With the Academy Awards upon us, it’s no wonder why the whole world is caught up in all the Hollywood hype. Great movies with stellar scripts are recognized, and the entire entertainment community celebrates the accomplishments of powerhouse celebrities with those prized Oscar statuettes.

We’re nowhere near that level in Thailand, but following the international success of Tom Yum Goong, should we expect bigger and better films in 2006? By at least a couple of measures, there is cause for optimism. More and more Thai films are being screened overseas—among them Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Cannes award-winning films Blissfully Yours (2002) and Tropical Malady (2004), Pen-ek Ratanaruang’s Last Life in the Universe (2003) and Invisible Waves and the international box office smash Tom Yum Goong—to enthusiastic audiences. And Thai scripts are being bought by Hollywood studios—examples include Pen-ek’s black comedy 69, horror flick The Shutter and even the gay spoof Saving Private Tootsie.

In local theaters, Thai films are faring better than they ever have when compared to imports. In most years, when the box offices tallies are counted, films from Hollywood completely dominate the charts. In 2005, however, despite only 39 domestic releases (compared with 260 from abroad), four of the top 10 films were Thai.

Look a bit closer, however, and only one, the friendship drama Puen Sanit, received big money and big praise. The other three sold plenty of tickets but were not exactly works of art. Tom Yum Goong was panned for its weak plot and performances. And Luang Phee Teng (The Holy Man) and Yaem Yasothorn were nothing but glorified television slapstick.

Same Old, Same Old

What’s keeping Thai films from stepping up to the big time? Depending on who you talk to, either a lack of imagination on the part of directors, writers and producers or on the part of audiences—or maybe both. If it seems like we’re watching the same Thai movies over and over and over, just with different names, updated special effects and new casts, it’s because we are. Even the “success story” Tom Yum Goong, which earned B320 million internationally, is pretty much the same film as its popular predecessor, Ong Bak, but with more money thrown at it.

Filmmakers in Thailand go with what works, whether that be ghost stories, action films or men in drag. “Tom Yum Goong was a specific case,” explains film columnist Kong Ritdee. “The film was successful only because of the charisma of Jaa Panom However, the distributors who bought the film really weren’t satisfied with it, because his debut action flick, Ong Bak, was much better.”

Co-founder of House Theater and radio host Nang Na Mic Yuthana Boonorm agrees with Kong and predicts another year of comedy and horror: “A big action movie like Tom Yum Goong requires a huge budget to make,” Yuthana says. “It’s not surprising that there will be a lot of horror and comedy movies. Just like in other countries, these kinds of movies appeal to more people and ultimately make more money. Moviegoers always like to laugh and feel scared.”

Which is not to say that these elements guarantee success. For example, the ghost comedy Khon Horn Khee Ruean Nai Khuen Duean Siaw (Werewolf in Bangkok) was the worst film of the year, picking up the dreaded Durian Nao Award, our version of the Golden Raspberry.

Dark Horses

Thankfully, in recent years audiences have been blessed with an unexpected hit or two. Films produced by GTH, Fan Chan (B137million in 2003) and The Shutter (B110 million in 2004), were dark horses that scored big at the box office. In 2005 we saw some of the same with Luang Phee Teng (Pranakorn Films) and Puen Sanit (GTH).
For the most part Thai moviegoers are a predictable, boring bunch. But sometimes cream rises to the top, though it’s difficult to put one’s finger on the pulse of the viewing population. For those straying outside of the comedy-horror-action box, it can be a big gamble.

Even an acclaimed director and producer like Jira Marikul of GTH finds it difficult to forecast which movies will succeed and which will fail. “We always make movies in hopes of huge returns and huge rewards, but mistakes can happen along the way either during filming or post production. Lord only knows what kind of movies will have an impact among viewers,” he says.

Another factor that determines the success of a film is when it is released, Yuthana of House points out. “The Tin Mine was a good movie, but it went head-to-head with Star Wars Episode III-Revenge of The Sith, which totally dominated box offices all around the world. It’s all a matter of smart timing and a little luck. On the other hand, Tom Yum Goong hit theaters and cleaned up because viewers had limited viewing choices.”

Words, Not Action

Why does the Thai film industry seem to be in a state of limbo? Why are we lagging far behind neighbors like Hong Kong and South Korea? Industry professionals blame the fickle viewing habits of Thais and a lack of support from the government.

Unlike OTOP products and other Asian countries with full government backing, the Thai film industry hasn’t received any real official support, nor can it expect much in the near future. “Ten years ago, Korean and Thai movies weren’t all that different. Now, Korean movies are far superior to ours,” argues film critic Kong. “Its government considers film as a cultural product. They’ve established filmmaking schools, funded low budget and artistic films and seriously support the arts.”

The same is true for Hong Kong, according to Yuthana. “Everything in Hong Kong is business. Its movie industry is very strong because it has been running the movie business for a long time.”

Tom Yum Goong director Pracha Pinkaew suggests that the size of the Thai market is also limiting the progress of Thai filmmaking: “Our moviegoers are less than one percent of our population. This small market affects the overall movie budget. We can’t produce many films each year, so there isn’t enough money to go around to support lots of qualified specialists like scriptwriters, cinematographers and special effects people. So when we do need them for something bigger, they aren’t available,” As he should know, the only way to increase your budget to international levels is to go inter.

Going Inter

As a successful Thai director working in the global market, Pracha has decided to focus on his bread and butter: action films. “I actually want to work on other kinds of movies, either dramas or erotic films, but that’s on a domestic scale. If I want to get international recognition, it’s going to be with my action movies. So, I’ll keep doing it, but I’ll create newer concepts and introduce many new action stars besides Jaa Panom,” he says.

Pracha is doing well internationally, but both Kong and Yuthana agree that “going inter” is far from the only solution to getting quality movies made here.

“We are proud to see our movies debut internationally, but it isn’t a must,” Yuthana insists. “Everyone has their own style. For example, The Tin Mine director Jira is good at telling stories about people. And Cherm and Sayew director Kongdej Jaturan excels at creating alternative worlds for his viewers.”

“We still need more variety and more viewers should consider Thai alternatives to mainstream Hollywood movies. Studios and movie theatres should also contribute and support domestic indie and art movies,” says Kong.

Keeping the faith

Though none of these experts are expecting great things from 2006, they are all optimistic about the future of Thai film. We just need to be patient. “There will be more variety. We are reaching for loads of great movies to be released as time goes by,” explains director Pracha.

Though Kong is predicting only a few gems among the 40 Thai movies to be released this year, he isn’t ready to give up on Thai film just yet. After all, there are some things that foreign films can’t offer. “Thai films have Thai spirit, so it is natural that Thai movies should have more meaning for us,” he says. “The key is for us is to continue to support and have faith in our Thai movies if we want to see them improve.”