Tourism

Report: Chatrudee Theparat

Thailand’s film shooting shows strong recovery in 2023

Foreign film shooting in Thailand is likely to show a steady growth when the government’s health restrictions from Covid-19 will be more relaxed this October 1.

Tourism and Sports’ Department of Tourism says the momentum of foreign film shooting in Thailand is likely to be resumed next year, once the government relaxes measures on health restrictions this October 1.

During the first eight months of this year, 198 film productions took place in Thailand, spending 1.68 billion baht. However, the number is far from pre-Covid 19 period, with 740 films in 2019 spending 4.8 billion baht in the country. Of the total, 60 were movie production.

In addition, the data showed 176 film productions took place and spent 1.74 billion-baht in Thailand in 2020, and 122 films in 2021 with five billion baht spent in the local economy. During the two-year period of Covi19 infection, the government remained to promote the film shooting industry by defining rules via a handbook to make sure the production crew and the country were safe.

Deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul.

Deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said the cabinet on September 20 approved a proposal of the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s budget of 212 million baht to encourage six foreign film shootings. Among them, four are from the United States, each from France and Singapore. The budget will be allocated from the reserved budget for emergency cases in the fiscal 2022 budget.

All six movie shootings are expected to be completed by this year and to be scheduled to be on air next year. Six movies are expected to spend 1.19 billion baht and create 12,000 jobs, producing multiplier effect of 2.38 billion baht in the Thai economy.

Ms Traisuree said the government offered incentives for foreign film production since 2017. Thailand currently offers a cash rebate equivalent to 15% of every 50 million baht spent on a film shoot. An extra 5% cash rebate is offered if foreign film studios hire Thai staff, promote Thai culture and shoot in second-tier tourism provinces. The cash rebate is capped at 75 million baht.
There were 43 movies have been shot in Thailand and generated over 9.7 billion baht for the economy since the government launched the policy in 2017.