Film-Friendly Thailand A Hub Of Foreign Production Shoots In Asia

[sunshine51]

No doubt. Sone great new short features with Lily Thai, Morya Bangkok, Kitty Thai, Thai Suzy, and Kimmy Thai. I wonder if they are all sisters since they have the same lat names.

All excellent actresses!

I think there's a Nyla Thai too, and a Jessica Bangkok. Unfortunately they're all blocked by the Ministry of Communication. Banned from watching in the privacy of your home, but allowed to sell pirated copies out in the open at all hours of the day...

There's also a Lucy Thai, and there's Priva, plus my favourite...NattC...but

Nat's "surname" isn't Thai nor Tai nor...who cares!

[ttelise]

Kudos to the Thai film industry. I personally know a director/producer who was a part of many documentaries shot in Thailand and is currently involved in a few current Hollywood movies and some documentaries. He was a part of productions such as Belly of the Beast (Steve Seagal), Rambo 3 (Stallone), The Beach (Leonardo Dicaprio) and has personal stories he shared of his interactions with these stars. I have enjoyed quite a few Thai films that I believe were very professionally shot and had great story lines. Tony Jaa's martial art productions remind me of Bruce Lee's early films.

Sure your noting thinking of Rambone 3 and Lucy Thai does the Beast with performances Steven Seeall. The Beach, Going Deep.

[Albacore]

No doubt. Sone great new short features with Lily Thai, Morya Bangkok, Kitty Thai, Thai Suzy, and Kimmy Thai. I wonder if they are all sisters since they have the same lat names.

All excellent actresses!

I think there's a Nyla Thai too, and a Jessica Bangkok. Unfortunately they're all blocked by the Ministry of Communication. Banned from watching in the privacy of your home, but allowed to sell pirated copies out in the open at all hours of the day...

There's also a Lucy Thai, and there's Priva, plus my favourite...NattC...but

Nat's "surname" isn't Thai nor Tai nor...who cares!

Lucy! I knew I was forgetting one.

[asiawatcher]

Now if they could only amend the paperwork bureaucracy in approvals and get rid of the Thai Film Office...

[hellodolly]

Ha, ha - as regards 'skilled crew', I can clarify some things about that.

I was fortunate enough to be an 'extra' in the soon-to-be-released film about the tsunami, "The Impossible". A couple of days shooting around Takuapa hospital waas my starring role.

Most of the 'extra' organisation (there were hundreds of us), food provision, transport management, make-up artists, were indeed carried out by Thais. But, all the technical crew for sound, vision, direction etc were foreigners.

So, I'd kind of agree that it's becoming popular for films, and likely gives good publicity to the Kingdom, but I'm not certain it generates a whole big bunch of money for the local economy.

It costs a lot of money to make a movie so a tech that is good and reliable is vital. It cost about $1,000+ a minute to make a movie. They even have a guy duck taping all the various wires on the floor so as no one trips over them and stops shooting.

Not sure what they pay there extras but I would imagine the food is better than what they are used to.

[FarangTalk]

Given the bribery apparent in the Thai film industry involving Hollywood executives, it is no wonder the money is a-flowing.

More classics like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation are sure to be on the horizon.

Nap.

[sunshine51]

Ha, ha - as regards 'skilled crew', I can clarify some things about that.

I was fortunate enough to be an 'extra' in the soon-to-be-released film about the tsunami, "The Impossible". A couple of days shooting around Takuapa hospital waas my starring role.

Most of the 'extra' organisation (there were hundreds of us), food provision, transport management, make-up artists, were indeed carried out by Thais. But, all the technical crew for sound, vision, direction etc were foreigners.

So, I'd kind of agree that it's becoming popular for films, and likely gives good publicity to the Kingdom, but I'm not certain it generates a whole big bunch of money for the local economy.

It costs a lot of money to make a movie so a tech that is good and reliable is vital. It cost about $1,000+ a minute to make a movie. They even have a guy duck taping all the various wires on the floor so as no one trips over them and stops shooting.

Not sure what they pay there extras but I would imagine the food is better than what they are used to.

Back in the mid 90's in BKK I was an unwitting extra in a local cops &

robbers movie. My bit went like this...I'm sitting at a sidewalk table having

a smoke and a beer with my still camera on the table then just as I'm about

to have a swig outta the bottle two bad guys run around the corner, fire a

couple shots from their guns then the coppers run around the corner

and the lead cop, some fox, plows into my table and me knocking everything

over and to the ground, including herself, I get yelled at and the coppers

continue their chase of the bad guys...total film time...about 45 seconds.

Prior to my first Thai film appearance....

I was watching this event unfold and an empty table was being used. The

AD (assistant director) saw me and asked if I'd like to be in the flick. I

agreed and we got down to business. Can't remember the actress's name

but she was very nice looking and friendly...so was the rest of the crew.

My camera was a Nikon F4s with a 70-200mm f2.8 lens on it and I was told

if it got trashed I'd get a new one. Papers were signed and the scene was

set...rolling film would happen shortly...

Three takes later the crew had a wrap for the scene. I had fresh beers every

take and my camera got trashed on the second take...not really trashed

but very banged up from hitting the ground a distance of around 2 meters

from the table. The weather had turned to shit so their night scene for the

day was cancelled and I was invited to their afterparty which was a lotta fun.

Payment went like this...I received 3000 Baht for being knocked off my

chair while just about to take a swig from a beer by this fox playing a cop.

I was paid shortly after the third take and being looked over by a medic

in cash.

Since my camera was "trashed" I received a new Nikon F4s and Nikon

70-200mm f2.8 lens the following day, plus I was allowed to keep my old

one.

Not too bad for an hour and a half "work"

Edited September 5, 2012 by sunshine51