The Amazing Race Asia 3

Infobox Television Amazing Race
show_name = The Amazing Race Asia 3
caption = The Amazing Race Asia logo


first_aired = September 11, 2008
last_aired = November 23, 2008
filming_started =
filming_ended =
num_episodes = 11cite news|url=http://axn-asia.com/schedule/downloads/axn-ea-200809d.pdf|title=AXN-Asia September 2008 Schedule|publisher=AXN Asia|date=2008-08-02|accessdate=2008-08-02]
countries_visited = 3 (as of Leg 5)
continents_visited = 1 (as of Leg 5)
cities_visited = 8 (as of Leg 5)
winning_team =
km_traveled =
number_legs =
previous_season = The Amazing Race Asia 2
next_season =

"The Amazing Race Asia 3" is the third installment of the reality television game show "The Amazing Race Asia". The show will feature ten teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world to win US$100,000.

The season premiered on September 11, 2008 and will consist of 11 episodes, two episodes less than the first and second seasons. The season finale will air on November 23, 2008.cite web|url=http://www.todayonline.com/pdf_open.asp?id=0508MVL024|title=Two-and-a-half S’poreans in new race|publisher=TODAYonline|accessdate=2008-08-05]

Production

Development and filming

According to AXN, this season is dubbed as "the toughest race ever" compared to previous seasons as both contestants and crew personnel experienced high fatigue during the Race due to the faster pace and shorter break times. During filming, one production crew member was even hospitalized.cite news|url=http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080908-159420/RP-duo-in-2nd-spot-on-Amazing-Race-Asia|title=RP duo in 2nd spot on ‘Amazing Race Asia’ |date=2008-09-08|publisher=Inquirer.net|accessdate=2008-09-09]

In the Race, route markers in Vietnam were colored yellow and white, as regular red-and-yellow markers can be confused with the flag of South Vietnam. Also, with just only five legs, an unprecedented total of 3 teams were eliminated because they either quit the race directly (Mai & Oliver) or indirectly by quitting their Roadblock. (Natalie & Pailin as well as Niroo & Kapil).

Cast

Applications for Season 3 due on March 3, 2008 (extended from the original deadline on February 25, 2008). Interviews for semi-finalists and finalists were held sometime around March or April 2008. Filming was expected to have taken place around the middle of 2008. [cite web|url=http://amazing-race-asia.axn-asia.com/season2/promotions/tara3/displays/download/procedure.pdf |title=Application Procedure and Eligibility Requirements |accessdate=2008-01-24] [cite web|url=http://amazing-race-asia.axn-asia.com/season2/promotions/tara3/displays/download/applicationform.pdf |title=Application Form |accessdate=2008-01-24]

Season 3's cast include cousins, and a father & son team. Like Season 2, the Race featured a large number of local media personalities or their relatives. Natalie is the winner of Miss Universe 2005 and also the wife of Thai tennis player Paradorn Srichaphan.cite web|url=http://amazing-race-asia.axn-asia.com/season3/teams/|title=Natalie & Pailin Bio|publisher=AXN-Asia|accessdate=2008-08-05] Her teammate, Pailin, is the runner-up in 2006 Miss Thailand Universe and also contested in Miss Earth 2006. Tisha is the ex-girlfriend of Survivor Philippines's host, Paolo Bediones and was once Miss Philippines but had to forgo her crown due to her Canadian citizenship,cite news|url=http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080804-152623/Cesar-Montano-now-a-grandpa|title=Cesar Montano now a grandpa|date=2008-08-04|publisher=Inquirer.net|accessdate=2008-08-05] while Ida, Niroo and Mai are famous actors in their respective homelands. William and Isaac are sports commentators and football agents for professional players in the Korean K-League. [cite news|url=http://amazing-race-asia.axn-asia.com/season3/teams/william-isaac/index.html|title=William & Isaac's bio|date=2008-08-04|publisher=AXN-Asia|accessdate=2008-08-05] Bernie is the host of Project Runway Malaysia. Vince is a leading stand-up comedian in Hong Kong, often performing and hosting at The TakeOut Comedy Club Hong Kong, and was a finalist in Hong Kong's first nationwide stand-up comedy competition. [cite news|url=http://amazing-race-asia.axn-asia.com/season3/teams/same-vince/index.html|title=Same & Vince's bio|date=2008-08-04|publisher=AXN-Asia|accessdate=2008-08-10]

This season consists of three non-Asians. Natalie and Vince are Canadians (Natalie was born in Russia), and Geoff is from New Zealand. Additionally, Sam, who was originally from Singapore, is representing Hong Kong. Tisha is of Canadian nationality but of Filipino ethnicity.

