Thailand is making a concerted push to attract international film and television productions, with two Bangkok-based industry players — production service company Retina Film Production and animation and VFX house the Monk Studios — both attending Hong Kong FilMart to court producers, studios and streaming platforms across Asia.
The timing coincides with a significant upgrade to Thailand’s national film incentive framework. The revised program offers a tiered cash rebate starting at 15% for productions with qualified Thailand spending from THB50 million (approximately $1.54 million), rising to 20% for spending between THB100 million and THB150 million (approximately $3.08 million–$4.62 million), and reaching 25% for spending above THB150 million (approximately $4.62 million). Crucially, the program carries no cap.
Productions can further increase their rebate through a series of additional incentives: a 5% bonus for employing Thai nationals in key team positions; a further 5% for productions incorporating elements that promote Thai tourism, soft power or a positive image of the country; a 3% bonus for filming in Department of Tourism-designated provinces; and an additional 3% for productions that not only shoot in Thailand but also complete post-production in the country. The combined ceiling for primary and additional incentives reaches 30%.
The program has also been streamlined administratively. It requires no cultural test, operates on a single permit covering unlimited locations and promises film permit approvals within 10 days.
Retina Film Production, which is registered with the Thailand Film Office under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, has positioned itself as a one-stop production services partner for Chinese-language and other international projects filming in Thailand. Founded by Aroon Wittayanont and operating for more than 15 years, the company has supported productions including “Sheep Without a Shepherd,” “Detective Chinatown 3,” “Sara,” “The Resurrected” and “Octopus With Broken Arms,” and claims the distinction of being the first company to secure cash rebates for Chinese productions in the country.
Services on offer span film permit applications, government coordination and regulatory approvals, local crew and equipment sourcing, location scouting, production budgeting aligned with Thailand’s incentive framework and cash rebate application support.
“Our goal is to help international producers work smoothly and efficiently in Thailand,” said Wittayanont. “We focus on bridging international productions with Thailand’s production ecosystem so projects can move forward quickly and effectively.”
In a broader industry context, Wittayanont noted that the incentive program has become a decisive factor for foreign producers evaluating Southeast Asian locations. “From our experience working with Chinese-language productions and other international projects, the combination of competitive production costs, diverse locations, experienced crews and the government incentive program makes Thailand one of the most attractive filming hubs in Asia,” he said.
Separately, Thailand has also activated a 20% cash rebate specifically for animation, VFX and post-production work — a service-fee-based incentive designed for offshore projects commissioning Thai studios rather than requiring physical filming in the country. The scheme covers game art, animation assets and cinematics and full-suite digital post services, with a minimum spend threshold of THB5 million (approximately $153,891) per contract. The Thai service provider handles all government filing and audit processes locally, with the rebate issued as a single cash disbursement once the project is completed and paid in full.
The Monk Studios, which is also attending FilMart, is among the Thai companies positioned to benefit from that separate scheme. Founded in 2007, the Bangkok studio has worked on Chinese blockbuster “Ne Zha 2,” DreamWorks’ “The Tiger’s Apprentice” and “Carnival Row” Season 2, and is now expanding into original IP and game development.
“We’ve spent years building the talent and the quality to compete with any hub in the world, and our partners have always seen that value,” said Juck Somsaman, founder of the Monk Studios. “What this 20% rebate does is finalize the financial side of that equation. It removes the last remaining barrier for global studios and confirms that Thailand is ready to lead as a primary destination for the world’s most demanding pipelines.”
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