Survivor: Thailand

Survivor: Thailand
Genre	Reality television
Winner	Brian Heidik (4-3)
No. of episodes	14
No. of days	39
No. of survivors	16
Tribes	Chuay Gahn      Sook Jai      Chuay Jai
All-Stars	Shii Ann Huang
Production
Location(s)	Ko Tarutao, Satun Province, Thailand
Filming dates	June 10, 2002 – July 18, 2002
Broadcast
Original run	September 19, 2002 – December 19, 2002
Chronology
Preceded by	Survivor: Marquesas
Followed by	Survivor: The Amazon

Survivor: Thailand is the fifth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in the summer of 2002 and aired from September 19 – December 19, 2002 on CBS. It was set on the island of Ko Tarutao in Thailand. Fourteen episodes aired weekly. The two initial tribes were Chuay Gahn (Thai: ช่วยกัน "to help one another") and Sook Jai (สุขใจ "happy heart" ). They eventually merged into the Chuay Jai tribe. On December 19, 2002, Brian Heidik defeated Clay Jordan by a vote of 4-3 to become the sole survivor.

The season introduced several new gameplay twists. The first occurred on Day 1, when the two eldest contestants, Jake Billingsley and Jan Gentry, were given the power to pick their own tribes. This was the first time in Survivor history that the two initial teams were not preselected by the producers. The second was an offer of mutiny on Day 14: each of the twelve remaining contestants were given the chance to leave their tribe and join the other if they wished; no one took the offer. (The twist was re-used during Survivor: Cook Islands, with two contestants switching tribes.)

The major twist of the season was the fake merge. When only ten players remained, the usual time for a merge, the two tribes moved onto one beach, with a feast awaiting them. The two tribes took this to mean that they were merging, and Shii Ann Huang attempted to use this to her advantage by openly trying to ally herself with the former opposing tribe. At the next challenge they attended, however, the two tribes were informed that they were living on one beach, but were not merged. This backfired on Shii Ann when her tribe lost the Immunity Challenge and she was voted off for her excessive scheming.

The final Tribal Council was similar to the Africa season; after the votes were cast for the winner, Jeff Probst exited to retrieve the voting urn. When he returned, it appeared he had returned to the Tribal Council location on set in Thailand. However, he had actually returned to a CBS sound stage in Hollywood made up to look like the Thailand set. This was revealed the moment he announced Heidik the winner.

Jeff Probst stated that he was not fond of the season, going as far as calling it his least favorite. He described the season as mean-spirited and marred with hostility and ugliness, even calling Brian, Clay, Helen, and Jan "the least likable final four ever."^[1]

Shii Ann was the only representative of the season to appear as a contestant on Survivor: All-Stars, where she placed 6th.

The complete season, including the recap and reunion episodes, was released on DVD exclusively through Amazon.com on October 25, 2011.

Season summary

The game began with the contestants being brought to the island in two boats, with all the men in one and the women in the other. This led the contestants to assume that the tribes would be divided by gender, for the first time. However, this was wrong. Instead, Jake and Jan, as the two eldest contestants, were given the opportunity to select their own tribes; this was the first time in series history that the tribes were not preselected. Jan picked the orange buff, Chuay Gahn, while Jake selected the purple buff, Sook Jai. While Jake selected many of the younger and more athletic contestants, Jan chose most of the older players. Both beaches had advantages and disadvantages. The Chuay Gahn campsite had a large cave that was habitable, thus negating the need to build a shelter; however, their water source was quite far and required them to row their boat a distance. On the other hand, Sook Jai's water source was only located a couple of feet from camp, but they needed build their own shelter, as there was no cave.

The lack of shelter at Sook Jai proved to be a source of tension in the tribe, as the tribe members quickly became divided between those who worked on building the shelter and those who gathered water and food. Jed, Robb, and Stephanie who ignored the shelter work, separated themselves from the rest of the tribe and chose to sleep on the beach rather than in the shelter. This quickly affected alliances formed on Sook Jai as the others quickly coalesced and formed their own alliance. However, in spite of their internal turmoil, Sook Jai took an early lead in the tribal challenges, winning 5 of the first 7 challenges. However, Chuay Gahn remained a close tribe, for the most part.

