BANGKOK: A surge in the popularity of locally-produced films is expected
to boost ad spending in Thai cinemas by 20 per cent this year to around
355 million baht (USdollars 7.9 million), according to Prasong
Rungsmaithong, general manager of Wel Ad, a cinema sales firm.
Thai film-making has experienced something of a renaissance in the last
two years with a string of hits that has drawn new movie-goers, broken
box-office records and even garnered a warm reception at the Cannes Film
Festival.
"The movie industry five years ago was struggling, and lots of projects
were brought to the screen that really had no business being there,"
said Roy D. Chapin IV, managing director of MovieSeer, an online movie
and entertainment portal. "Now the production companies have become more
selective regarding the projects they take on. As well, more people with
an advertising background have entered the industry, making the
marketing more sophisticated than in the past."
Bang Ra Jan, in which 18th-century Thai villagers fend off an invading
Burmese army, is credited with kick-starting the trend. "People who
normally don't go the cinema came out to see this one because of the
popularity of the story," Prasong said.
