Survivor: Thailand is the fifth season of Survivor. It was won by Brian Heidik, who defeated Clay Jordan in a 4-3 vote.
In 2011, the season was released on DVD exclusively through Amazon.com.
Production
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it.
Twists/Changes
Format
- Tribe Composition: The sixteen castaways were divided into two tribes of eight. In a Survivor first, Jake, the oldest man, selected the members of Sook Jai, while Jan selected the members of Chuay Gahn.
- Camps with Pros and Cons: The Chuay Gahn camp had a cave, thus making shelter a non-issue, though its water source was on another island. The Sook Jai camp, on the other hand, had a nearby water hole, though a shelter had to be made.
- Pre-merge Survivor Auction: For the first time, the Survivor Auction was held during the game's tribal phase. The auction itself was a bidding competition between the two tribes and not between individuals.
- Mutiny: Before the auction started, the castaways were invited to change tribe affiliations at will. No one took the offer, however.
- Fake Merge: The two tribes, having a collective roster of ten members, were instructed to live on one camp for the rest of the game. They took this to mean that the two tribes had merged. However, it was revealed not to be the case, with the tribes remaining separate and still competing for tribal immunity.
- Merged Tribe Composition: The merged tribe was composed of eight members.
- Final Tribal Council Format: Two finalists faced a jury of seven. The jurors individually addressed the finalists.
Castaways
Contestant | Tribe Affiliation | Finish | Votes Against | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Original Tribe | Merged Tribe | ||||
John Raymond 40, Slidell, LA Pastor |
Chuay Gahn | 1st Voted Out Day 3 |
6 | ||
Tanya Vance 27, Gray, TN Social Worker |
Chuay Gahn | 2nd Voted Out Day 6 |
5 | ||
Jed Hildebrand 25, Dallas, TX Dental Student |
Sook Jai | 3rd Voted Out Day 9 |
5 | ||
Ghandia Johnson 33, Denver, CO Legal Secretary |
Chuay Gahn | 4th Voted Out Day 12 |
5 | ||
Stephanie Dill 29, Ozark, AR Firefighter |
Sook Jai | 5th Voted Out Day 15 |
5 | ||
Robb Zbacnik 23, Scottsdale, AZ Bartender |
Sook Jai | 6th Voted Out Day 18 |
5 | ||
Shii Ann Huang 28, New York City, NY Executive Recruiter |
Sook Jai | 7th Voted Out Day 21 |
10 | ||
Erin Collins 26, Austin, TX Real Estate Agent |
Sook Jai | 8th Voted Out 1st Jury Member Day 24 |
3 | ||
Ken Stafford 29, Brooklyn, NY Police Officer |
Sook Jai | Chuay Jai | 9th Voted Out 2nd Jury Member Day 27 |
6 | |
Penny Ramsey 27, Plano, TX Pharmaceutical Saleswoman |
Sook Jai | 10th Voted Out 3rd Jury Member Day 30 |
5 | ||
Jake Billingsley 60, McKinney, TX Land Broker |
Sook Jai | 11th Voted Out 4th Jury Member Day 33 |
7 | ||
Ted Rogers, Jr. 37, Durham, NC Software Developer |
Chuay Gahn | 12th Voted Out 5th Jury Member Day 36 |
7 | ||
Helen Glover 47, Middletown, RI Navy Swim Instructor |
Chuay Gahn | 13th Voted Out 6th Jury Member Day 37 |
5 | ||
Jan Gentry 53, Tampa, FL Teacher |
Chuay Gahn | 14th Voted Out 7th Jury Member Day 38 |
5 | ||
Clay Jordan 46, Monroe, LA Restaurant Owner |
Chuay Gahn | Runner-Up | 3 | ||
Brian Heidik 34, Quartz Hill, CA Used Car Salesman |
Chuay Gahn | Sole Survivor | 0 |
Season Summary
The game began with the contestants being brought to the island in two boats, one for each gender. This led the contestants to assume that the tribes would be divided by gender. However, this theory was proved wrong when Jake Billingsley and Jan Gentry, the eldest male and female contestants, were instructed to select their tribemates (as Thai culture stated that elders received utmost respect) - a first in the series. Ultimately, Jan's picks were mostly older, weaker contestants (much to the ire of her teammates), and this left Jake to pick the younger, more athletic players. Jake and Jan were then asked to choose one of two campsites for their tribe dwellings, with contrasting advantages and disadvantages. Jan's pick was a campsite with a cave (eliminating the need of creating a shelter) but a campsite with the difficulty to find its water source, while Jake chose the other camp, a beach that has a nearby water source, but difficult to build a shelter.
After six days of competition, the younger (albeit turmoil-stricken) Sook Jai tribe dominated the elderly Chuay Gahn tribe in challenges, with Chuay Gahn's members immediately decimated to six. Chuay Gahn's fortunes turned around after the first losses, and they went on to win the next Reward Challenge and then the Immunity Challenge, thus temporarily sending Sook Jai to Tribal Council. 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.