Unity at Chuay Gahn was threatened, when Ted had made sexual advances while cuddling with Ghandia, which had made her feel uncomfortable. Hoping to use the opportunity to make an alliance, Ghandia rallied the two other women of the tribe, Jan and Helen, and tried to convince them to join forces against the three other males in the tribe. However, Helen went with the men at the next Tribal Council and voted out Ghandia, who was perceived as the bad apple. After that, Chuay Gahn was able to regain their momentum and unity and were able to even the tribes at 5-5 by Day 18.

On Day 19, the two tribes were gathered together at a beach and were told to go off in pairs, one person from each tribe, and get to know one person from the other tribe. Two of the pairs received instructions to visit one of the tribes' campsites to evaluate which campsite would be more suitable to live at. Once each of the pairs were gathered together again, they were informed that the two tribes would, from that point on live together on the same beach. They selected Chuay Gahn's beach, and the contestants quickly assumed a merge had occurred. Shii Ann, who had been feeling ostracized by Sook Jai, quickly aired all their dirty laundry, and she agreed to vote with Chuay Gahn to eliminate Penny, who she felt had been the most antagonistic towards her. However, when the two tribes gathered for the next Immunity Challenge, they were shocked to learn that they were still two tribes about to compete for tribal immunity. Chuay Gahn won the challenge, Shii Ann was voted out for her treachery, and for the first time, Sook Jai had less members than Chuay Gahn. Despite being tightly knit, Sook Jai's downward spiral continued as they lost immunity for the fourth consecutive time, and the tribe tearfully sent Erin to the jury, as the first member.

On Day 25, the two tribes finally merged into the Chuay Jai tribe, but the deficit Sook Jai faced entering the merge was too much for them to overcome, and they were systematically picked off one by one. With only Chuay Gahn members left, they were faced with the reality of voting one of their own out, something they hadn't done since Day 12. Helen and Ted quickly targeted Clay for his lack of work ethic. However, Brian, who had made separate alliances with three of the four other people used his influence to manipulate the vote to his liking. First, he turned the tribe on Ted, who was perceived as the biggest physical threat. Then, he targeted Helen, as he mistakenly thought the plan to get rid of Clay was a plan with him as the target. Both members were blindsided, and he won the final Immunity Challenge and voted off Jan, taking Clay with him to the Final 2.

Both Brian and Clay were met with heavy criticism from the jury. Brian, who had made separate alliances and formed friendships with both Helen and Ted, was lambasted for his callous approach, but he was praised for his challenge performances and strong work ethic. In comparison, Clay was felt as not deserving for his lack of work ethic, and he was accused of making racial slurs against Ted. In the end, the jury voted 4-3 for Brian to win, awarding him for his control of the game.

Contestants

Brian Heidik, winner of Survivor: Thailand

Contestant	Original Tribe	Merged Tribe	Finish	Total Votes
John Raymond 40, Slidell, LA	Chuay Gahn	20	1st Voted Out Day 3	6
Tanya Vance 27, Kingsport, TN	Chuay Gahn	20	2nd Voted Out Day 6	5
Jed Hildebrand 25, Dallas, TX	Sook Jai	20	3rd Voted Out Day 9	5
Ghandia Johnson 33, Denver, CO	Chuay Gahn	20	4th Voted Out Day 12	5
Stephanie Dill 29, Fayetteville, AR	Sook Jai	20	5th Voted Out Day 15	5
Robb Zbacnik 23, Scottsdale, AZ	Sook Jai	20	6th Voted Out Day 18	5
Shii Ann Huang 28, New York City, NY	Sook Jai	20	7th Voted Out Day 21	10
Erin Collins 26, Austin, TX	Sook Jai	20	8th Voted Out 1st Jury Member Day 24	3
Ken Stafford 30, Brooklyn, NY	Sook Jai	Chuay Jai	9th Voted Out 2nd Jury Member Day 27	6
Penny Ramsey 27, Plano, TX	Sook Jai		10th Voted Out 3rd Jury Member Day 30	5
Jake Billingsley 60, McKinney, TX	Sook Jai		11th Voted Out 4th Jury Member Day 33	7
Ted Rogers, Jr. 37, Durham, NC	Chuay Gahn		12th Voted Out 5th Jury Member Day 36	7
Helen Glover 47, Middletown, RI	Chuay Gahn		13th Voted Out 6th Jury Member Day 37	5
Jan Gentry 53, Tampa, FL	Chuay Gahn		14th Voted Out 7th Jury Member Day 38	5
Clay Jordan 46, Monroe, LA	Chuay Gahn		Runner-Up	3
Brian Heidik 34, Quartz Hill, CA	Chuay Gahn		Sole Survivor	0

The Total Votes is the number of votes a castaway has received during Tribal Councils where the castaway is eligible to be voted out of the game. It does not include the votes received during the final Tribal Council.