Paula Taylor, one of the racers in Season 2, appeared as the local greeter in the first leg of the Race.

Marketing

"The Amazing Race Asia 3" had six official sponsors, they are Caltex, MASkargo, Nokia, Singha, Sony and Standard Chartered Bank. [cite news|url=http://amazing-race-asia.axn-asia.com/story/377/|title=The Amazing Race Asia 3 Is The Toughest Race Ever. Teams & Global Partners Gear Up For A Season Bar None!|date=2008-08-04|publisher=AXN-Asia|accessdate=2008-08-05] A special episode known as "Racers Revealed" was aired one week before the actual premiere, on September 4, 2008, similar to the second season.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, with their relationships at the time of filming. Placements are listed in finishing order:

fnb|1Vince & Sam originally arrived 5th but they did not pay the taxi driver. They were asked to pay the taxi first before they could be checked in.
fnb|2In Leg 3, Pailin & Natalie incurred a four-hour penalty because Natalie failed to complete the Roadblock. However, the penalty was not assessed because they were already the last team to arrive and were eliminated.
fnb|3In Leg 4, Niroo & Kapil incurred a four-hour penalty because Kapil failed to complete the Roadblock. However, the penalty was not assessed because they were already the last team to arrive and were eliminated.
fnb|4In Leg 5, Mai & Oliver failed to complete the leg after having fallen too far behind the other teams during the leg's first task. After all the teams had checked in, Mai & Oliver had completed neither the Roadblock nor Detour and hence, were eliminated on the spot when Allan arrived where they had spent the night.

*Red means the team was eliminated.
*Green means the team won the Fast Forward clue. A green-colored leg number indicates that the Fast Forward was available for that leg but not used.

Prizes

Individual prizes were awarded to the first team to complete a leg.
*Leg 1 – US$2,500 for each team member, courtesy of Standard Chartered Bank.
*Leg 2 – Free fuel with techron for a year, courtesy of Caltex.
*Leg 3 – A Sony Handycam for each team member.
*Leg 4 – A Nokia N96 handphone for each team member.
*Leg 5 – A holiday to Ko Samui, Thailand.

Race summary

Leg 1 (Thailand)

*Bangkok, Thailand flagicon|Thailand (King Rama I Monument) (Starting Line)
*Bangkok (Khaosan Road)
*Pathum Thani Province (Amphoe Khlong Luang – Caltex Service Station)
*Suphanburi Province (Wat Phai Rong Wua)
*Chiang Mai (Chiang Mai Bus Terminal) TAR clue|Detour|Rice or Race
*Chiang Mai (Ratchaphruek Garden) TAR clue|Pit Stop|1

The first Detour of the race was a choice between Race or Rice. In Race, teams had to proceed to the Chiang Mai X-Centre and drive an off-road buggy over an 8km track to receive their next clue. In Rice, teams must work together to pound rice into paste and make two rice balls using a traditional method, subjected to approval.

;Additional tasks
*At Khao San Road, each team had to consume large bowl of Thai "delicacies", consisting of assorted fried bugs, frogs and scorpions.
*At the Caltex Service Station, each team had to completely clean a 22-seat passenger bus, to the Caltex's staff satisfaction.
*At Wat Phai Rong Wua, teams had to search the temple grounds amongst hundreds of Buddha statues for their next clue. The first two buses, however, will depart 20 minutes after they've arrive at the temple. Teams had to try to find their clue within this time if they want to catch the same bus.

Leg 2 (Thailand → Vietnam)

*Chiang Mai (Mae Kham Pong – Flight of the Gibbon)
*Chiang Mai (Sathit Buarawong Banana Plantation) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who's Steady On A Fire?
*)
*Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon Opera House)
*Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon Phố Cafe)
*Ho Chi Minh City (Bến Thành Market)
*Cái Bè (Cái Bè Bus Terminal) TAR clue|Detour|Sampan or Some Walk
*Ho Chi Minh City (Thánh Nữ Jeanne D'Arc Church vi icon)
*Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon Central Post Office)
*Ho Chi Minh City (Museum of Vietnamese History) TAR clue|Pit Stop|2

In the first Roadblock of this season, one team member had to cross the plantation and retrieve a clue from a hanging backpack. The catch was that along the way, snipers brandishing paintball guns would fire at the team member; once shot, the team member must return to the starting point and perform the task again until successful. In this leg's Detour, the choice was between Sampan and Some Walk. In Sampan, teams must transport fruits on a sampan and row across the river to a designated fruit stall along the river. In Some Walk, teams must gather twenty live chickens and bring them to a designated retailer in the nearby market.

