Soi Dogs (Street Dogs)

SOI DOGS (STREET DOGS)

TEASER

EXT. SOI - BARS - NIGHT

The bars are crowded with bar girls, ladyboys and customers. Music and the sound of bar girls calling out to passersby add to the sense of chaos… and entertainment. Street carts selling food and clothes with motorbike taxis and customers fill the soi.

NEW ANGLE - HIGH UP, LOOKING BACK ALONG THE SOI

In the distance, we can see girls and passersby moving out of the way of a motorbike whose rider is driving aggressively and sounding the bike’s horn.

Rain starts to fall and there’s a roll of thunder. People start to rush towards the shelter of the bars leaving the bike rider as the only person disregarding the weather.

As the rider comes near we can see the rider - it looks like a ladyboy. In straddling the bike her mini-dress has ridden up high on her thighs.

CLOSE-UP OF RIDER’S FACE

Her hair is cropped, the rain has made her mascara run and her red lipstick has been smudged adding to her wild-eyed, angry look. The now heavy rain is causing her face's makeup to look even more grotesque.

EXTERIOR - LOW-COST APARTMENTS

The ladyboy comes to a fast stop. Frustrated that her high heels make it difficult to put the bike side-stand down she throws the bike on the ground.

There is already a police truck with lights flashing and one policeman standing at the entrance to the apartments. He salutes acknowledging the ladyboy as she rushes past him.

APARTMENT STAIRWELL

The ladyboy rushes up the stairs stopping in frustration to take her high heels off.

APARTMENT

Ladyboy rushes breathlessly in and looks around. A policeman in uniform stands over a girl lying on a mattress on the floor who has been badly beaten. She has a swollen eye and lips and a bloodied face. Blood is spattered over her t-shirt.

Another girl is sitting on the floor holding the beaten girl’s hand trying to comfort her.

The ladyboy looks at the uniformed policeman.

LADYBOY - DETECTIVE TEE

(sharply to uniformed policeman)

Out!

END TEASER

ACT ONE

POLICE STATION - BATHROOM

The ladyboy - Detective Tee, stands in front of a washbasin and looks into the mirror as he removes the makeup.

Another detective washes his hands at another basin.

DETECTIVE TWO

Any luck with the stakeout?

DETECTIVE TEE

No, I was in a bar in Soi 6 and the girl who got attacked had taken the customer to her apartment in Soi 12.

This is the last night I’m going undercover as a ladyboy - it’s a waste of time.

Tee pulls on a t-shirt and puts his police id, that’s on a cord, over his head.

POLICE STATION - DETECTIVE ROOM

There are 4 detectives sitting in the room as Tee enters. Some nod to him and Detective Three points at a small office.

DETECTIVE THREE

The boss wants to see you.

Tee shrugs and sits at his desk. In front of the desk are the badly beaten woman and her friend who is still trying to comfort her.

TEE

OK, let’s start with a description of the customer.

BEATEN WOMAN

(mumbles)

WOMAN’S FRIEND

You are all the same. You’re not going to do anything. He's one of yours. A soi dog.

TEE

You’re saying he’s a policeman?

WOMAN’S FRIEND

That’s what I said, a soi dog. He’s the one we call Mad Dog.

Tee looks surprised and glances across at his boss’s office.

WOMAN’S FRIEND

(leaning forward)

And from the look on your face, you know who I’m talking about.

TEE

(standing up from his desk)

Wait there. Yea

Tee walks to his boss’s office and enters without knocking. The other detectives look up as they hear raised voices coming from the office.

CUT TO;

INT: BOSS’S OFFICE

Tee and his boss are standing facing each other.

BOSS - SENIOR OFFICER

(angrily)

Mad Dog? No! You can’t go after him. His connections…

TEE

(angrily)

He will end up killing one of these girls.

BOSS - SENIOR OFFICER

Go after him and we’ll be out of a job or dead. Probably both.

CUT TO;

Tee leaves the boss’s office slamming the door. He walks across to his desk.

WOMAN’S FRIEND

(sarcastically)

Told you.

