International filmmaking boosts Thai movie sector with 1.84 billion baht earnings from shoots

Thailand has seen a prosperous influx of international filmmakers in the first half of this year with over 200 foreign films being produced in the country, according to Deputy Government Spokesperson, Tipanan Sirichana, who spoke about the matter yesterday. This number has resulted in a staggeringly high revenue of approximately 1.84 billion baht, signalling a successful outcome of the Thai government’s proactive endeavours to present the nation as a prime shooting location for international filmmaking.

“The number of productions saw a rise of 12 whilst the increased income of 132.8 million baht exhibits a robust growth within this sector,” noted Tipanan, indicating a vibrant trend compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. She also surfaced the cinematographic venture of Warner Bros Discovery which is currently in progress, centred around Thai cuisine and featuring the renowned Thai actor duo – Prin “Mark” Suparat and Kimberley Anne Woltemas. This film is imminent to be broadcasted on HBO and HBO Go.

Tipanan further highlighted that, since 2016, approximately 740 foreign films have been made in Thailand, yielding a significant revenue of 4.86 billion baht. Intriguingly, amid the global Covid-19 crisis, the nation still witnessed 121 film shoots, demonstrating the endurance of the film industry, reported Bangkok Post. According to her, the interim government views international filmmaking as a key source of the country’s ‘soft-power’ income.

Earlier this year, on February 7, the Cabinet sanctioned a proposal to elevate the cash rebates offered to film producers, from 15% and 20% to 20 and 30% for the next two years. The maximum cash rebate per film was also heightened to 150 million baht, a significant rise from the previous cap of 75 million baht. Tipanan said…

“This strategic move has further encouraged filmmakers to favour Thailand as their preferred shooting location.”

In the cinematic landscape of Thailand, the seaside city of Pattaya recently became the filming hub for the acclaimed Chinese reality TV game show, ‘Keep Running.’ Featuring an array of famous Chinese personalities engaging in exciting challenges and comedic skits, the series is significantly contributing to the surge in Pattaya’s tourism. Read more HERE.