya Nakhon Cave was
discovered some 200 years ago,

when Thailand was still known as Siam.

Thai kings have visited
this cavern for centuries.

The Royal Pavilion crowns
this mystical place.

Spirituality is the key to understanding

central Thailand's harmonious
relationship with nature.

This Lyle's flying fox is
waiting out the heat of the day.

And he's not alone.

With leathery wings nearly a metre wide,

he can fly 30km or more
in search of fruit.

These flying foxes are
often regarded as pests,

destroying orchards and
causing conflict with farmers.

But this bat and his colony are special.

They are under Buddha's own protection.

This is the temple of Wat Pho Bang Khla.

As dusk approaches,

the resident monks are called
to prayer by the beat of a drum.

But the bats have heard it all before.

Here, the spiritual and
animal kingdoms are united.

Buddhism is the religion of
more than 90% of Thai people,

profoundly influencing
their everyday lives.

Buddhist teachings state that

all living things are
worthy of kindness,

compassion and tolerance.

This very tolerant place
is known as the Bat Temple.

It's the daytime residence of
6,000 or more flying foxes.

Leaving their sanctuary
to forage far away,

they'll return at dawn
to this spiritual haven.

The natural world features prominently

in Thai religion and mythology.

The lotus is linked to Buddha himself.

In shallow lakes to the west of Bangkok,

tightly-filled buds
rise on slender stems

as if craning their
necks to the heavens.

The contrast of the
blooms to the muddy water

inspired Buddha to use the lotus
as a symbol of enlightenment.

The passage from darkness to light,

ignorance to wisdom.

Yukha spends every day
in the watery fields

plucking the stems.

Almost every part of
the lotus is edible,

and the petals, roots and stamens
are used in traditional medicine.

By dawn the next day, these
bouquets will be on sale in Bangkok.

But not as ingredients
for food or pharmacy,

they are destined for a higher purpose.

The lotus bud is one of the
most popular ways to pay tribute

at one of more than 30,000 temples.

Embracing both Buddhist
and Hindu principles,

people make daily offerings
to honour the gods.

This shrine is named after Erawan -

the elephant that carried
the Hindu god Indra,

so he deserves a floral offering too.

Here in Thailand, one animal's fate
is intertwined more than any other

with the country's
history and its future.

The Asian elephant.

It has been revered for centuries.

Even the word for its
dung also means moon.

A new beginning, the propagator.

Creating new life from seed dispersal.

But the story of elephants in
Thailand is not always a happy one.

There are more than 4,000 of
these giants in captivity.

And most visitors to Thailand

take a ride on a domesticated
elephant for granted.

At Sublangka Wildlife Sanctuary,

a new life is offered to elephants
rescued from the tourist trade.

The Elephant Reintroduction Foundation

releases rehabilitated
elephants back into the forest.

31-year-old Wadsana was bought
by the sanctuary in 2011.

Four years later,
a calf called Earn arrived.

And they have been
inseparable ever since.

Earn and her adopted
mother are now taken

on regular walks in the forest.

To be ready for their release,

they'll need to be familiar with
its sights, sounds and smells,

know where to find water,
and what they can and can't eat.

Annan is a former mahout,
an elephant trainer and rider.

He is now one of the team of rangers

responsible for the daily
care of the elephants.

Wadsana and Earn will
soon be ready to join

Sublangka's growing
population of elephants.

And for when the day arrives,
a royal send-off is being planned.

300km south-west of Bangkok

lies the province of
Prachuap Khiri Khan.

The plains flood during
the rainy season,

and with the waters come
rich deposits of silt.

These fertile fields not only
fill the rice bowls of a nation,

they also provide a major export.

So, for farmers, living side-by-side
with animals is a delicate balance.

Chestnut munias do their
best to steal the rice grains

ripening in the paddy fields.

And the farmers chase them away,

just as they always have.

Open-billed storks were once
hunted by villagers for food.

But in the 1980s, golden apple
snails were introduced to Asia

from South America,
and became a major agricultural pest.

Suddenly,
the storks became the farmers' friends.

They are snail specialists.

So they are left to forage in peace.

Local farmer Uncle Alf
is draining a pool.

Fish are abundant among the paddies.

Family and friends muck
in to help with the catch.

These freshwater fish were trapped here

when floodwaters receded at the
end of the last rainy season.

Scooping them up by hand is
the way it's always been done.

But sometimes the fish
make it easy for you.

The harvested fish will
be sold at the market,

and the little egrets are
welcome to any left behind.

There's one kind of fish
that is highly prized

across central Thailand.

But not as food.

And these village boys
are out to catch some.

Here's what they're after -

a fish that's admired for showing
no fear in defence of its territory.

