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List of films shot in Thailand

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"James Bond Island", in Phang Nga Bay, featured in The Man with the Golden Gun.
This is a list of foreign films shot in Thailand. See also: List of Thai films

Dozens of foreign films have been shot in Thailand, with the kingdom either playing itself or standing in for a neighboring country, such as Vietnam or Cambodia.

The availability of elephants, exotic jungle and beach settings, relatively low production costs, and a mature domestic film industry that provides a legion of experienced crew members, have made Thailand an attractive location for many Hollywood films and other foreign productions.

Films set in Thailand include Around the World in 80 Days, The Big Boss, The Man with the Golden Gun and The Beach. And Thailand has been used as a stand-in setting for such Vietnam War-era films as The Deer Hunter; Good Morning, Vietnam; Casualties of War; and The Killing Fields.

In addition to providing work for Thai film crews and extras (including the Royal Thai Army), films that use Thailand as a location help Thailand promote itself as a tourist destination. As a result, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is keenly interested in attracting production companies to make films in the Kingdom.

Film makers have been criticized for damaging the Thai environment. The island used to depict the villain's hideout in The Man with the Golden Gun is now a major draw for tourism operators in Phuket's Phang Nga Bay. Environmentalists also protested the filming of The Beach, in which the film crew made alterations to Maya Bay that were viewed as damaging.

History

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Hollywood has played an important role in the development of Thailand's film industry. One of the first feature films made in Thailand, 1923's Miss Suwanna of Siam, was a Hollywood co-production, made with the royal assistance of King Vajiravudh, who gave the production free use of his 52 automobiles, 600 horses, use of the Royal Thai Navy, the Grand Palace, the railways, the rice mills, rice fields, coconut groves, canals and elephants.[citation needed]

The 1927 documentary, Chang, by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, was made in Thailand.

In recent years, even the Bollywood film industry has chosen Thailand as location.

In 2018, 714 foreign productions—documentaries, TV dramas, series, advertising, short films, and feature films—were shot in Thailand. In the first six months of 2019, 410 productions were shot in Thailand contributing 3.5 billion baht to the economy according to the Thailand Film Office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).[1]

Incentives

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At the 69th Cannes Film Festival in 2016 Thailand introduced a cash rebate policy for foreign films shot in Thailand. It took effect in January 2017. The program grants a 15% tax rebate for foreign film productions that spend more than 50 million baht. Incentives increase by 2% for films that promote Thai tourism and another 3% for hiring key Thai personnel on set. Filmed advertisements are not eligible for the program.[1]

List of foreign films shot in Thailand

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1920s–1970s

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1980s

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1990s

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2000–2003

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  • The Beach (2000-US): Environmentalists protested the film because the production crew altered the beach of Ko Phi Phi Leh. A 2006 court ruling held that 20th Century Fox was among the parties responsible for damages.[3]

2004

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2005

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2006

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2007

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2008

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2009

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2010–19

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Release year Title Notes
2010 The Prince and Me 4: The Elephant Adventure It is a sequel to The Prince and Me 3: A Royal Honeymoon.
2010 Shanghai Completed filming in 2008, but not released theatrically in China until 2010.[11]
2011 The Hangover Part II Two years after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu's wedding.
2012 The Impossible The story of a tourist family vacationing in Khao Lak caught up in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
2012 The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption The third installment of The Scorpion King film series.[12]
2012 Lost in Thailand Chinese comedy about a tourist and two competitive scientists searching for their boss.
2013 Only God Forgives Nicolas Winding Refn film starring Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas. Set in Bangkok.[2]
2013 The Railway Man British–Australian drama film, based on the memoirs of Eric Lomax, a British officer captured by the Japanese and forced to work on the railway. The film was partly filmed around Kanchanaburi Province.
2013 Patong Girl Boys meets girl with a twist. Award-winning film by Susanna Salonen
2014 Siam–Burma Death Railway A documentary about the Asian labourers (Indian Tamils, Burmese, and Javanese) who worked like slaves on the Siam (Thailand) – Burma death railway line during World War II.
2015 No Escape An action movie filmed in Thailand released by the Weinstein Co. The film is based on a fictional story of an American family trying to escape a fictitious coup in an unidentified country in Southeast Asia. Principal actors include Pierce Brosnan, Lake Bell, and Owen Wilson.
2016 The Forest Directed by Paul Spurrier.[2]
2016 Bangkok Nites Part of the filming was done in Soi Thaniya, the japanese red district from Bangkok. Other part was shot in Isan.
2017 Pop-Aye Singapore film directed by Kirsten Tan. The story of a man who strives to return an elephant to its birthplace.[2]
2019 Paradise Beach A French film about French gangsters who flee to Phuket after robbing a bank and getting away with 2.4 million euros.
2019 Changeland Seth Green's directorial debut was shot on-location in Thailand.[13]

