Want to take a break from cliché movies? 4+3 top Thai films are then… calling!

For a long while, the Thai film industry has gone quiet both internationally and domestically, leading some fans to believe that Nang Thai may have well past its prime. Yet, since the last quarter of 2023, the Thai film industry has been hit by another wave of popularity in local productions from both veteran and new generations of directors, and this time, it’s not just another parade of horror flicks. To get a better idea, we invited Thai film guru Yot Saengchan to share his thoughts on the upcoming Thai cinema scene and for international film buffs, and some of his best and newest picks of 2023 and 2024.

Q: What Is the General Overview of Thai Cinema in the First Quarter?

A: “2024 is looking very much like a golden year of Thai cinema, there has been a recent phenomenon in which Thai films are gaining significant profits and momentum once again. With four multi-million Baht films last year, and three more to follow in just a short period of 2024’s first quarter, as I like to call them the “4+3”, I think we can confidently say that Thai films are on the rise again.”

Q: So What are the “4+3:” Top Thai Films You Have Mentioned?

A: The “four” were last year’s top earning Thai films, each gaining more than 100 million THB.  The top of the list starts with Suppa Ror (The Undertaker)’s 700 million THB, followed by Tee Yod (Death Whisperer)’s 500 million THB, and my favorite has got to be this gangster flick called 4 Kings II which scored over 200 million THB, and the last one was the very outstanding Khun Pan III that reaped over 100 million THB.

And the “three” are this year’s surprising and exciting box office breakers, starting with the LGBTQ+ horror/comedy films, Pee Nak 4 and Hor Taew Tak10, and the most recent one which is still showing and has already earned up to an impressive 250 million THB by the second week, is Lahn Ma (How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies). So, hope for another wave of Thai cinema’s golden year is indeed on the horizon.   
 

Q: Are There Venues for International Visitors/Thai Films Lovers to Join in Activities or Gain Access to Thai Films Related Projects?  

A: There will be several projects going on this year. For local visitors, if you happen to be digital content creators or film buyers, make your way to the Bangkok International Digital Content Festival 2024 (BIDC 2024) during 5 - 8 August at the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park Hotel, to meet with several Thai and international renowned digital content creators who will be sharing their experiences and know-how on the industry through hybrid seminars and network reception activities. With over 30 international exhibitors and more than 50 Thai digital media entrepreneurs attending, the event is set to be for professionals wishing to explore the Thai film market, with assistance from Thai governmental organizations such as the Department of International Trade Promotion, who could provide listings, studio tours or business matching services. Media buyers looking to buy Thai contents are most welcomed.

And if you are in Europe, the best places to go are major film festivals, such as the Cannes Film Festival 2024, which will be held from 14 - 22 May 2024 in Cannes, France, and the Festival International du Film d’Animation d’Annecy 2024, which will run from 11 - 14 June 2024 in Annecy, France, as well. For those in the United States, the film festival to check out is the American Film Market 2024, which will be organized from 5 - 10 November 2024 in Las Vegas.

Top Four Thai Box Office Breakers of the Year 2023:

Suppa Ror (or The Undertaker): This comedy/drama flick was a spin-off from Tai Baan The Series film universe. By far, Suppa Ror was Thailand’s top high-grossing film of 2023, with a total earning over 700 million THB. Despite its seemingly horror film-like appearance, the film establishes its main plot on northeastern Thailand’s funeral rites and rituals. As the Isaan (northeastern Thailand) dialect speaking main characters discover the funeral practices of other faiths such as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, the audience will also learn about rural northeastern Thailand’s traditional beliefs and family values, along with some of the characters’ unrequited loves, making Suppa Ror a refreshing take on the genre that is worth a watch.

Tee Yod (or Death Whisperer): The second highest-grossing Thai film of 2023, banking over 500 million THB in total, Tee Yod is an action/thriller rather than a horror film that packs a punch from the beginning until the end. Based on a true story, Tee Yod narrates the chilling tale of a family of six in Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province circa 1972, who were terrorized nightly by a wailing sound from the town’s evil spirit, until Yak, the oldest brother, decided to fight back fear with his gun. Apart from its superb acting from the cast, Tee Yod is the first and only Thai film in IMAX format until now. Tee Yod’s IMAX DMR standard of digital sound remastering quality and cinematography are also notable among its peers, making it one of the year’s must-watch Thai films.

4 Kings II: Gracing the third place of Thailand’s high-grossing films list is 4 Kings II, a Thai gangster drama whose 200 million THB earnings have somewhat guaranteed that a sequel can sometimes be superior to its predecessor. The storyline examines the relationship between students from four of Bangkok’s leading mechanical engineering colleges: Kanok; Buranaphon; Indhara; and Prachachuen Technology, hence “the four kings”whose notorious rivalry between them in the 1990’s often resulted in street violences. The film intensely addresses the real-life issues of Chang Kon (mechanical engineering) students from Kanok and Buranaphon’s penchant for gang violence and its fatal consequences on innocent bystanders and the students’ families.

Khun Pan III: The third installment of a film franchise that tells the story of a strait-laced Thai police officer who fought corruptions and crimes in 1932’s southern Thailand with guns and black magic, Khun Pan III has earned over 100 million THB, making it the fourth highest-grossing Thai film in 2023. Since this action/fantasy drama is based on the real-life character of Khun Pantharuk Rajadej, a Thai police officer who was feared by criminals in many parts of Thailand for his non-negotiable arresting tactics and his rumored mastery of magic that helped him to put countless criminals away, the film is loaded with actions, spectacular special effects, as well as scrupulous attention to acting in the leading roles from Ananda Everingham, Mario Maurer and Pakin Khamwilaisak, three of Thailand’s top performers. Despite its seemingly good guy vs bad guy plot, the consistently good writing often makes Khun Pan’s audiences question the motives and integrity of the characters. To understand the Khun Pan’s universe better, one may need to watch the previous two films beforehand.

