Thailand
"สวัสดี"
Thailand has long been a popular destination for both tourists and filmmakers alike. Boasting a diverse wildlife, tropical islands, deep and vast jungles, alongside stunning historic temples and sites, sprawling urban metropolis, and exciting night markets, Thailand has everything to offer and more.
Permits
It is a legal requirement in Thailand for foreign film crews to obtain filming permits issued by the The Thai Film Office . It is a Thailand Film Office policy that foreign productions must appoint an independent, registered Thai based fixing services provider in order to process filming permits and the fixing services provider must accompany the shoot at all times when filming.
Separate permits are required for specific locations such as national parks, historical parks, or religious establishments that have their own administrations; your fixer arranges these too.
Government Watcher
While filming, it is a requirement that foreign film crews are accompanied by a government watcher. A fee of 2000 baht per day is charged for this service + costs. In many cases the monitoring officer will only pop in from time to time, however watcher fees are charged in advance and are non-refundable. On large shoots with multiple camera teams, the government may require that multiple watchers attend.
Film Permit Processing Costs
The complexity and work load of processing each permit varies depending upon the number of departments and parties involved and the complexity and scale of the shoot. Therefore it’s only possible to provide an accurate permit processing estimate once some details on the shoot specifics have been provided.
Feel free to send through some basic details on your shoot including: A brief description of the program with a rough filming schedule noting the filming locations and size of crew. With this information in hand we’re able to quickly obtain a permit processing estimation.
Permit Processing Time Frame
The permit processing time frame depends upon the complexity of the shoot and the number of government agencies and other organizations involved. A straightforward shoot within a single province can usually be processed within ten days (however we strongly advise allowing longer).
On the other hand, if a shoot visits national parks, historical sites, religious sites, or several different provinces which all require separate paperwork processing, the time frame will increase accordingly. With few exceptions it is usually possible to obtain even the more complex permits within 6 weeks.
We can advise on what’s required once we have some details on your shoot including rough filming schedule and locations.
Visas
Productions with a schedule of less than 15 shooting days, can have their crew arrive on a normal tourist visa. We will coordinate with the Labor Department to process documentation so that they can legally work for no more than 15 days within Thailand.
Productions filming for over 15 days must obtain an appropriate visa in advance from the Thai Consular in their country prior to arriving in Thailand. We will furnish the production with the filming permit and other documents which will ensure the appropriate visa can be issued from the Thai Consular.
Note: Thailand has very stringent laws when it comes to defaming its royalty or national institutions, so it’s advisable to avoid any of this in your script or you’ll run the risk of your application getting turned down.
