The Last Of The Sook Jais

Every episode of the CBS television show brings a new surprise for contestants and viewers. Thursday's episode was no different. But the one thing that did not come as a surprise was the latest ousted tribe member.

It was clear that former Sook Jai member, Jake Billingsley, the 60-year-old land broker from Texas, was a stranger in the Chuay Gahn cave, living on borrowed time.

"There's five people from the other tribe, and one person from my tribe," said Billingsley after he left the tribal council. "And that's pretty strong cards stacked against you."

On Billingsley's visit to The Early Show, he says he had no regrets. But could he have done things a little differently, such as choosing different tribemates? Billingsley was the captain of his tribe on the first episode of Survivor: Thailand, and he picked a tribe of young, energetic and strong contestants. But in the end, Sook Jai was sent packing.

Billingsley says the Sook Jai's strategy was for their tribe members to try to have at least one Chuay Gahn switch allegiance. But the opposing tribe's bond was too strong.

"Well, you know, if I had to do it again, I'd choose exactly the same way," says Billingsley. "I absolutely love the people that I chose. I don't know why we lost, particularly."

A few fans of Survivor: Thailand called The Early Show to ask Billingsley a few questions.

One viewer asked, "I was wondering if [Jake] hadn't been voted off last night, do you think your former tribe, Sook Jai, would have thought you
had formed an alliance with Chuay Gahn before they were voted off?"

Billingsley responded: "No. I think my former tribe would have stayed with me through thick and thin, all the way through the deal."

But, Penny Ramsey, the 27-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative from Plano, Texas, turned on Billingsley and voted against him in the last tribal council.

"I don't regret picking Penny," says Billingsley. "Penny was in a position where what she needed to do to win the game was to do something. I won't tell you it didn't hurt my feelings, because it did hurt my feelings that she voted me out."

Billingsley also lost a chance to win a surprising prize. The castaways were offered a stunning opportunity that left the winner in tears of joy and the losers in tears of pain. Each member saw one member of their family show up on the island and were offered a prize of having that person be an honorary tribe member for 24 hours.

But the challenge was difficult and gruesome. The castaways had to watch their loved ones compete in a game of iron stomachs as they were challenged to eat insects. Jeff made it clear that those whose loved one lost would not get so much as a hug or kiss before they left the island.

Dried ants on a spoon were the first course, then a water beetle, followed by live slimy grubs, then a boiled tarantula, and then the final course was a cooked scorpion. Each stage eliminated contestants, and Brian's wife was the first to bow out. Eventually the two remaining were Jake's wife Jenny and Helen's husband.

On her visit to The Early Show with Jake, Jenny said she pretended that the creatures she ate were potato chips because that's the only way she could have perform the act.

"I was determined I was gonna be able to spend the night with Jake," says Jenny. "I'm not sure it was me up there doing that, because I hate bugs, but I was pretty determined."

However, it was Helen's husband who got the crunchy scorpion down his throat before Jenny.

Helen then gave her husband the grand tour of the cave, took him out on a canoe ride discussing game strategy and just spent quality time with her husband. But the 24 hours passed all too quickly, and a speedboat came to pick him up before she knew it, ending her 24 hours of bliss. Though Helen was torn when he left, she felt that his stay was what she needed to recharge her batteries.

At the immunity challenge, it turned out that the valiant attempts by the other family members to choke down bugs were not in vain. They were tearfully reunited with the survivors to be partners in the challenge. With wrists tied together, the pairs set out to put together a box puzzle. Ted and his brother emerged victorious.

As the tribe members headed to Tribal Council, it was all too obvious who would be voted off. It was even obvious to Jake who knew the urgency of winning the last immunity challenge. All five former Chuay Gahn members voted the last standing Sook Jai contestant off the island in true loyal tribe form.

As he left the island, Jake was not without regret. "I'll be 61 here just real quick. So I was kind of looking forward to a little retirement income."

However, he remained as positive as ever with his last words, "But you know what? When one door shuts, another always opens. And I had such a grand experience here. I'll go back home to Texas, and I'll be back with my Jenny, and I'll be the happiest little guy in the world."

Even host Jeff Probst noticed that it was, "Still another easy vote right down tribal lines without so much as a hesitation."

But he warned that though, "We made to it the final five ... Game's about to get very, very complicated."