Hit Netflix series The Serpent shot mostly in Thailand

The hit Netflix series The Serpent The hit Netflix series The Serpent tells the tale of Sobhraj, an Indian-Vietnamese serial killer who preyed on backpackers and other foreign tourists in Nepal, Thailand and Southeast Asia on what was referred to as the “Asian Hippie Trail” during the 1970s.

Known as “the Serpent” and “the Bikini Killer,” Sobhraj was arrested and sentenced to prison in India in 1976 and was not extradited to Thailand. After he escaped from Indian prison in 1986, as he did before in Greece and Afghanistan, he was eventually recaptured and is in prison in Nepal today.

At the time of the murders, a 90-year-old retired Thai Police General Sompol Suthimai was a colonel. He told a local press that he remembers helping track down the serial killer Sobhraj but could not get him extradited to face justice in the Kingdom.

Although his part, played by a famous Thai singer, in the mini-series is small, his work on the case drew the attention of Interpol, the transnational police organization. It resulted in a global manhunt for Sobhraj.

Sompol told the Bangkok Post that investigating crimes involving foreigners 40 years ago was much complicated for everyone involved.

The series was shot on location in Thailand, until the COVID-19 pandemic which halted production for five months from March 2020. Filming was completed in Hertfordshire, England, during August 2020.

The series has been capturing viewers’ attention around the world and remained within the Netflix’s Top 10 all week when it was first aired.

Photo courtesy of https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7985576/