Netflix Targets Thailand and Regional Audiences With Slate of Four Local Films and Two Series

Patrick Frater
·4 min read
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International streaming company Netflix has unveiled six new titles representing its first wide-ranging slate of content from Thailand.

Its four films and two series span the comedy, suspense and comedy drama genres and hail from six different local production firms – GMM Studios, International, GDH, Song Sound Productions, Transformation Films, 18 Tanwa and Jungka Bangkok. Significantly, too, they are sourced from established directors or producers.

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Writer-director Prueksa Amaruji’s dark comedy film “Lost Lotteries” is produced by Ekachai Uekrongtham (“Beautiful Boxer,” “Pleasure Factory”) and will stream from mid-November.

Writer-producer Kongdej Jaturanrasmee and veteran indie producer Soros Sukhum (“Memoria,” “Pop-Aye”) are behind director Sitisiri Mongkolsiri’s “Hunger,” a family drama with food as its central theme. It stars Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, aka Aok Bap, the breakout star of “Bad Genius” and a former Talent to Watch, selected by Variety and the International Film Festival & Awards Macao.

Veteran director Wisit Sasanatieng (“Tears of the Black Tiger”) is directing “The Murderer,” a dark comedy set in one of Thailand’s poorest and most looked-down-upon regions in which a British man is accused of murdering his wife’s family, but it is the wife that has to defend him.

Another veteran director Nonzee Nimibutr (“Jan Dara”) is set to deliver “Mon Rak Nak Pak,” a drama about the good old days of Thai cinema when dialog was narrated live and medicine carts were used to bring in audiences.

“Shutter” director Parkpoom Wongpoom directs and jointly produces series “Delete,” a love triangle thriller in which a complicated relationship leads to people being erased from others’ lives. Aok Bap also stars.

Nithiwat Tharatorn, who previously worked with Wongpoom on “Shutter” and “Phobia 2” is directing series “Analog Squad,” in which a group of misfits is hired to play the part of estranged family members in order to fill in the cracks of a broken family.

Netflix has previously commissioned individual shows in Thailand, rather than a slate of local titles and enjoyed success with “Bangkok Breaking,” and the recently launched “Thai Cave Rescue.”

The approach is changing as the company tries to drill down to local level in more territories and as it responds to competitive pressure from rival platforms who have also targeted Thailand for expansion.

“We’re always looking for stories that are authentically local and when we give it the greenlight, we make sure it’s created in the best possible format to bring that story to life,” said Yongyoot Thongkongtoon, an experienced local director (“Iron Ladies”) and now Netflix’s Thailand content lead, told Variety. “For this initial slate, it just so happened that most of the stories that were pitched to us were most suited for film. However, we’re always looking for opportunities to optimize for more balanced programming as we continue to expand our slate in the next few years.”

The firm’s Southeast Asia content head Malobika Banerji told Variety that the use of experienced filmmakers represented a first step and Netflix’s that future Thai productions will usher in a newer generation of creators and diversify the genres in which it works.

“[Upcoming] we also have those that will be rising stars. But most importantly, we have projects that have talented female directors in many projects as well,” said Banerji.

Banerji said there are no plans to give theatrical releases to any of the new films.

Thai content, especially comedy and horror, has a track record of doing well overseas. The supernatural thriller “The Whole Truth” spent five weeks in Netflix global top 10 list for non-English films and made the top 10 list in 35 countries.

“Thailand has always had a very high standard and quality of production. That was actually the main reason why Netflix was also attracted to start doing regional productions in the country,” said Thongkongtoon. “The industry probably earlier did not have that many opportunities to create so much content. It has been limited in certain ways. With the streamers now coming in the market, it is creating a lot more opportunities for local storytelling, of diverse genres.”

Netflix has previously set out content spending figures in other territories, but declined to do that in Thailand, where budgets are significantly lower.

“I don’t think we compare with what we are spending in other markets. What we look at is, if a local story is pitched to us, how much we need to invest to make the best version of that story. That’s our guiding principle. And, we don’t really compare [to what it might have cost] if it were made for TV,” said Thongkongtoon. “In Korea and Japan the industry is different, their production ecosystem is very different.”

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