The Betta fish is better known
as the Siamese fighting fish.

They share their fearless reputation

with the gladiators of the
ancient martial art of Muay Thai.

Or Thai boxing.

Top fighters can become
household names...

earning millions of Thai baht per fight.

Fortunes can be won or
lost on the outcome.

The opponents size each other up.

The fish extend their fins to
make themselves look bigger.

When one fish is slipped
into the bottle of the other,

their true nature as born
fighters is revealed.

A knockout ends this bout...

..and the fish fight is over

when one retreats to the
bottom of the bottle.

Tomorrow,
both fish will be returned to the wild.

For centuries, Siamese fighting fish
have been admired as prize-fighters,

but selective breeding to
enhance colour, tail and fins

has also made them into
exquisite objects of desire.

Photographer Visarute is
well known in Thailand

for his photographs capturing
their silky sensuousness.

Extreme slow motion reveals their
dance in all its willowy grace.

These little fish loom
large in Thai culture...

..epitomising the
exoticism of this country.

Food is a huge part of Thai culture.

But among the more familiar ingredients

in Thailand's food markets are
some unexpected delicacies.

Wi Li has bought this supper of
live crickets to feed her family.

Insects have long been
on the menu in Thailand.

And the children love these crispy bugs.

But thieves lurk in the shadows.

The soles of their feet are
covered in microscopic bristles

that split into hundreds more,

gripping every surface.

It's one of the largest
geckos in the world.

The tokay.

A gecko might steal a meal or two,

but they also help get
rid of unwelcome insects.

Geckos evolved to climb trees and rocks,

so scaling a wall is no problem.

At up to 35 centimetres long,

they're big lizards with big appetites.

Thai people may be accustomed to
large lizards in their houses...

..but some giants make more
intimidating neighbours.

Lumphini Park in the heart of Bangkok.

An oasis of green amid
the daytime bustle.

But something's not quite right

with this picture of
carefully tended tranquillity.

There's danger in this urban paradise.

Huge lizards, called water monitors,
stalk these lawns.

Water monitors can reach more
than three metres in length

and weigh over 50kg.

These lizards are
exclusively carnivorous.

They even dispose of the remains
of less fortunate monitor lizards,

which may win them a few friends.

Razor-sharp teeth and germ-laden saliva

can inflict life-threatening wounds.

But water monitors rarely bite humans.

The reaction to these latter-day
dinosaurs is typically Thai.

Their attitude, when it comes
to potentially lethal lizards

sharing public spaces,
is summed up by one of their favourite

Buddhism-inspired expressions -
mai pen rai -

it's fine.

Just be calm, carefree,
and we can all get along.

Some Buddhist teachings advise
that things are best left alone.

But they also may urge direct action
to preserve the natural world.

Like symbolically
ordaining trees as monks,

complete with robes,

as a sort of spiritual
preservation order.

Other Buddhist ceremonies
can also benefit nature.

And for Wadsana and Earn,
it's a very special day.

Making merit is a way of
earning celestial favour

for doing a good deed.

It might be giving alms to a monk,
chanting Buddhist scripture,

or releasing an animal into the wild.

As befits their size and
place in Thai culture,

to release an elephant is one of
the highest forms of making merit.

Today, six will be set free,

six elephants for the 60th birthday

of Thailand's much-loved
Princess Sirindhorn.

It's a very big day for a
little elephant like Earn.

She has to face the
crowds of well-wishers.

And Annan has even taught
her to bow for the Princess.

The Princess blesses
them with holy water.

She offers them each a stick or two
of sugar cane for their journey,

and they are free.

Annan and the team of rangers will
continue to monitor their progress.

There's already a herd of
previously released elephants

roaming the forest.

Hopefully, in time,
Wadsana and Earn will join up with them.

But first, they need to get
used to life without Annan.

Elephants have always occupied a
special place in Thai mythology.

But other animals share
that mythical status.

And some are a lot
harder to get along with.

In rural Sakaerat,
north-east of Bangkok,

a lethal conflict is taking place
between villagers and snakes.

There are more than 175
snake species in Thailand.

This little Asian vine snake is one
of more than 100 that are venomous.

And more than half of
those are highly dangerous.

There are up to 10,000 snake
bites per year in Thailand.

And one type of snake bites more people

than all the other snakes put together.

This roadside community is
typical of rural Thailand.

Running through its centre

is a river that dries up
entirely in the hot season.

As night falls,
it becomes a perilous place,

haunted by predators.

Pit vipers.

Barely 60 centimetres long,

this green pit viper is
making its way to a site

where it can ambush frogs,
lizards or mice.

It's all too easy for someone passing by

to brush dangerously close to
this striking little snake.

