Thai cinema just logged a standout box office rebound in early 2024, with Q1 admissions up 20% to 1.1 billion THB led by local titles. Behind the headlines, Thai audiences are splitting sharply between theater nights and pre-release streaming, while genres like horror and rom coms shape who shows up and how often.
Key Takeaways
- Thai cinema attendance averaged 1.2 million weekly in 2023 peak months
- 55% of Thai audience aged 15-24 for local films in 2023 survey
- Female viewers comprised 52% of Thai film audiences in 2023
- Thailand won 5 awards at Asian Film Awards 2023 for local films
- 'How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies' won Best Film at Tokyo International Film Festival 2023
- Thai actress Putri Gayatri won Best Actress at New York Asian Film Festival 2023
- Thai film industry CAGR 12% from 2019-2023
- Number of Thai cinema screens projected to reach 1000 by 2025
- Streaming platforms captured 40% of Thai film market share in 2023
- Thailand produced 120 feature films in 2023, up 20% from 2022
- Number of Thai animations released annually averaged 15 in 2020-2023
- Thai Film Fund supported 45 projects with 500 million THB in 2023
- In 2023, the Thai film 'How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies' grossed 1.265 billion THB domestically, becoming the highest-grossing Thai film ever
- Thai box office total revenue reached 4.2 billion THB in 2023, a 150% increase from 2022
- 'The Lost Lotteries' earned 920 million THB in 2023, ranking second highest-grossing Thai film
In 2023, Thai cinema surged with 35 million tickets sold, stronger loyalty, and global streaming growth.
Related reading
01 · Category
Audience and Viewership27 stats
01
Thai cinema attendance averaged 1.2 million weekly in 2023 peak months
02
55% of Thai audience aged 15-24 for local films in 2023 survey
03
Female viewers comprised 52% of Thai film audiences in 2023
04
Urban Bangkok viewers made up 60% of total Thai cinema goers 2023
05
Repeat viewings for top Thai films averaged 2.5 times per fan in 2023
06
40% of Thai audiences stream films before theaters in 2023 poll
07
Family audiences grew 25% for Thai animations post-2022
08
Social media buzz drove 30% attendance increase for viral Thai films 2023
09
Rural cinema penetration reached 25% of Thai population in 2023
10
Thai horror fans: 35% of total cinema audience demographic 2023
11
Mobile ticket bookings hit 70% of sales in Thai cinemas 2023
12
Gen Z (18-24) preferred Thai rom-coms at 45% viewership share 2023
13
Post-COVID cinema loyalty programs boosted attendance by 15% 2023
14
Thai diaspora viewed 10 million streams of local films abroad 2023
15
Peak attendance days: Fridays 25% higher in Thai cinemas 2023
16
28% of Thai audiences attended film festivals in 2023
17
Subtitle preference: 80% Thai-English for local films 2023
18
Group viewings (3+ people) at 55% for Thai family films 2023
19
Online reviews influenced 65% of Thai film choices 2023
20
Night screenings dominated 70% of Thai cinema attendance 2023
21
Thai students (under 25) free tickets drove 20% attendance 2023
22
VOD completion rates for Thai films averaged 75% on platforms 2023
23
Regional festivals drew 500,000 attendees for Thai films 2023
24
45% of Thai viewers pirated films pre-theater in 2023 survey
25
Thai LGBTQ+ films saw 15% audience growth to 200,000 viewers 2023
26
Cinema concessions sales per viewer: 50 THB average 2023
27
Thai Film Awards saw 10,000 live attendees in 2023 ceremony
Interpretation
Audience and Viewership Interpretation
While Bangkok's youth-driven, female-majority audiences are loyally re-watching viral local hits in theaters—despite half having already streamed them online—the industry's real triumph is its expanding reach from family animations and rural penetration to the thriving diaspora, proving Thai cinema can captivate at home and abroad even when 45% are tempted by piracy.