2020–present

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Release year Title Notes
2020 Da 5 Bloods Spike Lee's war film was shot primarily in Chiang Mai.[14]
2020 Tremors: Shrieker Island Don Michael Paul's monster film was shot in Thailand.[15][16]
2021 Infinite The science fiction action film directed by Antoine Fuqua was shot in Thailand.[17]
2022 Fistful of Vengeance Roel Reiné's supernatural action film was shot in Thailand.[18][19]

List of films set in Thailand

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Several films have been set in Thailand, but were made elsewhere. These include:

  • Anna and the King of Siam (1946): The first film adaptation of stories written by Anna Leonowens. The film is still banned in Thailand for historical inaccuracies and because Thai authorities claim its depiction of King Mongkut denigrates and trivializes the monarch and the royal family. It was filmed in California.
  • The King and I (1956): The film of the musical is banned in Thailand for the same reasons as Anna and the King of Siam.
  • The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957): Based on a novel by Pierre Boulle, David Lean's highly fictionalized account of work on the Death Railway contains many historical inaccuracies. It was filmed in Ceylon.
  • Uncommon Valor (1983): A scene depicting the Laotian-Thai border was filmed in Hawaii.
  • Missing in Action (1984) and Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988): Chuck Norris's two films were partially set in Bangkok but filmed in the Philippines.
  • Anna and the King (1999): With a Thai adviser and many Thai actors in the cast, Andy Tennant's remake of the 1946 film went through several rewrites in an effort to win approval by the Thai government so the movie could be made and shown there. However, the screenplay still contained too many inaccuracies, so the production was moved to Malaysia. The film is banned in Thailand, though video copies have found their way into the kingdom and the film has gained a following.[20]
  • Brokedown Palace (1999): Alice and Darlene, best friends, decide to take a trip to Thailand to celebrate high-school graduation. While there, they are befriended by charming Australian rogue Nick Parks. Nick convinces them to take a weekend side trip to Hong Kong, but at the airport, they are busted for smuggling drugs. They are convicted in a show trial and sentenced to 33 years; in desperation, they contact Yankee Hank, an American lawyer based in Thailand who has been reported to be helpful if you've got the cash. Most scenes were filmed in the Philippines.
  • Bright Rainbow After the Rain (2010): The movie is unique in a sense that it is in English and it could be known as the first English movie in Thailand done by Thai students. The movie was filmed in Phayao Province. It is drama about two girls who were best friends- น.ส.สิริพร จันทร์เอี่ยม (Siripon Janauem) as Ana and น.ส.ณัฐณิชา ขอนพิกุล (Natnicha Khonpikul) as Sara. Ana was rich and Sara was poor with no father when she was growing up. Sara's mother sells vegetables at the market for a living. Sara helped her mother by having a part-time job. Sara's best friend Ana wants to study overseas and searches the internet to find overseas scholarship available for Thais. Sara also wanted to study overseas but didn't have the confidence to apply. Finally, Ana finds a scholarship abroad in Canada, but seeing her very poor best friend struggling in poverty has brought pain in her heart and has become her turning point. She cannot stand to see her best friend having so many difficulties in life while she is enjoying life's comfort. So Ana decided to help Sara escape poverty, but wants to do it secretly. She pretends to be Sara and applys for a scholarship in Sara's name. Ana does this without Sara's knowledge. She steals Sara's personal information and passport to complete Sara's scholarship application. Ana wants to study abroad but had sacrifices her dream for the sake of her best friend. At the end, Sara gets a scholarship in Canada through Ana's secret help. The "Bright Rainbow After the Rain" is the first English movie in Thailand with Thai students as the cast. The director Alejandro Cardeinte is an English teacher teaching at Phayao Pittayakhom School (โรงเรียนพะเยาพิทยาคม). The goal of the movie is to help Thai students learn English. The movie has English subtitles but no Thai subtitles. The movie uses simple day-to-day English. The film's soundtrack was written by the movie director himself. But partly, some music he used is not cleared with copyright yet. The movie is for educational purposes only and not for business.[21]