The game

Episode title	Air Date	Challenges		Eliminated	Vote	Finish
		Reward	Immunity
"The Importance of Being Eldest"	September 19, 2002	None	Sook Jai	John	6−1−1	1st Voted Out Day 3
"The Great Divide"	September 26, 2002	Sook Jai	Sook Jai	Tanya	5−2	2nd Voted Out Day 6
"Family Values"	October 3, 2002	Chuay Gahn	Chuay Gahn	Jed	5−3	3rd Voted Out Day 9
"Gender Bender"	October 10, 2002	Sook Jai	Sook Jai	Ghandia	4−2	4th Voted Out Day 12
"The Ocean's Surprise"	October 17, 2002	Survivor Auction1	Chuay Gahn	Stephanie	5−2	5th Voted Out Day 15
"The Power of One"	October 24, 2002	Sook Jai	Chuay Gahn	Robb	5−1	6th Voted Out Day 18
"Assumptions"	October 31, 2002	None	Chuay Gahn	Shii Ann	4−1	7th Voted Out Day 21
"Sleeping with the Enemy"	November 7, 2002	None	Chuay Gahn	Erin	3−1	8th Voted Out 1st Jury Member Day 24
"Desperate Measures"	November 14, 2002	Brian	Clay	Ken	5−3	9th Voted Out 2nd Jury Member Day 27
"While the Cats are Away"	November 21, 2002	Brian [Clay]	Helen	Penny	4−2−1	10th Voted Out 3rd Jury Member Day 30
"The First 30 Days"	November 28, 2002	Recap Episode
"A Big Surprise... and Another"	December 5, 2002	Helen2	Ted3	Jake	5−1	11th Voted Out 4th Jury Member Day 33
"The Tides are Turning"	December 12, 2002	Ted [Helen]	Brian	Ted	4−1	12th Voted Out 5th Jury Member Day 36
"Slip Through Your Fingers"	December 19, 2002	None	Brian	Helen	3−1	13th Voted Out 6th Jury Member Day 37
			Brian	Jan	1−0	14th Voted Out 7th Jury Member Day 38
"The Reunion"	December 19, 2002	Jury Vote		Clay	4−3	Runner-Up
				Brian		Sole Survivor

In the case of multiple tribes or castaways who win reward or immunity, they are listed in order of finish, or alphabetically where it was a team effort; where one castaway won and invited others, the invitees are in brackets.

^1 For the first time, the players would be bidding for items as tribes. Sook Jai and Chuay Gahn each received $1000 in American currency.

^2 In a twist, the Survivors' family members competed in a food-eating challenge on behalf of their loved one. Helen's husband Jim won the challenge and the right to spend 24 hours at the Chuay Jai camp.

^3 In another twist, the players and their loved ones competed as teams for immunity. Ted and his younger brother Aljuan won, thus earning immunity for Ted.

Episode 1: "The Importance of Being Eldest"

• Immunity Challenge: The tribes must race around a small island by paddling a boat. As they go around the island, they must solve puzzles along the way. One castaway will be stationed at each puzzle. First tribe to assemble their puzzles and retrieve their tribe's flag wins immunity.

The sixteen castaways were dropped off at an island separated by gender, causing some players to think they were going to be divided into tribes of men and women. As the castaways introduced each other, Jeff warned them not to assume anything in the game. He then told the two eldest castaways, Jake and Jan to step forward. Jeff shocked the castaways by announcing that Jake and Jan would choose their own tribes and pick a name. Jake filled his tribe with mostly younger castaways. His tribe consisted of himself, Erin, Jed, Ken, Penny, Shii Ann, Stephanie and Robb. His tribe was "Sook Jai"; Thai for happy heart. Jan filled her tribe with mostly elder castaways. Her tribe consisted of herself, Brian, Clay, Ghandia, Helen, John, Tanya, and Ted. Her tribe was "Chuay Gahn"; Thai for to help one another. As the tribes arrived at their respective camps, Tanya became ill from what the tribe believed was dehydration, leading Chuay Gahn to search for a water source. After Helen, John and Tanya found a water source, John pulled a prank on his tribe by telling them a small pool of saltwater was going to be their water source, which didn't go well with some of his tribemates. Meanwhile, Sook Jai focused on their shelter, but Jed wanted to focus on catching fish, isolating him from his tribemates. Robb and Shii Ann argued over the tribe's division of labor. At the immunity challenge, Chuay Gahn had an early lead, however Ghandia struggled with her puzzle, allowing Sook Jai to pull ahead and win immunity. After Chuay Gahn lost, Ghandia felt vulnerable after struggling with the puzzle. Tanya also felt vulnerable due to her illness. However, the vote ended up going against John, who was sent home 6-1-1.