TEE

Come on, I’ll take her to the hospital.

CUT TO;

BAR - NIGHTIME

Detective Tee sits at the bar he had been at earlier that night. He looks frustrated and dejected. The bar is busy with customers and girls.

BARMAID

Back already. You rushed out without this.

The barmaid places a wig on the bar that Tee had been wearing earlier in the night.

TEE

Hmm!

I need a drink.

BARMAID

Usual?

TEE

Thanks.

Barmaid pours him a drink. Tee puts his police issue handset on top of the wig.

BARMAID

(speaking quietly)

So did you catch Mad Dog?

TEE

What makes you think it was him?

BARMAID

We all know but just like you can’t throw him in jail he doesn’t take no for an answer from the girls.

One of the bar girls screams and a glass smashes on the ground. Tee and the barmaid turn and look at a farang (foreigner) gripping a bar girl’s arm.

All the customers and girls have gone quiet as Tee walks across to the farang (foreigner).

TEE

I’ve had a really shitty day. For 6 hours I’ve had to dress as a woman, I’ve argued with my boss and I’m not allowed to arrest a piece of human garbage who assaulted a woman. So place nice.

The farang (foreigner) stands up and pokes Tee in the chest.

FARANG (foreigner)

Mind your own business otherwise your scrawny arse is going to end up in hospital.

Tee shakes his head in frustration.

TEE

I did warn you to play nice.

Tee spins around putting the Farang (foreigner) behind him and to one side. His right elbow crashes into the Farang’s (foreigner) stomach making him quickly bend forward only to meet Tee’s fist coming the other way and breaking the Farang’s nose.

Tee takes one step back and kicks the Farang’s (foreigner) legs from underneath him.

Tee takes out his handcuffs and locks one of the Farang’s (foreigner) wrists to the footrest in front of the bar.

Tee walks across and picks up his police handset.

TEE

(talking into handset)

Drunk Farang (foreigner) assaulted girl at Bar 20, Soi 6. Come and pick him up.

POLICE

(on handset)

We’ve already had a call to help sort out a dog that looks as though it has rabies.

Tee looks frustrated and then looks at the Farang sitting on the floor and whose nose is bleeding profusely.

TEE

(into handset)

I’ll deal with the dog you come and get the Farang. Oh and make sure you get my handcuffs back to me.

Tee picks up the wig and looks across to the barmaid.

TEE

Looks like it’s my night for dealing with mad dogs.

Cut to;

INT: Tee driving his car. He pulls into the Soi where he can see a motorbike policeman looking warily at the dog who is obviously rabid. He can see that a number of residents are nervously watching from behind their fences.

He leans across to his glove box and pulls out a couple of surgical gloves.

EXT: Tee walks across to the policeman and holds his hand out, palm upwards.

TEE

Gun.

MOTORBIKE POLICEMAN

You can’t shoot it. What if you miss or the bullet goes through the dog and hits someone. It’s too dangerous.

Tee pokes the policeman on his helmet.

TEE

I’m going to shoot it in the head.

Pointing at the policeman’s neck.

TEE

The bullet will go through its skull and the mush of its brain.

Tee prodding the policeman’s chest.

TEE

And if it doesn’t stop there then its will go into its chest and then its heart.

Gun.

The policeman reluctantly hands over his gun.

TEE

(smiling)

And besides, it’s your gun so if it goes wrong…

The policeman looks wide-eyed at Tee.

Tee walks to within a few paces of the dog and raises the gun. Holding the gun with both hands he slowly rotates it which seems to draw the dog's attention.

Tee fires the gun and the dog drops to the ground.

Residents look unnerved by the shooting.

Tee walks back to the policeman and hands him his gun.

TEE

Not you can help me clean this up.

Tee gets a sack from the boot of his car and hands it to the policeman who very reluctantly holds it open as Tee picks the dog up by the scruff the neck.

Tee looks back towards the policeman.

TEE

Careful they can still bite even though they’re dead.

Tee starts to drop the hind end of the dog into the sack but suddenly shakes the dog's neck.