Snakes are often killed on sight,

but there's a snake
conservation team here

that is trying to save
the snakes and people

in the Sakaerat area and beyond.

A call has come in that a huge king
cobra has tried to enter a house,

and has taken refuge in a potted shrub.

Colin Strine, head of the snake team,
assesses the situation.

Stet back, step back, step back.

It's one of the world's
most deadly snakes.

OK, I'm going to go ahead
and make the grab now.

I'm trying to bring out the
vines that it's grabbing onto.

The bite of a king can deliver
enough venom to kill an elephant.

So there's no room for error.

Here we go, here we go. Go, go, go.

- Grip now, grip now, please.
- OK. - Good.

Good job.

Release, let go.

OK.

If this snake had not been rescued,
the locals would have felt

they had no choice but to kill it.

Bagged and boxed,
the cobra will be taken back

to the conservation centre.

Nice and easy.
We don't see any parasites. OK.

Snakes that are brought in by
the team are given a sedative

prior to a thorough health check.

Measurements are taken
for the team's research.

Perfectly natural,
and it's quite common with humans

to be very fearful of snakes.

I guess we should just be really happy

that they were willing to call
instead of just killing it.

We do work pretty hard to try
and educate people about snakes,

and about not to be afraid of them.

The king cobra is the longest
of all venomous snakes

and reaches close to
six metres in length.

This male is a mere
three-and-a-half metres.

The sleeping king is inflated.

The long lungs running down his
body are full of anaesthetic

which has to be manually forced
out before he can come around.

It's crucial that rescued snakes are
returned to their own territories,

so they're given time to recover fully

before being released a short
distance from their capture sites.

For Colin, every king safely
returned to its territory

is a success story.

It feels good,
because they're still alive.

It's always a pleasant feeling when
they're going back into the wild.

Some Thai people believe
that encountering a snake

is a sign of good luck
and good fortune...

..though it might be best to
avoid sharing the water with one.

The ancient serpent cult
of this region teaches

that the wealth of Thailand
was bestowed upon it

by the Naga snake spirits,

living in the kingdom's waterways.

For centuries,
these waterways have helped transport

people and goods around Thailand.

At watery crossroads,
floating markets sprang up everywhere.

These days, modern commerce is
fast replacing the traditional.

But an amiable armada of old women,
vessels laden with local produce,

still invades Tha Kha, west of Bangkok,

to buy and sell from boat to boat.

The lowlands of central Thailand

have long been the agricultural
heart of the country.

A network of canals was
constructed to link rivers

and allow the transportation of goods

east from Cambodia and south-west
from coastal provinces.

During the rainy season,

fertile sediment washes
down these waterways,

eventually reaching
the Gulf of Thailand.

As the monsoon subsides,
the sea teems with life.

The waters are ripe for harvest.

And one of the largest yield comes
in the form of a very small fish.

It's anchovy season at fishing
villages all along the Gulf Coast.

The daily catch is deftly filleted

and neatly laid out to dry in the sun.

This must take place before
the fish start to spoil.

So everyone plays a part in the process.

Once the sun and breeze
have done their work,

the dried fish will
keep for up to a year.

There's plenty for everyone
in this seasonal pay-out.

Flocks of terns are
always ready to cash in.

But a much larger fisherman
has arrived in these waters.

The locals call it chao pho lai,
meaning very big grandfather.

A 15-metre-long Bryde's whale.

Whales are thought to bring good luck,

but locals believe that bad things
happen to those who harm them.

Chao pho lai is also
the name for Thai mafia.

Godfathers.

From August to December, the whales
gather in the Gulf of Thailand

to make the most of
the abundant anchovies.

They usually feed alone,

though a mother and
calf will hunt together.

These two have located
a school of anchovies.

Like other whales in the rorqual family,

such as blue and humpback whales,

Bryde's whales sieve
each monumental mouthful

through long,
coarse bristles called baleen.

At least, that's how it usually works.

These whales are exhibiting behaviour

that is puzzling marine biologists.

Some think the anchovies are too small,

and would slip through the
coarse baleen of the Bryde's.

So the whales rock and swill the
fish to the back of the gullet

so they can swallow them.

In other parts of the world
where they feed on larger fish,

Bryde's whales don't use this method.

But here they seem to have developed
a unique way of making the most

of Thailand's fertile waters.

These giants of the sea are
treated with respect and reverence.

In central Thailand, the giants
of the forest are gaining freedom

and ever more footholds in the wild.

The little elephant family is
learning to live on its own.

Climbing a tall and slippery
bank could be dangerous for Earn.

But Wadsana shows her how,

ascending the slope on her knees.

It looks like Earn's
going to be just fine.

The rangers follow the
elephants regularly,

checking to make sure they are healthy

and learning to feed
themselves successfully.