Episode 2: "The Great Divide"

• Reward Challenge: The tribes must choose one castaway to act as a guide, while the others will be blindfolded. The blindfolded tribe member must carry their guide in a palanquin, while the guide helps them navigate through a course in order to retrieve tribe-colored bags. First tribe to complete the course and collect all of their bags wins reward.
  • Reward: A lantern, a fishing line, and hooks.
• Immunity Challenge: Each tribe will be given a large, floating lotus flower puzzle that's missing six pieces. The six missing pieces will be tethered to the puzzle, each floating at an equal distance from it. First tribe to untether all of their puzzle pieces and assemble their puzzle wins immunity.

At Chuay Gahn, Helen and Jan paddled out to retrieve water from their water source, however they did not bring their map and got lost. Meanwhile, the men of Chuay Gahn put Clay's luxury item, a golf club, to use by playing golf in a makeshift golf course. At Sook Jai, their main priority was still to build their shelter. Instead of working on the shelter, Jed and Stephanie gathered food and water. While the other Sook Jai members feasted, Jed, Robb, and Stephanie chose to sleep on the beach. As the tribe awoke to a cold, rainy morning, Stephanie got ill from sleeping out in the rain all night. Meanwhile, Chuay Gahn celebrated Helen's 20th wedding anniversary. At the reward challenge, Tanya guided Chuay Gahn and Penny guided Sook Jai. Sook Jai ended up winning reward. Sook Jai also won immunity, sending Chuay Gahn to Tribal Council for a second time. At Tribal Council, Chuay Gahn couldn't ignore Tanya's illness, and she was sent home 5-2.

Episode 3: "Family Values"

• Reward Challenge: The tribes must race across a bamboo course over the water. In the middle of the course was a "contact zone" where the castaways were able to knock other castaways off the course. At the end of the course were two tribe-colored boats filled with baskets. The tribe members must steal baskets from the opposing tribe's boat. First tribe to steal ten baskets wins reward.
  • Reward: Two Thai Red Beret Special Forces soldiers who will visit the winning tribe's camp for a day to help improve living conditions.
• Immunity Challenge: The tribes were given three stations and one temple made up of six large puzzle pieces. The tribes must transfer the six pieces from their first station to their third. Once the tribes have all their pieces at the third station, they must reassemble the temple so it is identical to the original. First tribe to assemble their temple wins immunity.

At Chuay Gahn, Ghandia accused Ted of grinding against her at night. Ted later approached Ghandia and explained that he mistook her for his wife. Ghandia accepted his apology. At the reward challenge, Jed, Ken, Robb, and Stephanie were disqualified for various reasons allowing Chuay Gahn to take the lead. Chuay Gahn ended up winning reward. Still bitter towards Ted due to the grinding incident, Ghandia approached Helen and Jan in order to oust Ted. Helen later told Brian about their plan to eliminate Ted. Brian approached Ted in order to hear his side of the story, causing Ghandia to become enraged. Meanwhile, Sook Jai's fishing net drifted away. Jed and Robb were blamed as they fell asleep when they were responsible for the net. Jed and Robb searched the water but failed to find the net. Immunity was won by Chuay Gahn, sending Sook Jai to their first Tribal Council. At Tribal Council, Jed was perceived by his tribe to be lazy, and was sent home 5-3.

Episode 4: "Gender Bender"

• Reward Challenge: Before the challenge, the tribes received a 10-foot-tall (3.0 m), 250-pound (110 kg) dummy to be decorated. For the challenge, the tribes had to race around an island while carrying their dummy. First tribe to make it around the island and cross the finish line wins reward.
  • Reward: Bananas and a mystery food prize, which turned out to be four chickens.
• Immunity Challenge: The tribe members must work in pairs to solve two puzzles, with the goal being to match a picture in front of them. First tribe to correctly assemble their puzzles wins immunity.