  • Thirteen Lives (TBA): Ron Howard's upcoming film based on the Tham Luang cave rescue will shoot in Australia. Gold Coast, Queensland will stand in for Thailand.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Worrachaddejchai, Dusida (6 July 2019). "Foreign film producers knocking for perks". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Exotic Thailand?". Bangkok Post. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  3. ^ The Nation, 1 December 2006. Filming 'damaged beach' Archived 2007-10-16 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved on 3 December 2006).
  4. ^ Phoborisut, Penchan (30 April 2003) "Seagal brings Hollywood to Thailand" Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Bangkok Post (retrieved via Steven-Seagal.net, 10 August 2006).
  5. ^ 2Bangkok.com, 30 May 2005, "Krabi: Wookiee home planet" Archived 2006-10-18 at the Wayback Machine(retrieved 27 September 2006)
  6. ^ Thepararat, Chatrudee. October 26, 2006. "Denzel and Sly head for blockbuster shoots in Thailand", Bangkok Post.
  7. ^ Agence France Press. 26 October 2006. Denzel Washington, Sylvester Stallone to shoot films in Thailand, via The Nation.
  8. ^ Deutsche Presse-Agentur. "Rambo to rescue Karen - in the movies", via Bangkok Post (retrieved October 11, 2006).
  9. ^ Production Weekly. October 6, 2006. "Stallone looks 'In the Serpent's Eye'" Archived 2006-11-05 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved October 11, 2006).
  10. ^ The Nation, 23 September 2006. "Bangkok is not dangerous for Cage" (retrieved 24 September 2006).
  11. ^ "John Cusack and Gong Li's 'Shanghai' Pushed Back to October". 20 August 2015.
  12. ^ Barton, Steve (January 4, 2012). "Exclusive Video Interview: Bostin Christopher and Krystal Vee Talk Thailand, Training and the World of The Scorpion King 3". Dread Central. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  13. ^ McNary, Dave (June 21, 2017). "Seth Green to Make Feature Film Directorial Debut With 'Changeland'". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  14. ^ Levius, Travis (11 June 2020). "I was traveling in Thailand and got cast in Spike Lee's new movie 'Da 5 Bloods'". CNN. WarnerMedia. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  15. ^ Sprague, Mike (November 13, 2019). "Burt Looking Like Homeless Santa in 'Tremors 7' Bts Pic". Dread Central. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  16. ^ Sprague, Mike (November 19, 2019). "Explosive 'Tremors 7' Set Video Goes Behind-the-Scenes with the Cast". MovieWeb. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  17. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (14 April 2020). "Paramount Moving Mark Wahlberg-Starrer 'Infinite' To Memorial Day Weekend 2021; Antoine Fuqua & Lorenzo Di Bonaventura Discuss Challenge Of Cutting A Movie In Surreal Moment". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  18. ^ Otterson, Joe (2021-02-26). "'Wu Assassins' Standalone Movie 'Fistful of Vengeance' Ordered at Netflix". Variety. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  19. ^ @TheLewisTan (April 2, 2021). "That's a wrap on "Fistful of Vengeance"" (Tweet). Retrieved April 7, 2021 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ Towira, Pimpaka. September 21, 1999. "Heart of a Patriot" Archived 2008-05-07 at the Wayback Machine, The Nation (retrieved via ThaiStudents.com on October 17, 2006)
  21. ^ "Bright Rainbow After the Rain" (Video-Part 1 of 16). YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  22. ^ Grater, Tom (27 November 2020). "Ron Howard's Thai Cave Rescue Film 'Thirteen Lives' Heads To Australia For March Shoot". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
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