It’s always interesting to research a country’s filmography to learn about its culture and traditions through the medium of film. There are quite a few western films set in Thailand, such as the huge successes of The Hangover Part II in Bangkok or the three separate versions of Anna and the King. Of course, there are plenty of Thai-language films set in their country that many cinephiles may miss if they don’t watch films outside their native language.
Thailand’s culture is a blend of various influences that evolved over the course of time. The historical and cultural heritage of the county has been shaped by interactions with neighboring cultures, as well as far-reaching ones such as Chinese, Japanese, and Indian cultures. Viewing films set in and around Thailand’s culture helps understand the diversity of this melting-pot. Below are the 10 best movies set in Thailand, ranked.
10 Only God Forgives
Only God Forgives is a 2013 action film starring Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Burke, and Vithaya Pansringarm. Shot on location in Bangkok, Thailand, the film features American brothers Julian (Gosling) and Billy (Burke) who run a boxing club in Bangkok as a front for drug-dealing. After his brother is killed, Julian is compelled by his mother to find and kill whoever is responsible for Billy’s death. Critics praised the soundtrack and director Nicolas Winding Refn’s traditional style, but the screenplay and characterization were heavily criticized.
9 The Elephant King
The 2006 romantic drama film The Elephant King is the story of two brothers who lead completely different lives. Starring Jonno Roberts, Tate Ellington, and Florence Faivre, the film follows Jake Hunt (Roberts) living his life to the fullest in Thailand, and his shy brother Oliver (Ellington) dealing with depression in the United States. Their mother wants Jake to return home, so she sends Oliver to Thailand to retrieve them. Once there, Oliver falls in love with a beautiful girl named Lek (Faivre), while tanging in Jake’s bizarre life.
8 The Hangover Part II
Released in 2011, The Hangover Part II is the sequel to the 2009 film The Hangover and the second installment in the trilogy. Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug travel to Thailand for Stu’s wedding, and after the bachelor party in the first film, Stu takes no chances and opts for a simple, safe wedding brunch. As expected, things do not go as planned, resulting in another bad hangover with absolutely no memories of the previous night. The friends must then piece together what happened.
7 Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is a 2003 Thai martial arts film starring Tony Jaa. The film was Jaa’s breakout film, and he was internationally hailed as the next major martial arts star. The film follows Ting (Jaa), a young martial artist who must travel to Bangkok and take on the criminal underworld after the head of a statue sacred to his village is stolen. He has only one lead, a drug dealer named Don who attempted to buy an amulet in his village of Ban Nong Pradu the day before.
6 Anna and the King
Directed by Andy Tennant, Anna and the King is a 1999 biographical period drama film. It is loosely based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam, which describes a fictionalized account of the diaries of Anna Leonowens. The film stars Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-fat in the titular roles. Foster plays Anna Leonowens, an English school teacher in Siam during the late 19th century. She begins teaching King Mongkut’s many children and wives. While the film is set in Thailand, it was mostly shot in Malaysia.
5 The Beach
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Filmed on the Thai island of Ko Phi Phi Le, The Beach is a 2000 adventure drama film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tilda Swinton, Virginie Ledoyen, Guillaume Canet, and Robert Carlyle. It is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Alex Garland. The film centers on a young nicotine-addicted traveler named Richard (DiCaprio) who loves pop-culture, video games, and Vietnam War movies. While at a hotel in Bangkok, a strange, whacked-out neighbor commits suicide and leaves behind a map. The map allegedly leads to a legendary island paradise where wayward souls come to settle down.
4 Syndromes and a Century
Syndromes and a Century is a Thai drama film that premiered in August 2006 at the 63rd Venice Film Festival. Divided into two parts, the film acts as a tribute to the director’s parents, who were both doctors. The film covers the director’s memories about growing up in a hospital environment. The characters and dialogue in the second half are essentially the same as the first, but the settings and outcomes of the stories are different. Both parts are in a hospital setting, with the first half in a rural Thailand hospital, and the second in a Bangkok medical setting. Director and writer Apichatpong Weerasethakul says that the film is about how people transform themselves for the better.
3 The Overture
Released in 2004, The Overture is a Thai tragic-nostalgia music-drama film. It tells a fictionalized account of the life story of Thai palace musician Luang Pradit Phairoh. Following the life of a Thai classical musician in the late 19th century to the 1940s. The film begins at the end, finding the elder Sorn (Adul Dulyarat) bedridden, recalling his childhood growing up in 1880s Siam to an old friend. The film then flashes back to that time, with Anuchyd Sapanphong as younger Sorn.
2 Rambo
A sequel to the 1988 film Rambo III, Rambo is a 2008 action film directed and co-written by Sylvester Stallone. Stallone reprises his role as John Rambo, with Julie Benz, Paul Schulze, Matthew Marsden, Graham mcTavish, Rey Gallegos, Tim Kang, Jake La Botz, Maung Maung Khin, and Ken Howard co-starring. In this installment, Rambo leads a group of mercenaries into Burma to rescue Christian missionaries who have been kidnapped by a local infantry unit. While the film was heavily criticized for its plot, excessively graphic violence, and political commentary, it was praised for Stallone’s direction and performance, action sequences, and musical score.
1 The Impossible
The Impossible is a 2012 English-language Spanish disaster film starring Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, and Tom Holland in his film debut. The film is based on the experiences of Maria Belón and her family. Belón is a Spanish physician and motivational speaker who is known for surviving the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami while on vacation in Thailand with her husband and three children. She is portrayed by Naomi Watts in The Impossible, with her name changed to Bennett. She is also credited in the cast for providing her story and working on the set in Thailand, in the same locations as the original tsunami. The film received praise for its direction and acting, especially for Watts.