After returning from Tribal Council in which Jed was voted out, Stephanie was upset at Sook Jai's decision. Meanwhile, Ghandia felt that she was on the outside of the Chuay Gahn tribe. Sook Jai ended up winning reward. After Chuay Gahn returned to camp, the women felt that the men weren't pulling their weight around camp. Meanwhile, Sook Jai enjoyed their bananas and discovered their mystery reward, four chickens. Immunity was also won by Sook Jai. After Chuay Gahn lost immunity, Ghandia attempted to form an alliance with the women to target Clay. She approached Helen and revealed that Jan was in on the plan, meaning Helen would be the swing vote. At Tribal Council, Helen voted with the men, sending Ghandia home 4-2.

Episode 5: The Ocean's Surprise

• Survivor Auction: Before the auction officially started, Jeff asked the tribes if any of the members would like to switch tribes; however, nobody offered to. Both tribes were given $1,000.00 (USD) to spend as a team on the items presented in the auction.

Tribe	Items
Sook Jai	Cheeseburger and French Fries ($120), baked grubs (Mystery Item) ($80), hot fudge sundae (Mystery Item) ($200)
Chuay Gahn	One gallon pitcher of lime-aid ($20), spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread ($400), nachos and margaritas ($320)

• Immunity Challenge: The tribes were each presented with an entire pile of mixed fish. The tribes had to sort the fish into their respective bowls. The fish were Barramundi, Travelly, Squid, and Silver Fish. The first tribe to correctly sort their fish the quickest wins.

While Brian and Ted set out to catch fish, they took the opportunity to form an alliance. At Sook Jai, Robb stepped on a stingray and stung his foot. Meanwhile, Helen entertained the Chuay Gahn tribe by singing. While Helen entertained her tribe, their canoe floated away. Clay blamed Ted as he felt he had not secured the canoe enough. As the tribes gathered for the first pre-merge Survivor Auction with $1,000.00USD, Jeff offered the castaways the opportunity to change tribes. After a minute, no one accepted the offer, so the auction began. After returning to camp, Brian and Helen, without the tribe's canoe, swam out to replenish their water supply. Immunity was won by Chuay Gahn. After returning to camp, Shii Ann and Stephanie discussed the upcoming Tribal Council. Feeling vulnerable, Stephanie wished she had accepted the offer to switch tribes. In the end, Stephanie's fears proved true, and she was sent home 5-2.

Episode 6: "The Power of One"

• Reward Challenge: The tribes must start by selecting one member to be a ball launcher. The remaining tribe members, who will be situated at four different stations, must use wicker baskets in order to catch balls thrown from their tribe's launcher. At the same time, they must try to prevent the other tribe from catching their balls. First tribe to catch five of their balls wins reward.
  • Reward: A Thai feast consisting of shrimp, pineapple, vegetables and wine.
• Immunity Challenge: There will be 21 flags placed in a circle. Taking turns, the tribes must gather one to three flags at a time. The tribe that takes the final flag wins immunity.

After returning from Tribal Council, Robb began to feel vulnerable after his ally Stephanie was eliminated. Meanwhile, having to swim three miles for fresh water, the canoe-less Chuay Gahn tribe became frustrated. Some tribe members took turns looking for the boat, but they all returned empty handed. At the reward challenge, Robb quickly caught four balls for Sook Jai, however Chuay Gahn quickly evened the score. In the end, Sook Jai caught their fifth ball first, winning reward. As Sook Jai enjoyed their feast, Brian and Ted explained the importance of winning the next immunity challenge so the tribes would merge at five members each. Meanwhile, Ken and Robb hiked out into the jungle and discovered a bat-filled cave. They explored the cave and settled their differences. Immunity was won by Chuay Gahn. After losing immunity, Sook Jai enjoyed the left overs of their feast. Despite reconciling with his tribe, Robb was voted out 5-1.

Episode 7: "Assumptions"

• Immunity Challenge: The tribe members will be shackled in a prison. Using resources in the cell, the tribe members must gather keys hanging on the outside of the prison. First tribe to gather their keys and escape wins immunity.