Despite their newly-found vigor, Chuay Gahn also had their share of mishaps, when Ghandia Johnson accused Ted Rogers, Jr. of having sexual advances with her, which the latter denied. This argument threatened the unity within the tribe, and as a result, they lost another Immunity Challenge. Ghandia tried to make an all-female voting alliance with Jan and Helen Glover, but Helen sided with the men to get rid of Ghandia. After Ghandia's elimination, Chuay Gahn finally pulled it together. They managed to win the next two Immunity Challenges.
On Day 19, a twist in the game sent Sook Jai to live together with the Chuay Gahns at their camp, making everybody believe that a merge had occurred. With this, Sook Jai member Shii Ann Huang, who deemed herself as the lowest-ranking person in her alliance, made a voting bloc alliance with the Chuay Gahn members to ensure her safety. However, in a shocking announcement at the seventh Immunity Challenge, Jeff Probst revealed that the tribes weren't merging yet, they were just living together on one beach. With Sook Jai suffering two Immunity losses in a row, Shii Ann and Erin Collins paid the price, dwindling the once strong Sook Jai tribe to a paltry three members against Chuay Gahn's five.
On Day 25, the two tribes finally merged into the Chuay Jai tribe, but the deficit Sook Jai faced entering the merge overwhelmed them, and they were systematically eliminated. With only Chuay Gahn members left, the remaining survivors were faced with the reality of having to vote one of their own out. Helen and Ted quickly targeted Clay Jordan for his lack of work ethic. However, Brian Heidik, who had made separate alliances with three of the four other people, used his influence to manipulate the vote to his liking. At the next three Tribal Councils, Brian swerved the vote in the direction of Ted, whom he perceived as the biggest physical threat, then Helen, for catching her playing both sides and, finally, Jan, for being well-liked and not being as close to Brian as Clay was.
At the Final Tribal Council, Brian was castigated for breaking friendships to further his interests, while Clay was admonished for his racist remarks and his poor work ethic. Eventually, Brian's athleticism and superb strategy awarded him the title of Sole Survivor by a vote of 4-3.
Episode | Air date | Challenges | Eliminated (Vote) |
Finish | Viewers (in millions)[2] |
Ratings/Share (18-49)[2] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reward | Immunity | |||||||
1 | "The Importance of Being Eldest" | September 19, 2002 | None | Sook Jai | John (6-1-1) |
1st Voted Out Day 3 |
23.05 | 9.6/28 |
2 | "The Great Divide" | September 26, 2002 | Sook Jai | Sook Jai | Tanya (5-2) |
2nd Voted Out Day 6 |
21.72 | 8.6/21 |
3 | "Family Values" | October 3, 2002 | Chuay Gahn | Chuay Gahn | Jed (5-3) |
3rd Voted Out Day 9 |
20.60 | 8.5/N/A |
4 | "Gender Bender" | October 10, 2002 | Sook Jai | Sook Jai | Ghandia (4-2) |
4th Voted Out Day 12 |
21.16 | 8.6/22 |
5 | "The Ocean's Surprise" | October 17, 2002 | Survivor Auction |
Chuay Gahn | Stephanie (5-2) |
5th Voted Out Day 15 |
N/A | 8.3/23 |
6 | "The Power of One" | October 24, 2002 | Sook Jai | Chuay Gahn | Robb (5-1) |
6th Voted Out Day 18 |
20.80 | 8.4/N/A |
7 | "Assumptions" | October 31, 2002 | None | Chuay Gahn | Shii Ann (4-1) |
7th Voted Out Day 21 |
N/A | 7.5/N/A |
8 | "Sleeping with the Enemy" | November 7, 2002 | None | Chuay Gahn | Erin (3-1) |
8th Voted Out 1st Jury Member Day 24 |
N/A | N/A |
9 | "Desperate Measures" | November 14, 2002 | Brian | Clay | Ken (5-3) |
9th Voted Out 2nd Jury Member Day 27 |
21.62 | 8.6/22 |
10 | "While the Cats Are Away" | November 21, 2002 | Brian [Clay] |
Helen | Penny (4-2-1) |
10th Voted Out 3rd Jury Member Day 30 |
N/A | N/A |
11 | "The First 30 Days" | November 27, 2002 | Recap Episode | N/A | N/A | |||
12 | "A Big Surprise... and Another" | December 5, 2002 | Helen | Ted | Jake (5-1) |
11th Voted Out 4th Jury Member Day 33 |
21.50 | 8.6/N/A |
13 | "The Tides Are Turning" | December 12, 2002 | Ted [Helen] |
Brian | Ted (4-1) |
12th Voted Out 5th Jury Member Day 36 |
19.00 | 7.4/N/A |
14 | "Slip Through Your Fingers" | December 19, 2002 | None | Brian | Helen (3-1) |
13th Voted Out 6th Jury Member Day 37 |