TEE

(makes violent growling noise)

The policeman drops the sack and jumps back.

Tee laughs.

POLICEMAN

You prick.

Policeman angrily comes back and lifts up the sack.

TEE

Thanks. Just report that you sorted it out. You killed the dog and got rid of it. Your mates will respect you for it.

Policeman shakes his head and walks to his bike.

Tee drops the dog into the sack and then places the sack into the boot of his car. He looks thoughtfully at the sack.

Cut to;

Tee stops at a shop and buys a can of red spray paint.

CAR INT: Tee is driving and looks at the spray paint on the seat beside him and grins.

Coming to a stop in a quiet Soi Tee grabs the paint and gets out of the car.

Heaving the sack out of the car boot he sprays something onto it.

Tee carefully fixes the sack to a spike on the large house gates. In the parking area of the house is a police car.

Tee then walks back to his car and drives off.

Cut to;

Looking from the house back to the gate and the sack fixed to the gate. We now see the words spray-painted in red on the sack - MAD DOG.

ACT TWO

EXT - DAYTIME: Mad Dog’s police car comes to a stop on the house driveway at the gate. The driver and Mad Dog stand looking at the sack hanging on the gate.

CUT TO;

INT: Detective room at the police station. Three detectives are looking across at the ‘Boss’s’ Senior Detective’s office as they listen to the raised voices coming from it.

CUT TO;

INT: Boss’s Office. The ‘Boss’ is sitting behind his desk and is angry. In front of the desk stands Detective Tee.

BOSS

(angrily)

What is wrong with you? Why are you doing everything you can to get us both fired?

DETECTIVE TEE

(defensively)

It was dangerous. It could have bitten someone.

BOSS

(confused)

The farang (foreigner) bit someone?

DETECTIVE TEE

(confused)

Farang? No, the dog.

BOSS

Dog? What dog? The Farang! The Farang at the bar!

DETECTIVE TEE

Oh right, the bar. Yes.

BOSS

Did you realize that someone has posted on social media you beating up the farang and breaking his nose? And those idiots you got to pick him up - they say he tripped up three times on the way to the hospital.

I’m working with idiots! You are all idiots!

DETECTIVE TEE

Oh!

BOSS

Yes! Oh!

(looking past Tee)

Oh no!

Mad Dog storms through the detective room and into the boss’s office. He stares at the Boss and then at Tee.

MAD DOG - CAPTAIN DANG

(screaming)

You did it. The damn dog.

BOSS

Dog?

Captain Dang turns to the Boss.

MAD DOG - CAPTAIN DANG

You are as stupid as him. I’m going to see both your careers are finished.

BOSS

I realize you are angry but what dog are you talking about?

MAD DOG - CAPTAIN DANG

(pointing at Tee)

Ask him. He shot a dog then hung it on my fence.

BOSS

Why would he do that?

MAD DOG - CAPTAIN DANG

He put it in a sack and wrote Mad Dog on it.

BOSS

(looking at Tee)

Did you?

TEE

I think a better question is did Captain Dang beat up a girl in Soi 12 the other night.

Captain Dang walks across and with his face only inches from Tee’s face.

MAD DOG - CAPTAIN DANG

I’m going to destroy you.

MAD DOG - CAPTAIN DANG then points at the Boss.

MAD DOG - CAPTAIN DANG

And I’m going to destroy you.

MAD DOG - CAPTAIN DANG storms out of the office.

There’s a moment of silence and then the Boss slowly looks at Tee.

BOSS

Why did you kill a dog? No. No, I don't want to know. You are going to take a week's unpaid leave. No argument, no nothing. Get out. Go!

CUT TO;

INT: TEE’S APARTMENT

Tee is lying bed with a woman beside him.

TEE

It’s because of your husband that I’m on a forced one week holiday.

WOMAN

You put the dog on the fence?

TEE

(laughing)

It was the perfect opportunity. A rabid dog and you must know that on the streets they call him Mad Dog.

