The Amazing Race Asia 3

Development and filming

The third season of The Amazing Race Asia covered 21,600 kilometres in six countries. Route markers were coloured yellow and white in Vietnam to avoid confusion with the former flag of South Vietnam. This season introduced the U-turn marker, while the Intersection was not included. This season, like the American version's Family Edition and Brazilian version, was the first to have had the entire Race take place in one continent, Asia (previous seasons covered at least two continents). Unlike past seasons, this was the first race to not have the first leg as a non-elimination leg. This season also had the number of episodes decreased from 13 to 11.

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.

Cast

Applications for the third season were 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.

This season'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. 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, while Ida, Niroo and Mai are famous actors in their respective homelands and Bernie is the host of Project Runway Malaysia. William and Isaac are sports commentators and football agents for professional players in the Korean K-League. 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.

This season consists of three non-Asians. Natalie and Vince are Canadians (though Natalie was born in Russia; Vince has a Chinese ethnicity), 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; Henry and Bernie are of Australian nationality but of Chinese ethnicity.

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

Kynt Cothron and Vyxsin Fiala's audition video was shown on the Racers Revealed episode. Michael McKay, the executive producer of the show, confirmed that Kynt and Vyxsin of season 12 of The original American version of the race did really submit an audition tape but did not made it because according to McKay "we felt it would be unfair to have a team that had already raced (and raced very well I might add) and also we take teams from Asia. But if we do an All Star version down the track you never know."

Marketing

The third season of The Amazing Race Asia had six official sponsors, they are Caltex, MASkargo, Nokia, Singha, Sony and Standard Chartered Bank. A special episode known as Racers Revealed was aired one week before the actual premiere, on September 4, 2008, and a special "Memories" episode aired after the season finale on November 27, 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:

A red team placement indicates that the team was eliminated.

A blue team placement indicates the team was the last to arrive at a pit stop in a non-elimination leg of the race.

An italicised blue placement indicates that the team had to relinquish all of their money and were not allotted money for the next leg.

An underlined blue placement indicates that the team was "Marked for Elimination"; if the team did not place 1st in the next leg, they would receive a 30-minute penalty.

A green ƒ indicates that the team won a Fast forward clue.

A yellow > indicates that the team chose to use the Yield; < indicates the team who received it.

A brown ⊃ means the team chose to use a U-Turn; ⊂ indicates the team who received it.

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 three-day, two-night holiday in Ko Samui, Thailand, courtesy of Singha Beer.

Leg 6 – A three-day, two-night holiday in Ko Samui, Thailand, courtesy of Singha Beer.

Leg 7 – A Sony BRAVIA and Sony PlayStation 3 for each team member.

Leg 8 – A holiday in Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, courtesy of Caltex.

Leg 9 – A Nokia N96 handphone for each team member.

Leg 10 – US$2,500 for each team member, courtesy of Standard Chartered Bank.

Leg 11 – US$100,000

Leg 1 (Thailand)

Airdate: September 11, 2008

Bangkok, Thailand (King Rama I Monument) (Starting Line)

Bangkok (Khaosan Road)

Pathum Thani Province (Amphoe Khlong Luang – Caltex Service Station)

Pathum Thani Province to Suphanburi Province (Wat Phai Rong Wua (Thai))

Suphanburi Province to Chiang Mai (Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station)

Chiang Mai (Chiang Mai X-Centre or Rice field)

Chiang Mai (Ratchaphruek Garden – Ho Kham Royal Pavilion)

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 8 km 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 Khaosan 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. Once they have finished, they will have to register themselves to three different buses which depart on different times to Suphanburi Province, which will then depart to Chiang Mai.

