Sands shift for Thai drama productions

TV dramas and series are key creative industry products the Thai government plans to support based on their potential to enhance the country’s economic development.
A subcommittee was established for dramas and series under the National Soft Power Development Committee in 2023.
The panel is tasked with collecting data to create policies, plans and guidelines to promote, develop and address challenges for dramas and series.
However, as traditional TV viewership declines, TV stations rerun old dramas or shortened episodes, airing for 1 to 1.5 hours per episode instead of the original two hours during a prime-time slot.
Thai dramas are being disrupted by various factors, said Yossinee Nanakorn, founder and head of content providers at Maker-Y Co Ltd, a Thai production company.
In 2013, the auction for terrestrial TV licences expanded the number of channels from 6 to 20.
“More channels led to more drama production, to the point where supply exceeded viewer demand,” she said.
TV ad revenue also declined as advertisers shifted their budgets to online platforms.
Ad spending on Thai TV in the first seven months of this year totalled 33 billion baht, down by 2% year-on-year, while ad spending on the internet increased to 18 billion baht, up 8% year-on-year, according to analytics firm Nielsen Thailand.
Runchita Srivoravilai, Thailand vertical lead for advertisers and agencies at Nielsen Thailand, said while TV retains the largest share of ad spending at 50%, the level has dipped from 65% a decade ago.
The decline in ad revenue has prompted TV stations to tighten their approval processes for drama production, or reduce budgets per project.
Moreover, the proliferation of streaming services in Thailand has increased viewers’ access to a wide variety of content, offering them more choices than dramas.
With a greater choice of platforms, Ms Yossinee said Thai dramas and series are striving to find a balance with how much local content can be sustained amid shrinking budgets and resources.
She said Thai drama production companies have started to transform all aspects of their filmmaking, from pre-production and filming techniques to post-production, aiming to be on par with global standards.
“If the industry demands better skills, we have to do it,” said Ms Yossinee.
For example, producers have learned to use new camera techniques, new lenses, and new imaging techniques, she said.
In terms of plots for streaming audiences, the content needs to align with current social values, said Ms Yossinee.
The script must be modern, regardless of whether the story’s setting is in the present or a period piece, she said.
For instance, a traditional heroine may forgive a hero’s faults repeatedly. For contemporary audiences, the heroine may choose to move on with a new lover, said Ms Yossinee.
Another change is budget constraints may force a production company to hire more freelancers to match the budget.
“We believe Thai crews have a lot of potential, but there is still little working capital in the industry,” she said.
Drama and series production companies have started to create a more systematic work process, such as clear positions on set, defined working hours, and appropriate income and welfare for crews, according to Ms Yossinee.
“For the producer, this may seem like a hassle, but it can create a conducive working environment for people in the industry,” she said.
Production companies must craft wonderful scripts and create efficient workflow to ensure top-quality content, regardless of budget and time frame, said Ms Yossinee.
She said she views streaming platforms as an opportunity for Thai drama producers.
As platforms mushroom, producers should take the opportunity to produce high-quality local content that can be broadcast on both TV and streaming platforms, said Ms Yossinee.
Despite industry challenges, she said some types of content have significant growth potential overseas, including the LGBTQ segment, notably boys’ love and girls’ love series.
Theerapat Charoensuk, a member of the executive committee at the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (Pubat), said there is plenty of growth potential for Thai LGBTQ-related content in foreign markets, such as Vietnam, the Philippines, South America and Italy.
Chalermchatri Yukol, chairman of the national soft power development subcommittee for TV and film, said he believes Thai dramas and series have high-quality content.
Thai TV production companies have sold content at international festivals for years, he said.
“We believe our drama content has the potential to tap into markets such as Indonesia, the Philippines and South America, which have similar viewing behaviours,” said Mr Chalermchatri.
However, Thai TV dramas have not been able to consistently penetrate foreign markets, he said.
The subcommittee has a plan to buy content from Thai production companies and air it abroad to gain international recognition, hoping to attract an audience.
This idea is in the planning stages as there is currently no budget for it, said Mr Chalermchatri.
To propel the industry and overcome budget constraints, Ms Yossinee proposed the government offer subsidies to production companies to produce dramas.
She urged the government to consider reducing personal income tax for crews on dramas and series, in line with a proposal by the subcommittee for TV and film.
Moreover, the government should support upgrading crew skills to be on par with global standards, said Ms Yossinee.
For example, more Thai TV dramas are starting to apply colour grading techniques than in earlier years, she said.
This demonstrates drama producers are constantly trying to raise the bar for quality content, said Ms Yossinee.
Dramas also need viewers who watch, appreciate and offer criticism because feedback will allow producers to develop more content quality and quantity in the future, she said. Improved content can develop the industry and drive economic growth through job creation, tourism and investment, said Ms Yossinee.