Thai films, series and animation take the world by storm in 2024

With hits like ‘How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’ and ‘Master of the House’, Thai productions have broken records and won major global awards

Chakrit Pichyangkul, director of the Creative Economy Agency, said that 2024 was a golden year for the Thai content industry, with films, TV series and animation grabbing audiences and achieving success. 

While it may be difficult to provide a complete list of the most successful items, the Thai content industry is expanding with diverse and good quality offerings that meet the needs of viewers across all genres. Though horror has historically been the most popular genre among Thais, the local content on offer has expanded to cover a wide range of flavours, including comedy, drama and action, all of which have been well-received. 



Thai content and international success

The reach of Thai content extends far beyond domestic popularity, and despite fierce global competition, it has been shining brightly on the international stage. 

For instance, in the animation category, “Out of the Nest” was added to the Annecy Selections list of top 12 animation films at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

In the series category, “DELETE” won two awards at the 29th Asian Television Awards, while “Master of the House” became the first Thai series to reach No 1 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 chart for foreign language series (non-English). It also ranked No 1 in the most-watched series in 10 countries. In the film industry, Thai films grossed over 2.44 billion baht locally in 2024, with films like "Death Whisperer 2", "The Paradise Of Thorns ", "My Boo" and "In Youth We Trust" breaking box office records.



Then there’s the phenomenon of “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies”. It has been sweeping up awards across the world, including Best Lead Actor, Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at 61st Asia-Pacific Film Festival, the Audience Award at the 2024 New York Asian Film Festival and an Honourable Mention in the Best Picture and Best Performance in a Leading Role categories at the Gold List Film 2025 awards. The film was also named the “Best of Fest: Audience Favourite” at the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival and ranked No 1 in the Asian film category and No 3 overall in Letterboxd's 2024 Year in Review.



These awards, along with increasing revenue and overwhelmingly positive reception from both local and international audiences, underscore the potential of Thai talent. The success of Thai content, with its unique and creative approach, resonates globally, further expanding its audience base. 

Thai content also helps stimulate indirect consumption in other sectors such as tourism, food and fashion, thereby positively impacting various businesses. The next step for Thai content in 2024

Success and growth often come with challenges. In 2025, the Thai content industry will continue to face factors that affect creativity and require artists to adapt to emerging trends and complexities. These challenges include developments in production technology, skills, funding and competition from both local and international content. 

The trend of streaming platforms continues to gain popularity due to their convenience, but viewing habits are also shifting. While traditional TV is being replaced by streaming platforms and social media is increasingly used for consuming short-form content, demand for high-quality content remains strong. 

Viewers still seek content that meets their interests and provides emotional or intellectual value. This trend proves that producing quality content that meets consumer needs remains at the heart of the content industry. 

The competitive landscape also pushes Thai content creators to demonstrate their potential and produce works that meet international standards. 

Chakrit added that the growth and competition within the Thai content industry not only strengthen the entertainment sector, but also contribute to the national economy. 

He added that the Creative Economy Agency is committed to driving the future growth of the industry, with a focus on building a network of talent and fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors. 

To support the growth of personnel across all areas, the agency is launching the “Content Lab 2025” project, which aims to help create and take Thai culture to the international level. This project will soon open doors for creators to participate and help elevate Thai content globally.

(2025/02/06-00:00)