Thailand will top $35 million (1.5 billion baht) in earnings from foreign film, television and advertising shoots this year as a streamlined bureaucracy and improved international networking attract more productions from abroad, according to Film Office director Sidhichai Jayant. But in order for the industry to truly grow, Sidhichai says the government needs to do more, including creating a one-stop film agency to further minimize the red tape.
As it stands, the Film Office looks after foreign productions in Thailand, the Board of Investment offers tax incentives, and the Department of Labor approves the work permits for crews, which in turn pay taxes to the Revenue Department. "Each government agency has its own interests to protect," says Sidhichai.
The potential benefits for Thailand are huge. With the right infrastructure, the country could become a regional center for film production. In addition to cutting down on bureaucracy, the Film Office has taken steps to improve international networking by becoming a member of the Association of Film Commissioners International Services (AFCI).
"Now we have a sign saying, 'Here we are,'" continues Sidhichai. "Now everybody knows what to expect from us. They know that if we are a member of AFCI, what services they can get from us."
During a recent visit to Thailand, AFCI president Pat Swinney Kausman said one of the country's lures is its ability to double for almost anywhere in Southeast Asia and the fact that it has a strong head start in the industry. But she also added there are a lot of beautiful places in the world and the industry needs special care to be attractive to foreign productions.
"The industry is becoming globalized, and studios will go where they think they can get the best deals, but also where they think they can get the best support and follow-up," she said.
Chris Lowenstein, president of local coordinating company Living Films, says Thailand has the professional craftspeople and technicians but comes up short when it comes to promoting itself. "The crews are professional on an international standard; they've done lots and lots of Hollywood films," he says, adding "and they're really cheap."
Lowenstein's Living Films recently worked on the Jackie Chan starrer "The Medallion," 80% of which was shot in Thailand. The Chiang Mai (northern Thailand)-based company helped turn the Thai locations around Bangkok into a believable double for Ireland, including the construction of an elaborate castle in an air-conditioned exhibition hall.
"Thailand has a base of equipment and sites and the industry here that is ready to take international films on. They come here because the equipment is cheaper, the labor is cheaper and getting good deals is easier."
Despite the uptick in foreign location shooting, observers stress that future government involvement is needed to avoid the pitfalls that have plagued the industry in the past. Thailand's reputation with the global film sector suffered a setback when the Leonardo DiCaprio starrer "The Beach" was disrupted by a series of protests from environmentalists over trees being planted on a national park beach to "improve" the location.
"On 'The Beach' we had a lot of problems and we had no government support whatsoever," says Santa Pestonji, president of local coordinating company Santa International Film Prods.
About the same time, 20th Century Fox was also forced to film "Anna and the King" in neighboring Malaysia because the Thai Censorship Board ruled that the script was not historically accurate in its portrayal of King Rama IV.
As a result, Thailand's appeal as a destination for high-profile Hollywood productions was seriously damaged. "They (Hollywood producers) complained bitterly," says Santa. "They said Thailand is not interested in catering to foreign films."
He adds, however, that the current government seems more interested in supporting the industry and centralizing operations with the Film Board.
It appears to be working. Oliver Stone, who shot "Heaven & Earth" here in 1992, is scheduled to return later this year or in early 2004 to film scenes for his historical epic "Alexander"; Angelina Jolie had great things to say about the location last year after filming part of "Beyond Borders" in Thailand's mountainous north, and the sequel to "Bridget Jones's Diary" is expected to shoot some scenes in December on Koh Samui, a southern tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand.
While some filmmakers have pointed out there are a limited number of experienced crews and that more training will be needed if a true production boom arrives, Sidhichai maintains the training will come as long as the work is steady. The real challenge, he says, is for the industry to convince the government to end its bureaucratic ways. "Right now the biggest headache is getting higher-ups to understand what we are doing," he says.