Benetone Films Co-Founder Kulthep Narula on Taking Thailand’s Film Industry to the Next Level
From Hollywood to Bollywood, Benetone Films has provided production services for over 100 feature films, TV series, and 1,000 TV commercials in over two decades. The Bangkok-based company is also a key provider for foreign productions filmed on location in Thailand. Ten projects have been approved through Thailand’s incentive scheme, including 2020’s The Forgotten Army for Amazon Studios and 2022’s Blood & Treasure season 2 for CBS Studios.
In recent years, the company has extended its expertise from production services and branched out into making its own original content for the Thai and international markets. These include 2023’s Congrats My Ex!, a romantic comedy available worldwide on Amazon Prime Video; 2022’s Wannabe, a 16-episode hip hop drama series available on Viu Thailand; and 2020’s Someone, an eight-episode drama series previously steamed on HOOQ Thailand.
Thailand has also regained its footing as a popular filming destination post-COVID. Last year, 466 incoming productions, from film and TV series to TV commercials, documentaries, and variety shows, chose Thailand as a filming location and generated a revenue of $188.52m (THB6.6bn), the highest ever recorded by the Thailand Film Office.
We spoke with Kulthep Narula, co-founder and COO of Benetone Films, about filming incentives, the increasing emphasis on soft power to grow the industry, and the country’s global competitiveness. He is also the president of the Foreign Film Production Services Association and on the working group of the new Soft Power Committee. According to the Thai-based Creative Economy Agency, soft power is a strategy by which a country disseminates its brand and image through media, culture, and tourism to influence economic policy favorably.
How is Thailand shaping up to be a regional production hub?
Thailand is well positioned at the top of the list when people think of a foreign film location. The country’s knowledge base and skill set have been developed over a long period of time, and Thai crews have often been praised for their skills. The highly developed tourism infrastructure also lends itself to practical use. Many filming destinations are accessible by multiple flights, with hotels and medical facilities nearby. We hope the current government will provide more logistics and financial support for foreign film production.
How is the current government and the industry pushing the envelope further to entice more incoming shoots?
In my view, Thailand is by far the best destination in Southeast Asia and even Asia, reflected by the growth in the number of incoming productions and total revenues year-on-year. It’s important for the government to see the merits of the incentives—that the economic values they bring surpass the cash rebates—and the need to be competitive globally.
How is the incentive program working? What is the feedback from industry practitioners and foreign producers on the incentive scheme?
The current incentives are 15-20% cash rebates. The industry is hoping for a more attractive rate to compete better—30% is a good number—as incentives have proven to create demand and give a healthy boost to tourism. We all want more incentives so a larger pool of projects can come to Thailand. We have to stay competitive and be ahead of the game. Incentives are critical, and it’s also important to make the whole process smooth, including getting work permits and visa renewals for film units. We constantly work with government agencies to create awareness and enhance the process.
Can Thailand attract big international productions? What sort of infrastructure and skills training is required?
Thailand has been doing this for 40-50 years. It’s one of the first countries to do so. It has attracted many diverse countries worldwide for productions, from China, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the US. Thailand can learn best practices from different countries and create a robust system over time. Thai crews gain further knowledge as they work on more production.
Thailand Creative Content Agency (THACCA) is expected to be in operation in 2025. It will be the first single agency encompassing all creative and cultural sectors. How is that a game-changer?
The government has recognized soft power as a strategy, like food, film, fashion, fighting (Muay Thai boxing), and festivals. THACCA aims to oversee the overall entertainment industry, incorporating private members such as producers, exhibitors, post-production companies, and actors. This is the first time that the film and content industry has been recognized as an industry and as an important tool to complement and enhance other industries. It was fragmented in the past. Korea has implemented it very well for the past 20 years, and what they’ve done is commendable. We will pick what is applicable to Thailand.
How do the regional and international OTT platforms help bring more foreign productions to Thailand?
There are two levels. First, foreign productions come to Thailand through the likes of Disney, HBO, Universal, and Amazon Prime. They know Thailand well and are comfortable with the country, so they will continue to come to Thailand. The second level is local content. Netflix is making more Thai content, which is great for the local industry. Foreign platforms give Thai filmmakers and producers the opportunity to create good content and some content is more suitable for online.
How do we draw the audiences back to the cinemas post-Covid?
It’s important to make them feel that going to the cinema is an experience. If the film is good, and cinemas offer the latest technology, it will receive a warm reception, and people will still watch it in the cinemas even if they know it’ll be on the platform later.
For more interviews with filmmakers and producers taking big swings in Asia, check these out:
Pioneering Producer Auchara Kijkanjanas on Animating Thailand’s Entertainment Industry
Reimagining Korea’s Dynamic Film & TV Industry With Wow Point Executive Producer Yoomin Hailey Yang
Featured image: Behind-the-scenes of The Forgotten Army. Courtesy Amazon Prime Video.
