Inaugural Bangkok Content Fair Nets $65m in Asian Co-Production Deals

 

 

Thailand’s first dedicated content market generated over 1,200 business matching sessions, securing $65m in trade deals and co-production agreements.

 

 

Thailand’s newly launched Bangkok International Content Market 2026 (BICM2026) has concluded its inaugural run at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC), generating an estimated business value exceeding 2.2 billion baht ($65m).

 

Organised by the Creative Economy Agency (CEA) under the umbrella of Thailand Content Market 2026 (TCM2026), the three-day event from 20 to 22 July brought together more than 600 content companies, production studios, distributors, and streaming platforms from across the globe.

 

 

Designed to address a long-standing structural gap in Thailand’s creative ecosystem, the trade fair facilitated over 1,200 one-to-one business matching sessions spanning film, television series, and post-production services. Transactions included content licensing, IP adaptation rights, and international co-production accords.
 

 

 

Strengthening Regional Alliances

The event established formal ties between Thailand and key regional content markets, including the Philippines’ QCinema International Film Festival, Indonesia’s JAFF Market, Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF), and Vietnam’s Danang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF).

 

By bridging regional operators, the CEA aims to position Thailand as a primary trade gateway to the ASEAN consumer market, which encompasses more than 700 million people.

 

"BICM2026 acted as a bridge connecting us with creators and potential partners with whom we could genuinely collaborate," said Nalina Chayasombat, Executive Producer at Jungka Studio. "It opened up opportunities to develop new creative works and business models designed to meet future international demand."

 

 

 

 

Pitching Winners and Policy Focus

A key feature of the event was the BICM Pitching & Awards, where more than 55 production-ready feature films, series, and screenplay projects were presented to international financiers and industry panels.

 

Key cash grants and accolades were awarded to:

Asian Project Pitching: Honey Milk (Feature Film, Taiwan) — Directed by Chien Yu Lin, Produced by Man Yin Tseng ($10,000 production grant).

 

 

Thai Project Pitching: The Mining (Feature Film, Thailand) — Directed by Woottidanai Intarakaset, Written by Chanikarn Opaspimoltum ($5,000 Production Grant).

Thai Story Pitching: The Kindness of Miss Ari (Feature Film, Thailand) — Produced by Pinyada Poommek, Written by Chalermpong Udomsilp ($5,000 production grant).

 

Industry forums during the event focused heavily on international tax incentives, foreign film production rebates, and mechanisms to transition state support into professional film finance management.

 

 

 

Building IP Ownership

Dr Chakrit Pichyangkul, executive director of the CEA, emphasised that establishing a permanent trading platform is crucial for moving Thai creators up the global value chain.

 

"Bringing together global buyers, investors, and creators under one roof in Bangkok proves that Thai content possesses genuine commercial scale," Dr Chakrit noted. "CEA is committed to developing BICM into an annual international fixture that enables local creators to move beyond contract production and become owners of high-value intellectual property."

 

 

 

The agency confirmed that preparations are already underway for the second edition of the Bangkok International Content Market as part of Thailand's broader strategy to expand media exports and drive spillover growth into tourism and services.