Government urged to listen to creative sector

As the direction of Thailand’s creative industry — better known as soft power — remains uncertain, an industry source suggests the government listen to professionals from within the industry.

Local media reported that the Senate Committee on Budget Oversight is examining the effectiveness of budget spending related to this sector.

Chalermchatri Yukol, former chairman of the National Soft Power Development Subcommittee for TV and Film, said the government’s support for the industry depends on its policy decisions.

He said the government needs to assess projects’ ability to meet objectives, determine the worthiness of the investment, evaluate the potential to generate revenue for the country and consider the progress in terms of talent development in the industry.

He suggested the government listen to industry professionals.

“Each government has its own vision, but it’s important to view the industry from an industry perspective,” he said.

He also noted that the efforts to lure foreign film productions to Thailand have successfully attracted international investment.

From January to September 2025, Thailand welcomed 395 international film productions with production spending worth roughly 4.2 billion baht, according to the Thailand Film Office, under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ Department of Tourism.

Last month, the Creative Economy Agency (CEA) launched the 2nd Content Project Market, bringing together 79 companies including producers, investors and global streaming platforms.

The event provided a platform for Thai filmmakers, series creators and animators to showcase 54 projects and facilitated over 409 business matchings.

This year’s event attracted global players including Netflix, Viu, GDH, GMMTV, The One Enterprise, True CJ Creations, Kantana Group Plc, White Light Studio, Base Entertainment (Indonesia), Studio76 (Taiwan) and Skyline Media (Vietnam), along with partners from Singapore and the Philippines, according to the CEA.

Mr Chalermchatri said the Thai film industry has produced around 70 movies this year, up from about 50 last year.

However, unlike last year, the average revenue of Thai films has declined, with fewer box-office hits.

In 2024, notable films such as The Death Whisperer 2 earned over 286 million baht in Bangkok and its metropolitan area and Chiang Mai, while Lahn Mah, which was shortlisted for the Oscars, generated over 172 million baht in the same regions.

“It’s a cycle. When a large number of movies are produced, the variety of content may decline. That leads to fewer viewers and, consequently, lower revenue,” he said.

Meanwhile, Thai films have also gained recognition on the global stage this year. A Useful Ghost had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Critics’ Week section, where it won the Grand Prix.

The Bangkok Post contacted Culture Minister Sabida Thaiseth’s team for comment, but was told that she was unavailable.

Source – Bangkok News