Tv sequence don’t come a lot buzzier than “The White Lotus,” and audiences are flocking to look at one other spherical of (principally) new jet-setting characters whereas awaiting the Max present’s trademark of a homicide earlier than the season’s finish. Actors like Parker Posey, Walton Goggins and returning star Natasha Rothwell add to the Emmy-winning sequence’ attraction, however so does one other main draw – the situation. Season 1 befell in Hawaii, the sophomore installment in Italy and now the present third season has ventured to Southeast Asia to shoot in Thailand — primarily on the 4 Seasons in Koh Samui and Anantara Mai Khao in Phuket.

However “The White Lotus” is only one of many movie and TV productions — 490 to be precise — that filmed in Thailand in 2024, its highest stage since pre-pandemic instances. Netflix’s “The Night time Agent” shot a part of its second season in Bangkok, which can also be the place FX’s Noah Hawley sci-fi sequence “Alien: Earth”(premiering this summer time) filmed final yr. And on the film facet, when Common’s “Jurassic World Rebirth” releases in July, audiences will see scenes that have been shot final summer time in Bangkok, Krabi, Trang, Phang Na and Chiang Mai. 

Nevertheless, the nation changing into a filming vacation spot for tasks isn’t new to the Thailand Movie Workplace, which factors to the COVID-19 pandemic as a time that triggered a tsunami of economic injury to a lot of the world’s leisure trade… however not Thailand. “The pandemic is our key turning level,” says Supatana Sakpiyaphan Thailand Movie Workplace’s tourism improvement officer and chief of educational affairs and cooperation.

As soon as the pandemic hit, tips have been rapidly arrange with the nation’s Division of Illness Management to maintain many tasks going (176 in 2020, 121 in 2021) as a substitute of fully shutting down. Phrase unfold quick that Thailand was open for enterprise. “When filmmakers wished to make productions in the course of the pandemic interval, some by no means considered or knew Thailand earlier than,” Sakpiyaphan says, including that the variety of Thailand overseas productions (which incorporates promoting, documentary, journey and music video tasks) has elevated yearly since. “Filmmakers had expertise filming right here and stored coming again.” 

That constructive expertise begins with Thailand’s limitless provide of picturesque visuals from the south’s seashores (Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi) and mountainous areas within the north (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai). Additionally, the Thai Tourism Workplace works intently with productions, even aligning them with native coordinators to assist with all the pieces from paperwork to hiring crews and scouting areas. Nevertheless, one other big benefit was monetary. Given budgets are tighter than ever since COVID, Thailand’s beneficiant money rebates, which really elevated final yr from a possible 20% to the present 30%, have additionally develop into a significant draw for overseas productions. 

For instance, a rebate may be as excessive as 25% if spending on the undertaking is 150 million Thai baht (roughly $4.3 million) but in addition are available in at 20% for spending within the 100-150 million Thai baht vary (roughly $2.7-$4.3 million) and 15% for spending at 50 million Thai baht ($1.4 million). An extra 5% rebate is feasible if a manufacturing employs Thai nationals in key crew positions or promotes Thai tourism, whereas productions that movie in designated provinces and/or full post-production in Thailand may garner a 3% rebate. 

All that’s excellent news and Hollywood is listening. “We’ve got had talks with the Movement Image Affiliation of America (MPAA) and so they consider that extra filmmakers will come to Thailand,” Sakpiyaphan says. That assertion appears correct trying on the numbers for January, when there have been 62 productions filming in Thailand, begin to what may break data this yr. 

Nevertheless, Sakpiyaphan is fast to remind all overseas movie productions to not make all of it work and no play after they come to the Land of Smiles. “We are saying Thailand is the most effective vacation spot in your ‘workation,’” she says, smiling.