Thailand counts 383 shoots and courts the set-jetters at TIFF
Thailand hosted more than 383 visiting productions in 2026 and now wants their audiences to follow as tourists.
That was the pitch from Nithee Seeprae, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, during a Global Conversation on Thailand's film industry hosted by Variety at the Toronto International Film Festival, as reported by Variety. He joined director Banjong Pisanthanakun, TSixtySix studio head Cod Satrusayang and producer Raymond Phathanavirangoon for the session.
The talk centred on screen tourism. After Koh Samui appeared in the third season of HBO's "The White Lotus", which filmed in Thailand, online interest in the island jumped 88% and hotel reservations rose 44%, according to figures shared at the session by Variety. Satrusayang worked on that season through TSixtySix. Earlier coverage had pointed to the same effect, with People reporting in May that travel bookings to Thailand rose 300% after Season 3.
To catch that demand, the Tourism Authority launched "Amazing Locations: From Scene to Scenic", a campaign linking filming locations with travel. The idea is simple. It turns sets into stops on the map.
Seeprae said the campaign grew out of the speed at which "set-jetting" has taken hold, the habit of travelling to places first seen on screen, as reported by Variety. Thai producers and tourism officials are now promoting locations from "The White Lotus" through to Banjong's new film "Inherit" as visitor destinations.
The production pipeline is busy. Seeprae said Thailand recorded a 5% to 10% rise in incoming shoots over the past year, with revenue up by about the same range, as reported by Variety. Big international shoots that chose Thailand include "The Creator" and "Jurassic World: Rebirth".
Thai films are travelling too. Banjong's "Inherit" debuted at TIFF. Banjong previously directed "Pee Mak", described at the session as Thailand's highest-grossing title of all time. And "How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies" became the first Thai film shortlisted at the Oscars for Best International Film, the narrowed list from which nominees are chosen.
Phathanavirangoon, a producer and founder of the SEAFIC Script Lab, a development programme for Southeast Asian screenwriters and directors, spoke to that creative base.
What makes this stand out for viewers is the loop. A beach seen in a series becomes a booking. A booking funds the next shoot. Thailand is trying to keep that circle spinning.