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)

Airdate: September 18, 2008

Mae Kham Pong (Flight of the Gibbon)

Chiang Mai (Sathit Buarawong Banana Plantation)

Chiang Mai (Chiang Mai International Airport) to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Tan Son Nhat International Airport)

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon Opera House)

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon Phố Cafe)

Ho Chi Minh City (Bến Thành Market)

Ho Chi Minh City (Ben Thanh Bus Station) to Cái Bè, Tien Giang province (Cái Bè Bus Station)

Cái Bè (Cái Bè Cao Dai Temple (Vietnamese))

Cái Bè (Chánh Trần Fruit Depot and Cái Bè Floating Market (Vietnamese) or Cái Bè Land Market)

Ho Chi Minh City (Thánh Nữ Jeanne D'Arc Church (Vietnamese))

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon Central Post Office)

Ho Chi Minh City (Museum of Vietnamese History)

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)

Airdate: September 25, 2008

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens)

Ho Chi Minh City (Mien Dong Coach Station) to Huế, Thua Thien – Hue province (Bến xe Phía Bắc)

Huế (Caltex Service Facility)

Hương Thủy (Khải Định Tomb)

Hương Trà (Minh Mang Tomb) and Hương Thủy (Khải Định Tomb)

Huế (Dạ Lê Thượng Shrine or Rice paddy field)

Huế (Quốc Học Park (Vietnamese))

Huế (Huế Citadel – Thế Miếu Temple)

During the Pit Stop, teams were moved to the gate of Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens to begin this leg of the Race. 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 Khải Định 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 Quốc Học 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)

Airdate: October 2, 2008

Huế (Phu Bai International Airport) to Taipei, Taiwan (Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport)

Ximending, Taipei (Red Playhouse)

Taipei (Miniatures Museum of Taiwan or Raohe Street Night Market)

Xinzhuang City, New Taipei City (Institute for the Blind of Taiwan (Chinese))

Shenkeng, New Taipei City (Shenkeng Street (Chinese))

Taipei (City Hall Square (Chinese))

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)

Airdate: October 9, 2008

Taipei (New Sogo Department Store – Sony Style Store)

Taipei (Kevin's Tattoo)

Pingsi, New Taipei City (Pingsi Coal Mine)

Taipei (Wan Nian Building (Chinese) or Grand Tong Temple)

Taipei (Taipei Astronomical Museum)

This Leg's Fast Forward had teams travel to a certain street, where there will find a clue box. The clue would then instruct them to get a permanent tattoo at Kevin's Tattoo. The Roadblock was to find a souvenir, which would later be revealed to be a small silver token that had the AXN logo on one side and The Amazing Race Asia logo on the other side in a cart of coal. In this leg's Detour the choice was between Pick or Pail. In Pick, teams had to drive themselves to Wan Nian Building 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 Sony Style Store, teams must find one of thousands of discs in the racks available that displays "Correct! You may receive your next clue." when played on their Blu-ray player, while the others will display "Sorry. Try again."

Leg 6 (Taiwan → Hong Kong, China)

Airdate: October 16, 2008

Taipei (Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport) to Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong , China (Hong Kong International Airport)

Ho Man Tin, Kowloon (King's Park Sports Ground)

Central, Hong Kong Island (Hollywood Road/Peel Street)

Central (Graham Street or Mee Lun Street)

Central (Star Ferry) to Tsim Sha Tsui (Star Ferry)

Mong Kok, Kowloon (Tung Choi Street – Ladies' Market (Chinese))

Stanley (Blake Pier)

In this Detour, teams had to choose between Get Fishy or Get Lucky. In Get Fishy, teams had to find a seafood store in Graham Street to scale and gut 12 fishes to the satisfaction of a fishmonger, before they would receive their next clue. In Get Lucky, teams had to head to one of the designated tables at Mee Lun St. and bite into hundreds of fortune cookies in a marked jar and only when they find the one cookie which contains a fortune regarding their next clue can they proceed. In this Roadblock, one team member had to choose one of the provided handbags and search through the crowded market for the lady who is carrying the same handbag as the one the team member has chosen. This lady will hand them their final clue for the leg.

Additional tasks

Teams had to get through the rugby field while the Standard Chartered rugby team tries to prevent them from getting to the clue box at the opposite end of the field.

