The sad story of Thai films struggling at the box office

With over 100 films planned for release, this aggressive strategy—averaging around two films per week—reflected a new level of ambition within the industry.

A major reason behind this surge was the decline of traditional television dramas. Many TV production companies shut down, leaving directors, producers and writers scrambling for opportunities in film and streaming platforms as their last resort.

The harsh reality: Box office failures

Despite the enthusiasm, the box office results from the past two months tell a very different story. Only one film, “Pa Nor” by Five Star Production, has emerged as a clear success, earning 76 million baht and securing a sequel. Beyond that, the situation looks bleak.

Among the major disappointments was “Saensanun Phan San Soo” (แสนสนั่นพันธุ์สั่นสู้) directed by Phing Lampra Phloeng. The film debuted with a modest 2 million baht and quickly vanished from box office charts within a week.

Even GDH, Thailand’s most successful film studio, faced setbacks. Last year, GDH dominated the box office with "How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies" (“Larn Ma”), which grossed 2 billion baht, but its latest project, “Flatgirls” (ชั้นห่างระหว่างเรา), a coming-of-age romance featuring a lesbian couple, failed to replicate that success. The film closed its run at a mere 5 million baht.

Another striking failure was “Happy Monday(s)” (สวัสดีวันจันทร์ (ส)) a time-loop film targeting teenage audiences, produced by Neramit Film.

Its opening weekend earned less than 1 million baht, finishing at just 900,000 baht—on par with last year’s notorious flop, “Bat War” (“Suek Khangkhao Kin Kluai”). The film’s total earnings hovered around 2 million baht, with nearly all revenue coming from Bangkok, its metropolitan areas, and Chiang Mai—indicating a complete lack of appeal in other provinces.

Meanwhile, “Manee Mana”, an adaptation of the classic Thai schoolbook characters from the 1980s and ’90s, created significant online buzz before its release, particularly around Children’s Day. However, following its premiere, the film failed to break into the top 10 at the box office and reportedly earned just 20,000 baht in its opening week—a devastating figure.

A sign of bigger issues?

The underperformance of these films highlights deeper problems within both major and mid-sized studios, as well as new investors attempting to break into the industry. Despite 2024 being a strong year for Thai cinema, with eight films surpassing 100 million baht, the outlook for 2025 appears much bleaker.

“Flatgirls” serves as an example of a niche film aimed at a limited audience. The filmmakers likely knew that making 40–50 million baht would have been a success, but the film’s actual earnings indicate a sizeable miscalculation.

Similarly, “Sawasdee Wan Jan (S)”, a film from Content Lab, a project by the Creative Economy Agency to support emerging filmmakers, proved that an interesting pitch deck does not necessarily translate into a commercially viable movie.

The problem may also lie in generational disconnect. Both “Flatgirls” and “Sawasdee Wan Jan (S)” were made by filmmakers in their 40s, attempting to depict the experiences of young adults in the modern era. However, their portrayal felt outdated, failing to resonate with actual Gen Z audiences.

Many young viewers found these films irrelevant, preferring to engage with popular streaming series such as “Gelboys: The Uncertain Status”, which had a better understanding of contemporary youth culture.

What’s next for Thai cinema?

GDH hopes to recover with “The Red Envelope” (Song Daeng Taeng Phee), a horror-comedy starring Billkin and PP Krit, set to release in March.

Neramit Film faces uncertainty, especially with director Puttipong Nakthong (of “4 Kings” and “Wai Num 2544”) moving to M Studio to work on Gunman.

Independent investors entering the industry—such as the team behind “Manee Mana”—might need to rethink their strategies. This situation mirrors last year’s “Naga Bun”, another project led by an outsider investor who struggled financially.

A wake-up call for filmmakers and investors

If anything, the past two months have shown that even established studios are struggling to capture audience interest in theatres.

For independent producers hoping to succeed, these recent failures should serve as a cautionary tale—a reminder that making films is not just about passion but also about understanding market trends, audience demands and strategic release timing.