The tribes received Tree Mail along with body paints of five different colors. The tribe members were instructed to paint themselves with one color representing each member. When the tribes met Jeff, he explained that they would be having a "get-to-know-you". The castaways were instructed to pair off with the person wearing the same paint color. The pairs chose baskets at random. The pair of Clay and Shii Ann received a note telling them to travel to the Chuay Gahn camp. The pair of Ken and Helen were instructed to travel to the Sook Jai camp. The four were instructed to choose which camp would be more comfortable to live in. They chose the Chuay Gahn camp, and Jeff explained that everyone would be living at that camp. Believing the tribes had merged, the castaways created a new name, Chuay Jai by mixing the two tribe names. When they returned to camp, a feast was waiting for them. Later on, Shii Ann, who was on the outside of the Sook Jai tribe, talked to Ted about flipping to Chuay Gahn. Ted agreed to let Shii Ann into their voting block. Later on, Brian asked Shii Ann to flip to Chuay Gahn to vote out Penny. As the castaways gathered for an individual immunity challenge, Jeff shocked the castaways by explaining that the tribes hadn't actually merged, but were simply living on one beach. Immunity was won by Chuay Gahn. At Tribal Council, Shii Ann's tribemates decided they could not trust her after she openly aligned with Chuay Gahn. She was sent home 4-1.

Episode 8: "Sleeping with the Enemy"

• Immunity Challenge: The castaways will be timed while underwater, using bamboo snorkels to breathe. When a castaway comes up for air, their time is stopped. The tribe with the longest cumulative running time underwater wins immunity.

After returning from Tribal Council, Penny was relieved her tribe voted out Shii Ann instead of her. Still feeling vulnerable, she attempted to form an alliance with Chuay Gahn member Ted. However, Ted and the other Chuay Gahn men knew that Penny was trying to manipulate them and still didn't trust her. Meanwhile, Ken got annoyed when he smelled urine in the cave. While Jake and Ken set out in their canoe, Ken reminded Jake that Brian was a used car salesman and that he could be very manipulative. At the immunity challenge, it came down to Brian for Chuay Gahn and Jake for Sook Jai. Brian outlasted Jake, winning immunity for Chuay Gahn. As the castaways returned to camp, they noticed that a monkey had raided their food supply. Meanwhile, Jake blamed himself for losing the immunity challenge. Erin attempted to console Jake. With Tribal Council on its way, Sook Jai held a tribe meeting to determine whether or not they should reveal each others votes. They felt that it would be extremely tough to vote someone out. In the end, Erin was voted out 3-1, becoming the first member of the jury.

Episode 9: "Desperate Measures"

• Reward Challenge: The first round would be done in pairs. The pairs must navigate through an obstacle course performing various tasks along the way. The two pairs to complete the obstacle course first move on to the next round. The four finalists must compete against each other to assemble a pyramid puzzle. First castaway to correctly assemble their puzzle wins reward.
  • Reward: A video of the winner's loved ones from home.
• Immunity Challenge: The castaways must match Thai numbers with the numbers in English. The first two to match the numbers move on to the final round, where they will be pitted against each other in a test of memory and skill. The castaway that outwits the other wins.

With a five to three advantage in numbers over Sook Jai, Chuay Gahn felt that they were in a powerful position. Jake attempted to entertain both tribes and bond with Chuay Gahn by telling adventure stories, however he ended up annoying Clay. As the tribes gathered for a reward challenge, Jeff announced that they had officially merged. Jeff then gave the castaways a brief preview of the videos from their loved ones. The challenge came down to Brian and Helen. In the end, Brian won his video from home. Back at camp, Clay revealed his distaste for Ted. Jake, taking advantage of Clay's distaste for Ted, lobbied Clay to form a voting block with the Sook Jai three. The immunity challenge came down to Clay and Ken. In the end, immunity was won by Clay. After returning to camp, Ted brought up voting out Ken as a physical threat. Ken, feeling vulnerable, attempted to break the Chuay Gahn alliance. In the end, the Chuay Gahn five stuck together, and Ken was voted out 5-3, becoming the second member of the jury.

Episode 10: "While the Cats are Away"

• Reward Challenge: The castaways must race through a four-stage obstacle course. First, the castaways will pair up to navigate between towers using two wooden planks to bridge the gaps. The first two pairs to finish move on to the second round, where they will have to do a belly crawl underneath a bamboo course. First three to complete the belly crawl move on to the third round, where they will have to climb a wall with the aid of another castaway. First two to climb the wall move on to the final round, where they must race across a balance beam. The castaway that crosses the balance beam first wins.
  • Reward: An elephant trek through the Thai jungle, plus a Thai feast.
• Immunity Challenge: The challenge tested the castaways' knowledge of Thai culture. Each castaway who answered a question correctly was permitted to snuff another castaway's torch. The last castaway with a lit torch wins.

