Outlook Bright For Thai Film, Tv Industry

[chooka]

I look forward to seeing Thai TV Soaps exported to the world!

If you have seen one you have seen them all. Every single one of them is about super rich spoilt brats and nothing but women throwing a tantrem all through the show absolutely no story line what so ever. 30 seconds of one of these scream fests is enough for anyone.

[chooka]

A lot of filming is done in Thailand by outside countries, it is my industry, I would love to have an opportunity to get my company flowing in LOS.

Sadly it is a very tight industry.. One day we hope to get our feet in the door..

I didn't think they would allow outsiders in as it would be taking work away from more qualified Thai people/

[Petesear]

A lot of filming is done in Thailand by outside countries, it is my industry, I would love to have an opportunity to get my company flowing in LOS.

Sadly it is a very tight industry.. One day we hope to get our feet in the door..

I didn't think they would allow outsiders in as it would be taking work away from more qualified Thai people/

Of course they do, when a production company films in Thailand they bring everyone they want to.

The locals are used as runners etc and they use Thai facility companies. My business is Locations, that is what is tight here, as it is everywhere else.

[anterian]

I look forward to seeing Thai TV Soaps exported to the world!

If you have seen one you have seen them all. Every single one of them is about super rich spoilt brats and nothing but women throwing a tantrem all through the show absolutely no story line what so ever. 30 seconds of one of these scream fests is enough for anyone.

Actually if you watch them with the sound turned off and make up your own dialogue they can be quite funny.

[chooka]

Thai tv and film stars even have their own industry awards show which is Thai only and hands out awards to the same dozen people year after year. The quality of these shows are embarrassingly bad too..like barely one step above back lot porno set ups.

The only actor who got recognized overseas is Tony Jaa and the Thais failed to market him properly. His window of opportunity in 2003 to become a true Thai international super star faded fast. Now he's just a has-been working far beneath his actual potential.

Then there is Apichatpong Weerasethakul who is probably the only recognized Thai director of indie film who has talent inside Thailand. Then again he spent years studying film in the U.S. so a lot of his talent was cultivated overseas and has nothing to do with Thailand itself. In fact most Thais can't stand his movies/don't get it and they were even banned here.

There there's the "joke" pop stars Tata Young etc.. who Thais think are on the level of Lady Gaga or Britney Spears but who no one really knows about in other asian countries aside from maybe Laos.

My wife tells me that Willy McIntosh is a huge movie star in the world, I have never heard of him personally but apparently he is of Thai/American origin and grew up in the States before returning to Thailand as an actor and goes back to hollywood to make movies also.

[wintermute]

Thai tv and film stars even have their own industry awards show which is Thai only and hands out awards to the same dozen people year after year. The quality of these shows are embarrassingly bad too..like barely one step above back lot porno set ups.

The only actor who got recognized overseas is Tony Jaa and the Thais failed to market him properly. His window of opportunity in 2003 to become a true Thai international super star faded fast. Now he's just a has-been working far beneath his actual potential.

Then there is Apichatpong Weerasethakul who is probably the only recognized Thai director of indie film who has talent inside Thailand. Then again he spent years studying film in the U.S. so a lot of his talent was cultivated overseas and has nothing to do with Thailand itself. In fact most Thais can't stand his movies/don't get it and they were even banned here.

There there's the "joke" pop stars Tata Young etc.. who Thais think are on the level of Lady Gaga or Britney Spears but who no one really knows about in other asian countries aside from maybe Laos.

My wife tells me that Willy McIntosh is a huge movie star in the world, I have never heard of him personally but apparently he is of Thai/American origin and grew up in the States before returning to Thailand as an actor and goes back to hollywood to make movies also.

I've never heard of this guy either and couldn't even find him on imdb.com. Another no talent thai "movie star" that they think is someone special but no one outside of Thailand has a clue about or cares for. With the name "Willy McIntosh" he sounds like a clown though.

