Thailand films and government intervention

Government support is vital in the development of the film industry, for instance, through nurturing talents and provision of essential equipment may generate more revenue, create employment and boost the economy of the nation (Ryoo, 2008). This paper will analyse Thailand’s Film industry since the early days leading to the 90s revolution and the role of the government. Thai films In the late 1800s, Marchovsky introduced a cinematography in Siam. Through it, the public was exposed to the film and after eight years, a Japanese constructed a theatre in Bangkok and named it Sala Chalerm Kruno. The movie entertainment was referred to as Japanese movies since the man behind it hailed from Japan. The film industry in Thailand was widely dominated by movies from the West.

During the ‘dark’ era there were no production services in Thailand. King Chulalongkorn’s role in shaping the film industry in Thailand occurred in 1897 when he visited Bern, Switzerland. The event was recorded and the clip shifted to Bangkok for public viewing (Sungsri, 2004). It eventually marked a transformation process, the royal family and businessmen spotted an opportunity. The film industry has enjoyed commercial success as well as popularity since the innovation of technology such as television, rental video stores and multiplexes dating back to 1980 as stated by Sukwong (2004). The decline in the film industry happened as a result of horror and comedy genre. Apart from the declining trend of viewing culture other factors such as the star system and the penetration of Hollywood film contributed to Thailand’s situation.

Currently, the new multiplex class audience has erupted, the global market's adoption of DVD and Cable TV have paved way for much success. Sungsri (2004) argues out, the recognition of films and also the brain behind their success acted as a motivational factor in the film industry. Tapping on the latest technology and other financial support from Thailand can create more jobs from the film industry. The film industry is arguably broad from actors, actress, scriptwriters, technicians, producers, editors and directors are just some of the available opportunities (McAulay, 2014). The local revenue authority collects 81 million US dollars courtesy of the 2. 2 billion US dollars from the booming industry. The Emergence of homegrown movies i. All branches of the government are key contributors to topics and filmmaking process aimed at transforming the local industry and also attract movie studios globally.

The other reason why the Thailand government invested in the film industry is to boost several business attributes and increase revenues. In 2009, the government then established the National Creative Economy Policy through the partnership of the Board of Investment, Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Tourism Authority and Culture launched a series of promotion. The project was crafted to create an economy hub targeting to increase the revenue. During that time, the committee set a target of 20 percent out of the nation’s GDP from 12 percent. The geographical location of the nation makes it one of the most suitable destinations for film’s key players (Klemm and Foreign Film Production in Thailand). For instance, the deer hunter cast in 1978, James Bond film in 1974 and Good Morning Vietnam in 1987 are some of the Oscar award-winning films acted in the Kingdom.

Currently, Western films have embarked in filming their series and films in the Asian based country. For example. The Hangover 2, The Impossible and Only God Forgives has been cast in Thailand. The nation will definitely enjoy revenue collection, local business will be boosted and more employment opportunities. Also, the culture of the locals will feature in more productions (Vogel, 2014). The government’s initiative has paved way for great business opportunities in the entertainment industry. According to Klemm, Foreign Film Production in Thailand, the nation also targets to be a leading media centre across the region. The rich culture, talent, diverse scenery, strategic locations in addition to relatively low costs. Thailand production firms offer cheaper production and also editing services therefore with the quality given the first priority then the locals will prefer it because of competitive prices (Klemm and Foreign Film Production in Thailand).

Film censorship The issue of film censorship hit Thailand in 2015 leading to criticism from a local academy. The academy condemned the National Board of Film & Video for banning some movies but instead should analyze the films censorship programmes and reintroduced a universal rating system. Ruksarn Vitwatsinudom, a communication professor drawn from Chulalongkorn University claimed the censorship programme should be adjusted to meet the needs of modernity as reported by Schmid, (2015). The professor further assumed the rating should be reduced from five to four and guidelines highlight what to show especially scenes depicting sex, violence and drug abuse. At some point, the nation only produced few movies and the ratings dropped but well-established producers were up to the task reinventing the Thai Film.

The censorship law is controversial, the issue of banning some films raising major concerns but still an amicable solution of bringing to board key players can lead to success. References Ang, I. Culture and communication: Towards an ethnographic critique of media consumption in the transnational media system.  European journal of communication. Competitiveness policies for medical tourism clusters: government initiatives in Thailand.  International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies, 7(3), 281-309. Dunagin, K. B.  Cultural identity in Thai movies and its implications for the study of films in Thailand (Doctoral dissertation, University of North Texas). , & McCaffer, R.  Modern construction management. John Wiley & Sons. Horkheimer, M. , & Adorno, T. Palgrave Macmillan, London. Oxford Economics (2015). The economic contribution of the film and TV industries in Thailand IN 2015.