After returning from Tribal Council, Ted was upset that the three Sook Jai members had targeted him. Jake explained that Clay had told them to vote for Ted, however Ted thought he was lying to him. Brian won the reward challenge and chose Clay to join him. After Brian took Clay with him on the reward, Ted questioned the strength of their allegiance to one another. Back at camp, Jake lobbied Helen to flip to Sook Jai, explaining that the only way they could win is by getting rid of Brian or Clay. However, Helen was wary of his intentions. After returning from the reward, Brian and Clay brought back food for the others. Meanwhile, believing that her alliance with Jake could hurt her, Penny decided to distance herself from Jake. Her intentions became clear when she snuffed Jake's torch right away at the immunity challenge. Despite this, the Chuay Ghan alliance (minus Clay) quickly saw through Penny's scheme and immediately took her out of the immunity challenge. Helen won immunity, narrowly beating Ted. After returning from the challenge, Jake speculated on why Penny had turned on him at the challenge. In the end, despite her attempts to get Jake out before herself, Penny was voted out 4-2-1, becoming the third member of the jury.

Episode 11: "A Big Surprise... and Another"

• Reward Challenge: The castaways' loved ones were brought in to compete in the challenge. The loved ones would compete against each other in an insect-eating contest. Should a loved one fail to eat an insect, they are eliminated from the challenge. The loved one that eats everything all the way to the end wins.
  • Reward: A day at camp with their loved one.
• Immunity Challenge: The castaways, with the help of their loved one, must retrieve their designated puzzle pieces from a pile in order to construct a cube. The castaways will have their loved one tied to their wrist. First team to construct their cube wins.

As the castaways gathered for a reward challenge, they were shocked to see their loved ones. Jeff then announced that the loved ones would be competing against each other. The challenge came down to Helen's husband and Jake's wife. In the end, Helen's husband Jim won the challenge. After returning from the challenge, Helen gave Jim a tour of the Chuay Jai camp. Later on, Helen discussed strategy with her husband, telling him that she trusted Brian and didn't trust Clay. When the castaways gathered for the immunity challenge, Jeff announced that the contestants with their loved ones would compete as a team. In the end, Ted and his brother won immunity. After returning to camp, Jake, being the last member of the former Sook Jai tribe, reflected on his vulnerability. In the end, the former Chuay Gahn tribe sent Jake to the jury 5-1.

Episode 12: "The Tides are Turning"

• Reward Challenge: This challenge was a word puzzle. The castaways must gather a series of placards, each bearing a letter, at different stations. Once they have gathered their letters, they must unscramble them in order to form a two-word phrase. The first castaway to unscramble their letters to form the phrase "Road Trip" wins.
  • Reward: A brand new Chevrolet TrailBlazer, plus a Thai dinner, a shower, and a massage.
• Immunity Challenge: The castaways must assemble a staircase using jigsaw puzzle pieces. The first castaway to assemble their staircase and climb up to the finishing platform wins.

The castaways received Tree Mail, along with a full-length mirror and pictures of themselves from prior to the game. While retrieving Tree Mail, Ted asked Brian if their alliance was still strong. Despite being told that their alliance was still intact, Ted was still wary of Brian's intentions. As the castaways gathered for the reward challenge, Jeff drove up in a new Chevrolet TrailBlazer and explained the rules. The challenge came down to Brian and Ted. Brian managed to unscramble to letters, but misspelled the phrase and yelled it out aloud, giving Ted the correct answer. Ted took advantage and won reward. He chose Helen to come along. While enjoying the reward, Helen and Ted agreed to oust Clay at the next Tribal Council. After returning to camp, Helen approached Jan in hopes of forming a voting block against Clay. Later on, Helen, deciding to play on both sides of the fence, approached Brian and revealed her distaste for Ted. Immunity was won by Brian. At Tribal Council, the castaways decided that Ted was too much a of physical and mental threat. They sent him to the jury 4-1.

Episode 13: "Slip Through Your Fingers"

• Immunity Challenge: The castaways would compete in an obstacle course containing elements from previous challenges. The first castaway to complete the obstacle course would win.

