Thai cinema’s soft power surge: Laughter, scares, and global influence
Thai cinema continued its upward trend in the first quarter of 2024, with hit comedies like "Haunted Me: The Finale" and horror movies like "Pee Nak 4" crossing the 100 million baht mark in revenue, outperforming some Hollywood blockbusters at the local box office.
The success has sparked some big moves in the industry, including a 100 million baht investment by Major Cineplex Group and a subsidiary of Workpoint Entertainment to establish Carman Line Studio for film production. The initiative aims to boost cinema marketing and content creation to meet the growing demand of Thai audiences.
BEC World, the parent company of Channel 3, has teamed up with Major Group’s M Studio for collaborations such as “Tee Yod 2" following the global success of its predecessor "Tee Yod", which generated over 500 million baht domestically and 100 million baht in international revenue across over 20 countries.
In another jolt for the industry, Nation Group (Thailand) PCL, Black Dragon Entertainment, Transformation Film, and Bung Fai Film recently partnered to produce "Nak Rak Mak...Mak Mak" directed by Chusak Eiamsuk (Nong Chachacha). The comedy-horror features three renowned comedians: Mom Jokmok, Teng Therd Teung, and Nong Chachacha.
Shine Bunnag, CEO of Nation Group, highlighted the potential of Thai cinema on the global stage, citing the government's soft power policy and the rising popularity of OTT services such as Netflix. As such, Nation Group is focusing on a long-term investment approach rather than short-term gains.
Meanwhile, Thailand's soft power policy is making progress with the National Soft Power Development Committee approving funding for 10 projects spanning film, drama, series, documentaries, and animations.
Led by renowned director Chalermchatri Yukol, the initiative aims to cultivate new producers, create a new audience base, and grow market value by covering 10-20% of production costs in the industry.
This collaboration between the private sector and government collaboration aims to leverage the upswing of Thai cinema to boost the country’s global reach through soft power.
With Thai comedy-horror films attracting a mass audience willing to pay for the thrill of laughter and scares, innovation and unique selling points remain key to sustaining success.
Blending Thailand’s soft power into films targeting a global audience is another challenge, requiring a careful balance and thoughtful approach.
Thailand’s comedy-horror films exploit the Thai sense of humour with a deep knowledge of what makes local audiences laugh. However, can this unique “film language” – which is more about acting than speaking – have the same effect on international audiences?
This is one question filmmakers will have to consider during this exciting period as Thai soft power seeks to woo a new generation both in Thailand and abroad.