Top Three Thai Box Office Breakers of the First Four Months of 2024 (Jan - Apr):

Pee Nak 4: The fourth installment of a Thai comedy/horror film franchise that has a signature premise of unlikely heroes gathering to vanquish an evil Nak (a term used to address a man who is about to be ordained as a Buddhist monk) who dies and becomes a terrorizing ghost at a temple in rural Thailand. In Pee Nak 4, the storyline revolves around To Min Jun, a handsome half-Korean Thai guy who arrives at his childhood hometown along with his two trans friends on a mission to restore the town’s old temple, only to be encountered with unexplained paranormal events. The recurring plot may seem simple and predictable, but with the right mix of muscularly built leading male casts, plenty of jump scare shots, and the uniquely Thai storyline, Pee Nak film franchise is surely an entertaining one to watch.
 
Hor Taew Tak 10: When Hor Taew Tak was first released in 2007, no one expected this franchise of slapstick comedy, LGBTQ-themed parodies to still be running up to nearly two decades later. The year 2024 saw the launch of the 9th installment of the Hor Taew Tak cinematic universe, Hor Taew Tak Hak Sappa Yot. Akin to the Scary Movie film franchise, the Hor Taew Tak film series relies heavily on parodying the most popular Thai films during the production time as much as the cast’s strong sense of comedic rapport and improvisation. And for some quirky superstitious reasons, much like the films themselves, director Poj Arnon chose to skip the film’s actual chronological order and decided to call this latest production as the 10th film. With out-of-this-world costumes and a very loosely written gimmicky script, director Poj Arnon based his plot on 2023’s Thai horror films Tee Yod (Death Whisperer) and Suppa Ror (The Undertaker), mixed with a few of the year’s most hyped current events, and gave Hor Taew Tak  10 a deranged twist, much like its predecessors. If you are in for just a pure good laugh, this is the film to go for.

Lahn Mah (or How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies): Scoring as high as 100 million THB only within the first five days of its opening week, Lahn Mah is Thailand’s GDH Studio’s latest and perhaps the best production in years to break the box office record at the quickest pace, thanks to the generous supports from the leading actor, Putthipong Assaratanakul or Billkin’s international fans, especially from China. This drama/comedy follows the life of Em, an unemployed young man from a typical working-class Thai Chinese family, who plots to trick his elderly grandmother to name him the sole heir in her will. With relatable plots, well-written dialogues, and superb acting from the cast, the film easily takes the audiences on an emotional yet hilarious journey of Em’s relationships with his grandmother and other family members. Be warned, though, that you will need a big packet of tissues towards the end.

Q: Best of the Year 2023 - Thai and International Films from the Perspective of The Real Guru & Specialist in Thai Film Industry by Yot Saengchan
A:  Top 5 Thai Films of the Year 2023
1. 4 Kings II
2. Long Live Love!
3. Phuean(Mai)Sanit  (or Not Friends)
4. Suppa Ror (or The Undertaker)
5. 14 Eek Krung (or I Love You Two Thousand)
 

A: Top 5 International Films of the Year 2023
1. Oppenheimer
2. Poor Things
3. Monster
4. Killers of the Flower Moon
5. Dream Scenario

 

Can’t Decide on What to Watch? Let’s Recap the List Again…

If you like LGBTQ+ theme parody/comedy films, then go for Hor Taew Tak.
If you like comedy/horror films with handsome guys (and handsome ghosts), opt for Pee Nak.
If you love sentimental comedy/dramas about family relationship values, go for Lahn Ma.
If you looking for horror/comedy films based on local cultural rites and mysteries, Suppa Ror is for you.
If horror/thriller flicks with bold heroes are your cup of tea, then go for Tee Yod.
If you are a fan of gangster dramas with realistic and heart-wrenching plots, go for 4 Kings II.
If you are fond of action/fantasy films that are not too over-the-top, then Khun Pan III is definitely for you.

Q:  The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) Promotes the Thai Film Industry in Various Aspects.

A: The Best Places to Catch the Latest Nang Thai in 2024:  

Hit the local Thai cinemas, or head to these venues for a taste of Thai films. 

Bangkok:

If you are digital content creators or film buyers, make your way to the Bangkok International Digital Content Festival 2024 (BIDC2024) during 5-8 August at the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park Hotel, to meet with several Thai and international renowned digital content creators who will be sharing their experiences and know-how on the industry through hybrid seminars and network reception activities. With over 30 international exhibitors and more than 50 Thai digital media entrepreneurs attending, the event is set to be for professionals wishing to explore the Thai film market, with assistances from Thai governmental organizations such as the Department of International Trade Promotion, who could provide listings, studio tours or business matching services. Media buyers looking to buy Thai contents are most welcomed.   

You can Connect to the DITP Services at the Website: https://drive.ditp.go.th/en-us/

●    At the Cannes Film Festival 2024, 14 - 22 May 2024 in Cannes, France.
●    At the Festival International du Film d’Animation d’Annecy 2024, 11 - 14 June 2024, Annecy, France.
●    At the American Film Market 2024, 5 - 10 November 2024, Las Vegas, the United States of America.