Film production in Thailand
Thailand is covered here with 3 locations. Between the longest and shortest day, usable light swings by up to 2h 14min depending on where you shoot — planning across the country is not planning one single kind of day.
Locations at a glance
The table shows June and December daylight for each location — the two numbers a schedule hinges on across the year.
| Location | Daylight June | Daylight December | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiang Mai | 13h 15min | 11h 01min | 2h 14min |
| Bangkok | 12h 56min | 11h 19min | 1h 37min |
| Phuket | 12h 35min | 11h 40min | 0h 55min |
What that means for planning
Chiang Mai has the widest swing at 2h 14min, Phuket the narrowest at 0h 55min. The wider the spread, the more a schedule has to differ between summer and winter — same setup count, different hours to fit it in.
Concretely: in December, the sun in Chiang Mai sets at 17:50, with golden hour starting as early as 17:18. Put the exterior at the end of the day and you shoot it in the dark, or not at all.
TillyGen folds each location's sun position straight into the schedule. An exterior that no longer fits before sunset in December is flagged in the plan, not discovered on the day. The same calculation sits behind every location page for this country.
Film incentives and rebates
Thailand refunds up to 30 % of Thai spend. Thailand is Southeast Asia's service hub with beach, jungle and city looks; the raise to 30 % explicitly targets international series.
What that means in practice depends on the qualifying share: on a €1m budget with 75 % qualifying spend, the 30 % rate returns roughly €225,000. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2025-01 · Source: thailandfilmoffice.go.th
Permits and local requirements
Filming permits are granted locally almost everywhere, not nationally: the city or district you shoot in is the responsible body, and processing times differ considerably within the same country. Public space, traffic areas and drone flights each run through separate procedures.
File early enough that a refusal still leaves room for a cover location — not so late that the permit becomes the condition for the only possible shoot day. Only the responsible local authority gives binding information.
Frequently asked
How many locations in Thailand are covered here?
3. Locations are included when there is an evidenced production landscape — not every town in the country.
Which location in Thailand has the longest shooting days?
In June, Chiang Mai with 13h 15min of daylight. In December that drops to 11h 01min.
When is the best time to shoot in Thailand?
On daylight length alone, June. Whether that also means the steadiest weather depends on the location — the individual location pages carry rain days and sunshine hours per month.
Do I need a separate permit for every location?
As a rule yes, as soon as public ground is involved. Private locations run through the owner; traffic areas and drones add further procedures. The local authority is always the binding source.