After returning from Tribal Council in which Ted was voted out, the final four anticipated the difficult choices they would have to make. The castaways received a flower kit with Tree Mail instructing them to design twelve floating krathongs in honor of the castaways who were previously eliminated. They would later release the krathongs into the sea. Immunity was won by Brian. After winning immunity, Brian secured an agreement with Clay to vote out Helen. He approached Jan in hopes of swaying her vote. In the end, the tribe unanimously voted out Helen, who was blindsided 3-1.

• Immunity Challenge: Situated in the deepest portion of a cave. the castaways must wedge three large coins between their fingers on both hands. While holding the coins, the castaways would position themselves in a frames constructed to hold themselves in an uncomfortable traditional Thai stance. The last person left standing with all of their coins in their hands would win.

On the morning of Day 38, Jeff arrived at camp towing a gold canoe with instructions for the tribe's final rite of passage. As the final three castaways paddled, they released the krathongs in honor of the castaways who were voted out. At the final immunity challenge, Clay and Jan let their coins go, guaranteeing Brian a spot in the final two. At Tribal Council, Brian voted out Jan, who became the final member of the jury.

On Day 39, Brian and Clay set their boat ablaze and reflected on the time spent in Thailand.

At the final Tribal Council, Erin asked the finalists why the person sitting next to them doesn't deserve the million dollars. Brian responded stating that Clay had not put forth the effort he should have. Clay responded by stating that Brian thought he was the head of camp, and that he expected everyone to call him the leader. Ken asked Brian why the tribe decided to vote out Ted. Brian responded by saying they felt that Ted didn't quite fit in with the group. Penny asked the finalists about whether they had bothered to get to know her at all. She started with Brian, asking him if he knew where she had grown up. Brian incorrectly answered the question, while Clay accurately listed several details about her personal life.

Next up was Ted, who told Brian that he was a great used car salesman. He then asked Clay if he made any racists comments about him behind his back. Clay denied having made any such comments. The final statements came from a betrayed Helen, who confronted her former ally Brian. She asked Brian why he hadn't told her that she was the next to go. Brian explained that he heard from Jan that Helen and Ted were targeting him and felt that she had betrayed him first. He admitted that he had made a mistake.

In the end, the jury sided with Brian and declared him the Sole Survivor with a vote of 4-3.

Voting history

	Original Tribes								Merged Tribe
Episode #:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
Eliminated:	John 6/8 votes	Tanya 5/7 votes	Jed 5/8 votes	Ghandia 4/6 votes	Stephanie 5/7 votes	Robb 5/6 votes	Shii Ann 4/5 votes	Erin 3/4 votes	Ken 5/8 votes	Penny 4/7 votes	Jake 5/6 votes	Ted 4/5 votes	Helen 3/4 votes	Jan 1 vote
Voter	Vote
Brian	John	Tanya		Ghandia					Ken	Penny	Jake	Ted	Helen	Jan
Clay	John	Tanya		Ghandia					Ken	Jake	Jake	Ted	Helen
Jan	John	Tanya		Clay					Ken	Penny	Jake	Ted	Helen
Helen	Clay	Tanya		Ghandia					Ken	Penny	Jake	Ted	Jan
Ted	John	Tanya		Ghandia					Ken	Penny	Jake	Jan
Jake			Jed		Stephanie	Robb	Shii Ann	Erin	Ted	Jan	Jan
Penny			Jed		Stephanie	Robb	Shii Ann	Erin	Ted	Jake
Ken			Jed		Stephanie	Robb	Shii Ann	Erin	Ted
Erin			Jed		Stephanie	Robb	Shii Ann	Ken
Shii Ann			Jed		Stephanie	Robb	Penny
Robb			Shii Ann		Shii Ann	Shii Ann
Stephanie			Shii Ann		Shii Ann
Ghandia	John	Helen		Clay
Jed			Shii Ann
Tanya	John	Helen
John	Ghandia

Jury vote
Finalist:	Clay 3/7 votes	Brian 4/7 votes
Juror	Vote
Jan		Brian
Helen		Brian
Ted		Brian
Jake		Brian
Penny	Clay
Ken	Clay
Erin	Clay

References

1. ^ "Jeff Probst: "Survivor" seasons I loved — and hated". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1024612_3,00.html. 

External links

• Official CBS Survivor Thailand Website