Oh I found a pic of him. He looks like a gay porn star.

Edited April 4, 2012 by wintermute

[chooka]

A lot of filming is done in Thailand by outside countries, it is my industry, I would love to have an opportunity to get my company flowing in LOS.

Sadly it is a very tight industry.. One day we hope to get our feet in the door..

I didn't think they would allow outsiders in as it would be taking work away from more qualified Thai people/

Of course they do, when a production company films in Thailand they bring everyone they want to.

The locals are used as runners etc and they use Thai facility companies. My business is Locations, that is what is tight here, as it is everywhere else.

I wasn't say that you weren't correct as I know squat about the movie / TV industry and just thought that they had to employ thais to do the work on the set, ie cameramen sound, wardrobe etc. A person wouldn't get a work permit if there was a thai to do the job. Thank's for correcting me.

[wintermute]

A lot of filming is done in Thailand by outside countries, it is my industry, I would love to have an opportunity to get my company flowing in LOS.

Sadly it is a very tight industry.. One day we hope to get our feet in the door..

I didn't think they would allow outsiders in as it would be taking work away from more qualified Thai people/

Of course they do, when a production company films in Thailand they bring everyone they want to.

The locals are used as runners etc and they use Thai facility companies. My business is Locations, that is what is tight here, as it is everywhere else.

I wasn't say that you weren't correct as I know squat about the movie / TV industry and just thought that they had to employ thais to do the work on the set, ie cameramen sound, wardrobe etc. A person wouldn't get a work permit if there was a thai to do the job. Thank's for correcting me.

The reason why foreign film companies come here is because 1) safety and union regulations are easy to bypass or cheap to handle 2) natural scenery 3) cheap facilities for film editing etc.. 4) cheap crew labor to set up and tear down prop sets

However Thailand is a very poor location to do let's say CGI or anything technically advanced. Film companies usually go to NZ, Australia, or Canada for that if they want quality for reasonable costs.

Plus it's a pretty bad place to mine local talent too. Notice even in films like Hangover 2 set in Thailand they had to import nearly all the asian actors because the local Thai extras/actors were so dreadful.

[softgeorge]

Thai tv and film stars even have their own industry awards show which is Thai only and hands out awards to the same dozen people year after year. The quality of these shows are embarrassingly bad too..like barely one step above back lot porno set ups.

The only actor who got recognized overseas is Tony Jaa and the Thais failed to market him properly. His window of opportunity in 2003 to become a true Thai international super star faded fast. Now he's just a has-been working far beneath his actual potential.

Then there is Apichatpong Weerasethakul who is probably the only recognized Thai director of indie film who has talent inside Thailand. Then again he spent years studying film in the U.S. so a lot of his talent was cultivated overseas and has nothing to do with Thailand itself. In fact most Thais can't stand his movies/don't get it and they were even banned here.

There there's the "joke" pop stars Tata Young etc.. who Thais think are on the level of Lady Gaga or Britney Spears but who no one really knows about in other asian countries aside from maybe Laos.

My wife tells me that Willy McIntosh is a huge movie star in the world, I have never heard of him personally but apparently he is of Thai/American origin and grew up in the States before returning to Thailand as an actor and goes back to hollywood to make movies also.

I've never heard of this guy either and couldn't even find him on imdb.com. Another no talent thai "movie star" that they think is someone special but no one outside of Thailand has a clue about or cares for. With the name "Willy McIntosh" he sounds like a clown though.

Oh I found a pic of him. He looks like a gay porn star.

I had to google him myself as I have never heard of him either.

Willy is a very well known Thai actor. He was born Reungrit McIntosh on 4 April 1970 to a Thai mother (Yupaporn) and a Scotsman father (William). He is the older brother (and the only sibling) of Kathaleeya, another Thai superstar previously featured on BISEAN’s Perfect Specimen series.