24.08 | 9.9/26 |
Brian | Jan (1-0) |
14th Voted Out 7th Jury Member Day 38 | ||||||
Jury Vote | Clay (4-3) |
Runner-Up | ||||||
Brian (4-3) |
Sole Survivor | |||||||
15 | "Reunion" | 20.42 | 9.2/24 |
Voting History
Original Tribes | Merged Tribe | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | ||||
Voted Out | John |
Tanya |
Jed |
Ghandia |
Stephanie |
Robb |
Shii Ann |
Erin |
Ken |
Penny |
Jake |
Ted |
Helen |
Jan |
Clay |
Brian | |
Vote | 6-1-1 | 5-2 | 5-3 | 4-2 | 5-2 | 5-1 | 4-1 | 3-1 | 5-3 | 4-2-1 | 5-1 | 4-1 | 3-1 | 1-01 | 4-3 | ||
► | Brian | John | Tanya | — | Ghandia | — | — | — | — | Ken | Penny | Jake | Ted | Helen | Jan | Jury Vote | |
► | Clay | John | Tanya | — | Ghandia | — | — | — | — | Ken | Jake | Jake | Ted | Helen | None | ||
► | Jan | John | Tanya | — | Clay | — | — | — | — | Ken | Penny | Jake | Ted | Helen | None | Brian | |
► | Helen | Clay | Tanya | — | Ghandia | — | — | — | — | Ken | Penny | Jake | Ted | Jan | Brian | ||
► | Ted | John | Tanya | — | Ghandia | — | — | — | — | Ken | Penny | Jake | Jan | Brian | |||
► | Jake | — | — | Jed | — | Stephanie | Robb | Shii Ann | Erin | Ted | Jan | Jan | Brian | ||||
► | Penny | — | — | Jed | — | Stephanie | Robb | Shii Ann | Erin | Ted | Jake | Clay | |||||
► | Ken | — | — | Jed | — | Stephanie | Robb | Shii Ann | Erin | Ted | Clay | ||||||
Erin | — | — | Jed | — | Stephanie | Robb | Shii Ann | Ken | Clay | ||||||||
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 | ||||||||||||||||
Notes: ^1 Clay and Jan did not vote as they could only vote for each other. By virtue of winning the Final Immunity Challenge, only Brian voted.
|
Trivia
- This season marks the first time that Jeff Probst could not determine against whom a vote was cast. In the episode "Gender Bender", Clay cast a vote for Ghandia that read "Bye Bye Denver Diva". Probst had to ask whoever cast the vote to explain what it meant and whom it was intended for.
- This is the first season to have the jury phase begin before the merge.
- This season is the first in which the winner of the Final Immunity Challenge won the game.
- This season marks the first time two tribes lived on one beach without being merged, as part of the Fake Merge twist. This concept would later be used as the central twist in Survivor: One World.
- This season is the first to have an all-male Final Two.
- Thus far, it is the only season to feature the Survivor Auction before the merge, with tribes competing.
- Thus far, it is the season to have the fewest castaways comprise the merged tribe with eight.
- This season marks the first time that the castaway's loved ones were able to compete alongside them in an Immunity Challenge.
- This is the first season in which Jeff Probst hosted the Reunion Show.
- This is the first season not to include any LGBT contestants.
- This is the first season to not feature a tie vote of any kind.
- The season's jury phase mirrors that of Survivor: Borneo, where one tribe got systematically voted out, leaving the five representatives of the other tribe by Day 34. Then, at the Final Tribal Council, three of the four members of the obliterated tribe voted for the eventual runner-up, then the fourth member, plus the jurors from the other tribe voted for the winner.
- This was the first season not to feature the Buggin' Out challenge as the second Immunity Challenge. Instead, it was incorporated as part of the Loved Ones Challenge, with the loved ones having to eat the disgusting food to spend time with their respective castaway.
References
Survivor (U.S.) Seasons |
---|
Borneo • The Australian Outback • Africa • Marquesas • Thailand • The Amazon • Pearl Islands • All-Stars • Vanuatu • Palau • Guatemala • Panama • Cook Islands • Fiji • China • Micronesia • Gabon • Tocantins • Samoa • Heroes vs. Villains • Nicaragua • Redemption Island • South Pacific • One World • Philippines • Caramoan • Blood vs. Water • Cagayan • San Juan del Sur • Worlds Apart • Cambodia • Kaôh Rōng • Millennials vs. Gen X • Game Changers • Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers • Ghost Island • David vs. Goliath • Edge of Extinction • Island of the Idols • Winners at War • Survivor 41 • Survivor 42 • Survivor 43 • Survivor 44 • Survivor 45 • Survivor 46 |