02 · Category
Awards and Accolades25 stats
01
Thailand won 5 awards at Asian Film Awards 2023 for local films
02
'How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies' won Best Film at Tokyo International Film Festival 2023
03
Thai actress Putri Gayatri won Best Actress at New York Asian Film Festival 2023
04
12 Thai films nominated at Southeast Asian Film Festival 2023
05
National Film Association Thailand awarded 20 Suphannahong Awards in 2023
06
'One for the Road' secured Best Director at Busan International Film Festival 2023
07
Thai animation 'Spiral' won Best Animation at Annecy Festival 2023 nominee
08
3 Thai documentaries took prizes at IDFA Amsterdam 2023
09
Thai Film of the Year voted 'The Lost Lotteries' by public poll 2023
10
Best Screenplay Suphannahong went to 'Under Parallel Skies' 2023
11
Thailand's Oscar submission 'The Long Walk' shortlisted 2023
12
8 Thai actors won Best Actor/Actress at local festivals 2023
13
Golden Kite Awards for Thai cinema: 15 recipients in 2023
14
'Bad Genius' director Nattawut Poonpiriya lifetime achievement 2023
15
Thai horror 'The Medium' retrospective awards at Fantasia Fest 2023
16
Best Cinematography Suphannahong to 4 Thai films 2023
17
Thailand topped ASEAN wins at Jeonju Film Fest 2023 with 2 prizes
18
Audience Award at Rotterdam IFF to Thai indie 'Boundary' 2023
19
25 Suphannahong nominations for horror genre 2023
20
Thai Film Fund grants awarded to 10 award-winning projects post-2023
21
Berlin Film Fest Tiger Award nominee for Thai film 2023
22
Cannes Critics' Week selection for 2 Thai shorts 2023
23
Thai stunt coordinator awards: 5 at Asian Film Awards 2023
24
Public Choice Award Suphannahong: 'Pee Nak 3' 2023
25
Lifetime box office hall of fame inducted 10 Thai classics 2023
Interpretation
Awards and Accolades Interpretation
Thailand isn’t just making films; it’s collecting trophies across every genre and festival with the relentless efficiency of a heist movie crew.
03 · Category
Industry Infrastructure and Trends20 stats
01
Thai film industry CAGR 12% from 2019-2023
02
Number of Thai cinema screens projected to reach 1000 by 2025
03
Streaming platforms captured 40% of Thai film market share in 2023
04
Thai film exports grew 25% YoY to 1 billion THB in 2023
05
Government incentives: 30% rebate for foreign shoots in Thailand 2023
06
Thai VFX studios grew to 50 firms employing 2000 in 2023
07
Digital piracy losses for Thai films: 2 billion THB annually 2023
08
Film tourism from Thai movies generated 10 billion THB in 2023
09
Thai cinema market size valued at 5.5 billion THB in 2023
10
Online ticketing platforms market share 80% in Thailand 2023
11
Women in Thai film workforce: 35% in 2023, up from 25% 2018
12
Thai film schools graduated 500 students annually in 2023
13
Blockchain NFT sales from Thai films: 50 million THB pilot 2023
14
Sustainability practices adopted by 40% Thai productions 2023
15
Thai cinema chains consolidation: top 3 hold 85% market 2023
16
Metaverse virtual premieres tested by 5 Thai films 2023
17
Labor union membership in Thai film industry: 10,000 workers 2023
18
5G enabled live cinema events for 2 million viewers 2023
19
Thai film insurance market grew 15% to 300 million THB 2023
20
Diversity hires in Thai films: 20% increase to 15% cast 2023
Interpretation
Industry Infrastructure and Trends Interpretation
The Thai film industry is racing ahead like a blockbuster on a 5G-enabled green screen, fueled by booming exports and savvy incentives, yet it's still chasing its own digital shadow, as piracy and streaming rivals demand an equally gripping sequel.