Leg 7 (Hong Kong, China → Macau, China)

Airdate: October 23, 2008

Mong Kok, Kowloon (Boundary Street – Goldfish Market (Chinese))

Sheung Wan (Bonham Strand)

Sheung Wan (Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier, Hong Kong) to Macau Peninsula, Macau (Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier, Macau) by TurboJET

Macau Peninsula (Senado Square)

Macau Peninsula (Macau Tower)

Macau Peninsula (Sai Van Lake – Dragon Boat Pier)

Macau Peninsula (Sai Van Lake Square or Hotel Royal Macau (Chinese))

Coloane (A-Ma Cultural Village)

In this leg's Roadblock, the chosen team member must climb to the top of the Macau Tower, obtain their next clue there, and go down back to their partner before reading their next clue. However, due to the storm, not all the teams who were still performing the Roadblock at the time were allowed to climb to the top as a precaution. In this leg's Detour, the choice was between Dance or Chance. In Dance, the team members must correctly perform a lion dance routine to the satisfaction of the performance troupe. In Chance, teams must don formal attire and play a game of blackjack in the casino of Hotel Royal Macau; they must beat the dealer nine times (as denoted by the letters of the word COMPLETED) before receiving their next clue.

Additional tasks

At Mong Kok, teams must pick up four goldfish and bring them to a designated pet shop at Bonham Strand.

At Sai Van Lake, teams must paddle a dragon boat around a floating Caltex buoy.

At Ama Culture Village, teams must rearrange lanterns bearing the animals in the Chinese zodiac in their correct order before being let into the Village and the Pit Stop.

Leg 8 (Macau, China → Hong Kong, China → India)

Airdate: October 30, 2008

Macau Peninsula (St. Paul Ruins)

Macau Peninsula (Macau Tower)

Macau Peninsula (Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier, Macau) to Sheung Wan, Hong Kong (Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier, Hong Kong) by TurboJET

Chek Lap Kok (Hong Kong International Airport – MASkargo Airport Hangar)

Chek Lap Kok (Hong Kong International Airport) to Kochi, Kerala, India (Cochin International Airport)

Kochi (Neelam Kulangara Devi Temple)

Kumbalam (Elephant Wash Area in SPS Temple)

Kochi (Fort Kochi – Chinese Fishing Nets and Marina The Sea Face Restaurant or Mattancherry Palace)

Kochi (Bolgatty Palace)

In this leg's Roadblock, the chosen team member must perform a bungee jump from the top of the Macau Tower to receive their next clue. The first team to complete the task will receive a helicopter ride from Macau to Hong Kong instead of the TurboJET ferry ride. In this leg's Detour, the choice was between Fish or Fill. In Fish, the team members must carry six large swordfish to a nearby restaurant before receiving their next clue. In Fill, teams must fill an intricate floor pattern using coloured rice, known as Rangoli, before receiving their next clue.

Additional tasks

At the MASkargo Warehouse, teams must search and open their box containing letters from their loved ones before receiving their next clue.

At the Neelam Kulangara Devi Temple, teams had to get a blessing from the Indian priest before they received their next clue.

At the Elephant Wash Area in SPS Temple, teams must wash an elephant using the traditional way of using coconut husks as abrasives.

Leg 9 (India)

Airdate: November 6, 2008

Kochi (Cochin International Airport) to Mumbai, Maharashtra (Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport)

Pune (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)

Pune (Shaniwar Wada)

Pune (Sony World – Equity Tower)

Pune (Datta Shinde Pottery Shop or Mahatma Phule Market)

Pune (Desai Bahndhu Ambewale)

Pune (Gokhale Institute)

In this leg's roadblock, one team member had to find the correct pheta from 50 men who were walking around the castle. If that person found the pheta with the word "Correct" inside, they received the next clue. In this leg's detour, teams had to choose between Push and Crush. In Push, teams had to go to Datta Shinde Pottery Shop and push the cart with 75 pots one kilometre to Rajkumar Provision Stores in Mahatma Phule Market with 70 or more pots unbroken at the destination before receiving the next clue. In Crush teams had to go to the market, make 40 glasses of sugar cane juice and sell them to earn ₹200 or more to receive the next clue.