Annan will never come into
close contact with them again.

They'll now live out their lives
in the forest as wild elephants.

The Asian elephant is the
enduring symbol of Thailand.

At Sublangka, their breeding
herd in the wild is also a symbol

of Thailand's transition
from past to present.

Making merit and earning
goodwill from the gods,

means also renewing the forest.

In the forests, fields,
and even the cities of central Thailand,

nature thrives, with the
blessing and help of its people.

Unique, spiritual and still untamed.

The ancient bonds between
humans and animals live on.

During the filming of the
central Thailand episode,

the crew visited Sakaerat,

a hot spot for conflict
between humans and snakes.

The one creature they really wanted
to film was a very pretty snake

with a very bad reputation.

It's a snake that has
been carefully studied

here at the Sakaerat
Environmental Research Station.

These will put you in hospital.

Producer Steve Cole is introduced
to the serpent in question

by snake research
assistant Ben Marshall.

These guys are responsible for the
vast majority of bites in Thailand.

They are beautiful, aren't they?

It's a green pit viper.

How far would that snake strike?

Is it a she? Would she expect me
to be a lot closer before she...

Yeah, much closer,
and a lot more agitated.

These guys are not going to waste
their time, waste their venom,

they will attempt to hide.

They will attempt to just
stay absolutely still.

It sounds like the sort of snake
we might have some hope of filming!

Absolutely.
Especially when you find one,

cos he's not going to be going anywhere.

Finding these creatures in the wild
can be both difficult and dangerous.

But, luckily for Steve,
this team rescues and releases

the types of venomous snake

that most often come into
conflict with people.

Many of these are radio tagged

to provide data on their
habits and whereabouts.

I keep thinking she,
but I could be wrong.

It's this inside info that Steve needs.

And snake researcher Sammy Assad
is here to guide the film team.

Three tagged pit vipers have made
this dry riverbed their home.

They don't move around much,
so they should be easy to find.

That's the theory.

Green pit vipers hunt under
the cover of darkness.

Sammy quickly picks up the signal
of one of the transmitters.

So, at the moment,

it's sounding like he's
just within the base

of this, kind of,
liana vegetation covered tree.

I'd definitely be careful
moving around here,

cos there are lots of other
green pit vipers in the area.

So if you're going to walk around,

make sure you've got a head torch on.

After checking he's not about to
have his very own snake conflict,

cameraman Si Wagen sets up lights.

I can see him now.

Got him.

Ah, fantastic!

In this tangle of twigs and branches,

you can just see his coils there.

The scales.

It's impossible to pick
out his head at the moment.

They just blend in so beautifully,

it's almost impossible to see
them in this tangle of leaves.

But if he stays there,

we won't be able to
get a good shot of him.

The pit viper showed no sign of moving,

so the team come back to the
same location the next night.

They hope to find a
more accessible snake.

So...

It's amazing that our
light doesn't bother him,

but it seems like his method of defence

is the same as his method of attack.

Just keep very still.

Now, they have seen for themselves
how still pit vipers can be,

they have an even more
complicated shot in mind.

We are going to try to get a
motion-control camera shot.

Motion control cameras
run along small tracks,

allowing smooth moves into a subject.

In this case,
Steve is hoping they can create the feel

of a striking snake

without the danger of
an actual snake attack.

I've no idea even if it's
pointing in the right direction.

No, it's not.

It's trickier than we thought.

I always thought it would be tricky!

I, on the other hand, was an optimist.

Wrongly so!

The problem is,
the focus has to be pin sharp

at the closest point to the snake.

I can't quite achieve focus there.

And that means the camera is well
inside the snake's striking range.

I physically have to get closer to it.

To get focus,

I'm going to have to put my
hand right next to its face.

- You can't do that.
- No. So I'm going to guess the focus.

And then run it back and forwards

until such time as we
get the focus correct.

OK, so...
We're going to have to inch forward.

Once Si has set the focus as
close to the snake as possible,

he has to stop the camera
in exactly the right spot.

I've got about 3mm to park this camera.

The depth of field at point
of focus is so shallow

there's no margin for error.

Right, Steve, here we go.

Well, that's sharp.

Spot on.

I think that's about as
close as we're going to get.

It's closer than I thought
we'd be able to get,

and he's been very patient,

so I think it's time for
us to leave him alone now.

He's also paying way too
much attention me now.

And I don't like that!
He's only little, but he's scary.

The team has got the shot.

The green pit viper finds
a less busy place to hunt,

and speeded up,

the shot is suitably striking.

Next time,
we head to Thailand's untamed north,

where mysterious cloud forests
are home to ancient customs.

Here, life can be tough.

And survival means forging
unexpected alliances.

Both old...

..and new.