Willy went to the University of Michigan and graduated in 1993 as an Aerospace Engineer. Why he never became a pilot is a story nobody knows. Today, Willy is one of Thailand’s most recognizable faces – the man with the perfect complexion.

As he is one of Thailand's pioneer Eurasian superstars, he was featured on Time Magazine's The Great Eurasian Invasion article.

[trainman34014]

I have recently made myself watch a number of Thai movies, I thought it might help me understand Thai culture. Based on this I now know Thai culture is based on violence, lust, revenge and an abject fear of ghosts.

I wonder if the Brits think 'Neighbours' or 'Home & Away' is representative Australian culture?

Or Dynasty American or Coronation Street or Eastenders typically British? I think the difference is that we have many such series/programs, British, American, Australian, even Indian, so it is more balanced.

My Thai Wifey loves Eastenders and Coronation St when we are in England. She says the stories are more like everyday real life in proper houses etc and not like the stupid Thai Soaps that show everyone living in Palace's and driving Porche's etc. The crazy thing is that most Thai's know that their TV is <deleted>. Wifey says that most channels are just adverts with small bits of programs now and again but they watch because can't do anything about it. Most that travel appreciate that the West has much better TV programs and movie's.

[anterian]

I have recently made myself watch a number of Thai movies, I thought it might help me understand Thai culture. Based on this I now know Thai culture is based on violence, lust, revenge and an abject fear of ghosts.

I wonder if the Brits think 'Neighbours' or 'Home & Away' is representative Australian culture?

Or Dynasty American or Coronation Street or Eastenders typically British? I think the difference is that we have many such series/programs, British, American, Australian, even Indian, so it is more balanced.

My Thai Wifey loves Eastenders and Coronation St when we are in England. She says the stories are more like everyday real life in proper houses etc and not like the stupid Thai Soaps that show everyone living in Palace's and driving Porche's etc. The crazy thing is that most Thai's know that their TV is <deleted>. Wifey says that most channels are just adverts with small bits of programs now and again but they watch because can't do anything about it. Most that travel appreciate that the West has much better TV programs and movie's.

Perhaps you should introduce her to Internet TV and Youtube.

[GuestHouse]

Given the straight jacket and mouth gags fitted to Thai film makers I doubt the Thai film industry is going anywhere fast other than the continuing search for films that are acceptable to the censors rather than the viewing public.

[hellodolly]

Thai TV and film is pretty much trash and the variety shows and soap operas are especially incomprehensible to anyone who doesn't understand the Khun Thai brand of "sophistication."

A lot of Thai soaps rip off entire script of western or other asian (mostly Korean) series. They even rip off entire soundtracks sometime. I remember hearing the Dark Knight theme on one soap over and over again.

Korean, Japanese, and some of the more well done Chinese films/shows have traction in the region and even in some non asian markets simply because they are well done. Thai TV shows are still shot on budget HD cam setups and none of the model actors/actresses can act at all. Nearly all of them are hi-so Thai bunnies with hot asses trying to pretend they have talent. It's embarrassing to watch since a lot of Thai soaps look like high school comedy skits.

There are a few good Thai film directors but none of them are typical "Thai" but are really big in the indie scene.

My wife watches those Thai sit com's and variety show's

I refuse to understand Thai until she tops that constant stream of something.

That being said I do believe the Thai ad's in the movie theaters are superb munch better than North Americans.

[Petesear]

The reason why foreign film companies come here is because 1) safety and union regulations are easy to bypass or cheap to handle 2) natural scenery 3) cheap facilities for film editing etc.. 4) cheap crew labor to set up and tear down prop sets

However Thailand is a very poor location to do let's say CGI or anything technically advanced. Film companies usually go to NZ, Australia, or Canada for that if they want quality for reasonable costs.

Plus it's a pretty bad place to mine local talent too. Notice even in films like Hangover 2 set in Thailand they had to import nearly all the asian actors because the local Thai extras/actors were so dreadful.