Additional tasks

At Nehru Stadium, teams must hit a cricket ball onto a board decorated with the Race colours. If they did not manage to do so in 36 balls or under, teams incurred a ten-minute penalty.

After the cricket task, teams use a map application on the Nokia 6210 Navigator to direct their auto rickshaw driver to their next destination, the Shaniwar Wada.

At the Sony World teams had to persuade the locals to tell them a joke while one team member recorded this story into the Sony Handycam camera, then teams have to come back and replay the video to the staff. If they think the joke is funny enough, they gave teams the next clue.

Leg 10 (India → Oman)

Airdate: November 13, 2008

Karli (Bhaja Caves)

Pune (Central Train Station)

Pune (Statue of Mahatma Gandhi)

Pune (Standard Chartered Bank building)

Pune (Pune International Airport) to Muscat, Oman (Muscat International Airport)

Muscat (Al Alam Palace)

Nizwa (Nizwa Fort)

Muttrah (Muttrah Souq)

Nizwa (Wadi Tanuf)

In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Carpet and Count It. In Carpet, team had to walk to the carpet shop and find two exact carpets, using the images in the Sony Cybershot as references. In Count It team had to walk to a shop and count the dry lime and will only receive their clue once they state the correct amount to the shop owner (correct numbers were 1601, 1595, 1598 and 1577). This leg's Roadblock, one team member must zip across the canyon to the other side to receive the next clue.

Additional tasks:

Upon arriving at the Standard Chartered Bank building, they would insert the ATM card provided to them and punch in the year of Mahatma Gandhi's birth (1869) as the PIN. The next clue would be printed on the receipt. If a team made three unsuccessful attempts, they would incur a ten-minute time penalty before receiving their next clue. This is why teams must take note of the plaque at Gandhi's statue on the way to the bank building, although some teams did not do this and still got the correct answer just by asking several passers-by.

At Nizwa Fort, teams search the correct clue box containing their next clue from among the other clue boxes scattered around the fort.

Leg 11 (Oman → Thailand)

Airdate: November 20, 2008

Nizwa (Al Jabal Al Akhdar)

Muscat (Office of Muscat Governorate)

Al Batinah (Al Abyadh – Said's Camel Farm)

Muscat (Muscat International Airport) to Phuket, Phuket Province, Thailand (Phuket International Airport)

Phuket (Sam Kong Temple)

Siray Island (Thai Trade Food Ice Factory)

Phuket (Laem Hin Pier)

Phang Nga Bay (Boat between Cape Yamu and Rang Noi Island)

Phuket (Rang Yai Island – Rang Yai Pearl Farm or Rang Yai Beach)

Phuket (Rang Yai Island – Beach)

Phuket (Rang Yai Island – Coconut Plantation)

During the Pit Stop, teams were moved to Al Jabal Al Akhdar to begin this leg of the Race. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member must locate one of seven special keys out of seventy keys buried in the sand using the metal detector to unlock the clue box. In this leg's Detour, teams have to choose between Pull or Plunge. In Pull, teams must kayak to Rang Yai pearl farm and find the marked shell by pulling among the 900 oyster lines, then the teams must bring the marked shell back to the beach to exchange it with their next clue. In Plunge, teams must snorkel and search for a giant clam shell with a pearl inside; the pearl should be exchanged with their next clue.

Additional tasks

In Said's Camel Farm, teams must move ten camels into the holding pens.

In Thai Trade Food Ice Factory, teams must search a small Amazing Race ice cube buried in a barrel of ice to get the next clue.

In Lam Hin Pier, teams must ride a traditional Thai fishing boat, known as the long-tail boat, and look for a fisherman in a marked boat located between Cape Yamu and Rang Noi Island to get the next clue.

After finishing the Detour, teams must dig up a treasure chest within a marked area and carry it to the Finish Line in the nearby coconut plantation.