;Additional tasks
*At the Flight of the Gibbon, teams had to go through a jungle heights course consisting of zip-lines and parallel drops.
*At Saigon Phố Cafe, team had to play a Nokia N-Gage game, known as System Rush Evolution, on a Nokia N82 handphone and complete three rounds of a specified track to receive their next clue.
*At Thánh Nữ Jeanne D'Arc Church, teams had to choose one of the nine available charity organisations, for which they will purchase, using US$500 from Singha, supplies as donations to the organization.

Leg 3 (Vietnam)

*Huế (Huế Bus Station)
*Huế (Caltex Service Facility)
*Huế (Khai Dinh Tomb) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who's In Line For King's Ransom? TAR clue|Detour|Sticks or Stalks
*Huế (Quoc Hoc Park)
*Huế (Huế Citadel) TAR clue|Pit Stop|3

In this Roadblock, one team member had to retrieve seven coins representing the seven emperors of the Nguyễn Dynasty in Vietnam at the tomb of Minh Mạng, bring them back to Khai Dinh Tomb and put the coins in the correct order of the reign of the emperors. In this leg's Detour, the choice was between Sticks and Stalks. In Sticks, teams must make ten incense sticks using the demonstrated method. In Stalks, teams must whack rice stalks to fill two platters of unhusked rice.

;Additional tasks
*In Caltex service facility, teams must pick a marked jeep to change the tire and engine oil.
*At Quoc Hoc Park, teams must search a marked cyclo for their next clue and use it on their way to the Pit Stop.

Leg 4 (Vietnam → Taiwan)

*)
*Taipei (Ximending Red Pavilion) TAR clue|Detour|Shoot It or Shape It
*Taipei (Institute for the Blind of Taiwan)
*Taipei (Shenkeng) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who "Nose" a Good Challenge When They Smell One?
*Taipei (City Hall Square) TAR clue|Pit Stop|4

In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Shoot It or Shape It. In Shoot It, teams drive themselves to the Miniatures Museum of Taiwan and are told to use a Sony Cybershot camera to shoot a very miniature model of a yellow-race envelope hidden inside one of the dioramas. After the photo was printed, the next clue could be found behind their new photo. In Shape It, teams drive themselves to Raohe Street Night Market where they will have to solve four sets of figures using a large tangram set. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to completely consume an entire bowl of a Taiwanese/Chinese delicacy: stinky tofu.

;Additional tasks
*At the Institute for the Blind of Taiwan, one team member had to be blindfolded and then using their hands only to feel the braille message, translate, letter by letter to the other teammate who may not see their teammate's board to get the correct phrase "Go to Shenkeng". When they correctly give this message, teams will receive their next clue. One team would find a check worth NT$612,000 (US$20,000) courtesy of Standard Chartered along with their next clue and donate it to the said institute before proceeding.

Leg 5 (Taiwan)

*Taipei (New Sogo Department Store – [http://www.sonystyle.com.tw/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/Sony-SonyStyle-Site/zh_TW/-/TWD/ViewApplication-DisplayWelcomePage Sony Style Store] )
*Taipei (Kevin's Tattoo) TAR clue|Fast Forward|Tattoo
*near Taipei (Pingsi Coal Mine) TAR clue|Roadblock|Can You Dig It? TAR clue|Detour|Pick or Pail
*Taipei (Taipei Astronomical Museum zh icon) TAR clue|Pit Stop|5

The fast forward was to get a permanent tattoo at Kevin's Tattoo. The roadblock was to find a small Amazing Race Asia souvenir in a cart of coal. The detour was Pick or Pail. In Pick, teams had to drive themselves to a local mall and retrieve three soft toys from a game machine. In Pail, teams had to go to the Grand Tong Temple and must fill a bucket full of water and carry it to the top of the mountain where a monk will check to see if they had enough water. If they have enough they will receive their next clue.

;Additional task
*In the New Sogo Department, teams must find the correct disc out of thousands of discs in the rack. The wrong ones will display "Sorry. Try again" while the correct disc displays "Correct! You may receive your next clue."

References

External links

* [http://amazing-race-asia.axn-asia.com/ Official website]