Not strictly true, props and construction crews will travel to anywhere in the world. They may well use locals as labourers but the cost of these people would have no bearing on where they film.

The director will go where ever he wants if the money is there. It is down to the supervising location manager to put across what is feasible...

CGI would all be done back home anyway, once the LiDAR mapping is done.

There are a few facility companies up and running in LOS, all local.

Anything that can bring work/money to Thailand must be a good thing.

Good to see all the 'Thais can't do anything right' brigade are not missing out on expressing their negative views.. Who knows it could get some of you out of the house as extras, as I'm sure some of you did on Alexander in 2004!?

[chooka]

Maybe the Thai's think that William Shakespeare couldn't write a decent thai soap so how could he write a play. William WHO? sorry never heard of him we have famous screen writers in Thailand.

The arts in which the film industry is part of is about freedom of expression and creativity how can the Thai industry be bright and expect to compete on the world stage if the industry is going to censored and creativity and imagination stiffled. The world doesn't want to see movie length thai soaps and that is why the Thai industry will never evolve from what is. Stick with your plan for the world class Disneyland, fantasy is more a reality in Thailand.

[sfbandung]

I have recently made myself watch a number of Thai movies, I thought it might help me understand Thai culture. Based on this I now know Thai culture is based on violence, lust, revenge and an abject fear of ghosts.

I wonder if the Brits think 'Neighbours' or 'Home & Away' is representative Australian culture?

Or Dynasty American or Coronation Street or Eastenders typically British? I think the difference is that we have many such series/programs, British, American, Australian, even Indian, so it is more balanced.

My Thai Wifey loves Eastenders and Coronation St when we are in England. She says the stories are more like everyday real life in proper houses etc and not like the stupid Thai Soaps that show everyone living in Palace's and driving Porche's etc. The crazy thing is that most Thai's know that their TV is <deleted>. Wifey says that most channels are just adverts with small bits of programs now and again but they watch because can't do anything about it. Most that travel appreciate that the West has much better TV programs and movie's.

My missus hates the Thai soaps. And the movies, and nearly all the music, are almost all about heartbroken girls crying because their Thai boyfriend is screwing around on them.

Except for the chick who is always singing near the river with heaps of backup dancers. She's pretty cool, except all the songs sound the same to me.

I too cringe when I wonder if the Brits really think life in Oz is like Home and Away, Neighbours, or even worse, Prisoner.

[Thai at Heart]

Maybe the Thai's think that William Shakespeare couldn't write a decent thai soap so how could he write a play. William WHO? sorry never heard of him we have famous screen writers in Thailand.

The arts in which the film industry is part of is about freedom of expression and creativity how can the Thai industry be bright and expect to compete on the world stage if the industry is going to censored and creativity and imagination stiffled. The world doesn't want to see movie length thai soaps and that is why the Thai industry will never evolve from what is. Stick with your plan for the world class Disneyland, fantasy is more a reality in Thailand.

What the stupid idiots don't realise is that there are only 5 great story lines anyway and Shakespeare's wrote a version of most of them. Every soap opera in Thailand is a take on Romeo and Juliet or Othello. Of course, the scriptwriters in Thailand probably believe they have created a completely unique genre or poor girl, resented by rich family finally gets the rich guy. Love saves the day, boiiiiiiiiing.

[anterian]

My missus hates the Thai soaps. And the movies, and nearly all the music, are almost all about heartbroken girls crying because their Thai boyfriend is screwing around on them.

Except for the chick who is always singing near the river with heaps of backup dancers. She's pretty cool, except all the songs sound the same to me.

I too cringe when I wonder if the Brits really think life in Oz is like Home and Away, Neighbours, or even worse, Prisoner.

I would not worry, I think most Brits know that these series, whether British, American or Australian are not the reality, just like "Fawlty towers" or "Black adder".

As someone born and raised in the East end, Eastenders used to annoy me, it was so unreal to what I experienced, but I got over it