More related reading
04 · Category
Production and Output25 stats
01
Thailand produced 120 feature films in 2023, up 20% from 2022
02
Number of Thai animations released annually averaged 15 in 2020-2023
03
Thai Film Fund supported 45 projects with 500 million THB in 2023
04
80% of Thai films in 2023 were independently produced
05
Average production budget for Thai films was 25 million THB in 2023
06
25 Thai films premiered at international festivals in 2023
07
Horror genre comprised 30 films out of 120 total Thai releases in 2023
08
Thai cinema production houses numbered 150 active in 2023
09
40 Thai films shot abroad in 2023, boosting tourism tie-ins
10
Digital VFX usage in 70% of Thai films increased from 50% in 2020
11
Thai short films produced: 500+ annually via festivals in 2023
12
Women directors helmed 25% of Thai feature films in 2023 (30 films)
13
Thai Film Office issued 200 production permits in 2023
14
Average shooting days for Thai films: 45 days in 2023, down from 60 pre-2020
15
15 Thai documentaries released theatrically in 2023
16
Co-productions numbered 12 in 2023 with ASEAN countries
17
Thai films using 4K production reached 60% in 2023
18
Student films from Thai universities: 300+ screened in 2023 festivals
19
Thai period dramas produced: 10 major ones in 2023
20
Streaming originals by Thai producers: 20 films in 2023
21
Thai films with international crew: 18 in 2023
22
Low-budget Thai indies (<10M THB): 70 released 2023
23
Thai remakes of foreign films: 8 in 2023
24
Films using AI in post-production: 5 pilot projects in Thai industry 2023
25
Thai cinema screens increased to 850 in 2023 from 700 in 2022
Interpretation
Production and Output Interpretation
Despite Thai cinema’s impressive growth—fueled by state funds, a prolific indie spirit, and enough horror flicks to keep the lights on—the real story is a maturing industry quietly building global prestige while ruthlessly cutting production time to get there faster.
05 · Category
Revenue and Box Office30 stats
01
In 2023, the Thai film 'How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies' grossed 1.265 billion THB domestically, becoming the highest-grossing Thai film ever
02
Thai box office total revenue reached 4.2 billion THB in 2023, a 150% increase from 2022
03
'The Lost Lotteries' earned 920 million THB in 2023, ranking second highest-grossing Thai film
04
In 2022, Thai films accounted for 45% of total domestic box office share
05
Average ticket price in Thai cinemas was 120 THB in 2023, contributing to overall revenue growth
06
Thai horror film 'Ghost Lab' grossed 200 million THB in 2021 via Netflix and theaters
07
2023 Thai box office admissions totaled 35 million tickets sold
08
'One for the Road' by Nattawut Poonpiriya earned 150 million THB in 2023
09
Thai animated film 'Dragon Rider' remake contributed 50 million THB in local earnings 2020
10
Pre-COVID 2019 Thai box office peaked at 5.8 billion THB
11
'Bad Genius' sequel 'Bad Genius 2' projected 500 million THB but earned 300 million in 2023
12
Thai films' international box office from 2023 hits totaled 200 million THB equivalent
13
Cinema chain SF Cinema grossed 2.1 billion THB from Thai films in 2023
14
'Under Parallel Skies' earned 80 million THB in Thailand-Philippines co-production 2023
15
2021 recovery saw Thai box office at 1.7 billion THB, 30% from local films
16
Major Cineplex reported 1.5 billion THB Thai film revenue 2023
17
'The Medium' horror film grossed 190 million THB in 2021
18
Thai rom-com 'AI Fah' series films averaged 100 million THB each since 2016
19
2024 Q1 Thai box office up 20% to 1.1 billion THB, led by local titles
20
'Pee Nak 3' horror sequel earned 250 million THB in 2022
21
Thai film exports revenue hit 500 million THB in 2023 via streaming deals
22
Local Thai films' average ROI was 3:1 in 2023 for top 10 grossers
23
'May Who?' rom-com grossed 120 million THB in 2018
24
Thai New Year releases averaged 300 million THB combined in 2023
25
Viu streaming boosted Thai film ad revenue by 40% to 800 million THB 2023
26
'Brother of the Year' earned 200 million THB in 2018
27
Thai box office from horror genre was 1 billion THB in 2023, 24% share
28
Co-productions with China grossed 400 million THB in Thailand 2022-2023
29
Thai films' VOD revenue surpassed 300 million THB in 2023
30
Songkran festival films grossed 500 million THB in 2023 weekends
Interpretation
Revenue and Box Office Interpretation
Judging by the box office, it seems the entire nation of Thailand in 2023 collectively decided that the only things scarier than ghosts are disappointing our grandmothers and losing the lottery, leading to a roaring, record-breaking recovery.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Thai Film Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/thai-film-industry-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "Thai Film Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/thai-film-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "Thai Film Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/thai-film-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
89 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level