WOMAN - DANG’S WIFE, LEK

He’s dangerous, Why are you challenging him?

TEE

He’s beating up bar girls and the word is he’s behind a lot of the drugs on the street. But we can’t do anything because of his connections - your family connections.

Tee looks challengingly at the woman.

WOMAN - DANG’S WIFE, LEK

I know. But if I left him that protection would disappear.

TEE

Why don’t you leave him?

WOMAN - DANG’S WIFE, LEK

Are you asking me to live with you?

TEE

Why not?

WOMAN - DANG’S WIFE, LEK

Dang is mad. He would kill us even if I left him and he lost his protection.

TEE

My goal is to arrest him and see him in jail - regardless of the politicians and wealthy people in your family.

WOMAN - DANG’S WIFE, LEK

I’ve got to go. You need to take care.

Dang’s wife quickly dresses and kisses Tee before leaving. Tee gets out of bed and walks out onto the balcony of his apartment. Looking down he watches Dang’s wife walk to her car. He notices a policeman using his phone to photograph Dang’s wife.

Tee grabs his phone and calls Dang’s wife.

CUT TO;

Interior of Dang’s wife’s car.

WOMAN - DANG’S WIFE, LEK

Miss me already?

TEE

One of Dang’s men saw you leaving and took a photograph. He’s still here so Dang is having me watched but he’ll report that you came out of the building.

WOMAN - DANG’S WIFE, LEK

OK. I was just visiting a girlfriend if he asks.

TEE

Take care lover.

CUT TO;

Lek drives her car up the drive to her home.

She enters the house and drops her car keys on a side table and walks into a lounge area.

Dang walks up to her.

DANG

Where have you been?

LEK

I beg your pardon?

DANG

(angry?)

Where have you been?

LEK

Dang you seem to be under the wrong impression that I’m one of your criminals. You don’t get to talk to me like that.

Dang slaps Lek across the face leaving her lip bleeding.

Lek stares furiously at Dang then storms from the room.

She makes her way to a staircase that leads to her bedroom but stops as a maid has opened the front door and her uncle enters.

UNCLE

Ahh Lek!

The uncle now looking concerned and approaches Lek. She turns her face away trying to hide her cut lip. Her uncle holds her face gently by the chin and turns it towards him. He looks at both the cut lip and the clear red mark of a slap.

UNCLE

Go up to your bedroom and I will send the maid up with some ice.

Uncle turns to the maid.

UNCLE

Fetch my driver and bring him to the kitchen and then take some ice up to my niece and assist her.

CUT TO;

Kitchen. The uncle puts ice in cloth and then places this in a bowl. The maid enters the kitchen followed by the driver. The driver is a physically very large man.

UNCLE

(to the maid)

Take this up to Lek and on your way tell Dang to come to the kitchen.

The uncle helps himself to an ice water as Dang enters the kitchen.

DANG

I didn’t realise that you had come here. I’m glad as I want to talk to you about a problem I’m having with some police.

UNCLE

Dang come over here.

Now, place your right hand on the cutting board.

DANG

What? Why?

UNCLE

DANG do as I say.

Dang is confused but does as he is told. The uncle briefly nods to his driver. The driver silently stands behind Dang and then grabs him, holding his hand firmly on the cutting board.

The uncle looks through one of the kitchen drawers.

UNCLE

Dang in some Arab countries they deal with thieves by chopping off their hands.

The uncle takes out a large chopping knife out of the kitchen drawer.

UNCLE

I will keep this simple.

The uncle puts the cutting edge of the blade on Dang’s wrist. He then brings the blade up and slams it down.

ACT 3

The blade lands only a fraction from Dang’s wrist. The blade sticks in the wooden block.

UNCLE

Touch my niece again and I will cut off your hand.

The uncle looks into Dang’s wide eyes.

UNCLE

Our family gives you a level of protection but understand we can also take it away.

This is a lesson you need to learn Dang. So you deal with your police problem on your own.

You’ve been warned. Never touch Lek again.

CUT TO;

EXT - Night: Tee leaving his apartment.