BANGKOK — Department of Tourism aims to tap into the “Bollywood-Hollywood” film market in Mumbai, hoping to attract more Indian film productions to Thailand.
On September 10, the Department of Tourism, through the Thailand Film Office (TFO), plans to participate in the Thai Film Festival 2024 in Mumbai from September 12-15, 2024, at the National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) in Mumbai, India, to attract more Indian film productions to shoot in Thailand.
The Thai Film Festival 2024 in Mumbai is a collaboration between the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Mumbai, the Department of Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) under the Film Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India.
The event aims to promote Thailand’s soft power and showcase the potential of the Thai film industry to government representatives, film industry professionals, and the Indian public.
Jaturon Phakdeewanich, Director-General of the Department of Tourism, revealed that India’s film market is large, with many consumers of movies, series, and entertainment media. According to statistics on foreign film productions in Thailand for January-August 2024, 35 films from India were shot in Thailand, with an investment of over 265 million baht ($7.8 million), ranking second among all foreign film productions in the country.
“This is an excellent opportunity for the Department of Tourism to build confidence and invite Indian film productions to shoot in Thailand, which has long been a favorite location for Indian filmmakers. It reinforces that Thailand is ready to accommodate Indian film crews, especially with the incentive measures offering cash rebates of 15-20%, which will be a significant factor in choosing Thailand as a filming location,” he said.
The Department of Tourism hopes that more film productions from India will come to shoot in Thailand, generating income for the country, creating jobs for people in the film industry, and promoting Thai culture and soft power to movie audiences, potentially leading to film tourism.
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