Thailand & Singapore Sweeteners; K-Pop Slowdown; How The Film Biz Can Use ChatGPT

Like many writers around the world right now, I’ve been distracted in recent weeks by playing with GPT-4, the technology that is making many creative types start thinking about retirement or a second career. But I’ve also been researching the K-pop industry, which led to an idea of how AI can actually help international film and TV industries outside of the Anglosphere. I also had a short side-trip to Thailand, which has long been the major inbound production hub in Southeast Asia, to moderate panels for a workshop organised by the Motion Picture Association (MPA). You can’t walk around Bangkok these days without tripping over international producers, which makes me nostalgic for the days when Hong Kong and Beijing were the places everyone wanted to visit.

Thailand Gets Busy; Singapore Seeks Another ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Moment

Now the world has fully opened up, even Hong Kong and China are letting in tourists, the competition to attract footloose international productions is starting to get fierce. Thailand is currently considering plans to increase its 15-20% cash rebate for inbound production to 30% - the move has been approved by the cabinet and is being discussed by the treasury department – and has also doubled the cap per production from $2.2m to $4.4m. Singapore has just announced a new $7.5m (S$10m) fund to lure international productions that employ local talents and attract tourists by showcasing the city in the same way Crazy Rich Asians did in 2018.