The market has been affected this year by the many economic and political uncertainties that have negatively impacted people's mood.

"The industry has witnessed slow-down growth of 4-5 per cent this year in terms of ticket sales, up from Bt3.6 billion in 2005. We expect the industry to grow dramatically, 15-20 per cent next year, from strong film line-ups and large expansion of new theatres," said SF Cinema City president Suwat Thongrompo.

He said his company would spend about Bt1 billion next year to open 30 cinemas in three locations, both in Bangkok and upcountry.

SF Cinema City opened its first cinema on the seventh floor of MBK Centre in Bangkok seven years ago and now operates 75 screens in nine locations, including Pattaya and Phuket.

Major Cineplex Group chairman Vicha Poolvaraluck expects the industry to enjoy strong growth next year, because of the strong line-up of Thai films and Hollywood blockbusters.

"We expect the industry to grow from Bt4 billion in ticket sales this year to between Bt4.5 billion and Bt5 billion next year," said Vicha.

"The Major Cineplex Group expects to achieve total revenues of Bt5.2 billion this year, up from Bt4.6 billion in 2005. We also expect to grow another 20 per cent in 2007."

Set to be screened next year are "Spider-Man 3", "Pirates of the Caribbean 3", "Fantastic Four 2", "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", "Ocean's Thirteen", "Ong-bak 2", "Nong Teng Nakleng Phukhao Thong 2" and "Bodyguard 2".

He said "Naresuan", the Thai epic that will hit local screens in the middle of next month, was expected to rake in more than Bt500 million at the box office.

"We expect our ticket sales next year to grow 15-20 per cent, while our bottom line is expected to grow 30 per cent," said Vicha.

He said the Major Cineplex Group would open 40 new cinemas next year, including in Pattaya and Chon Buri. The group currently operates about 300 theatres in 35 locations.

The Major Cineplex Group next year will enter into more sophisticated marketing campaigns aimed at leveraging all business assets, including cinemas, bowling alleys and karaoke and fitness centres, said Anavach Ongvasith, chief of cinema operations.

"2007 will be a significant year, when movie-goers will witness more sophisticated marketing and promotion campaigns that will leverage our business assets," said Anavach.

"We want to encourage those who regularly visit McDonald's restaurants to watch movies more often. We also want all movie-lovers to frequent our California Fitness Centres much more."

Anavach said most of the marketing campaigns would be conducted in three major layers: the company's own cinema brands, including Major Cineplex, EGV, Paragon Cineplex and Esplanade Cineplex; affiliated brands like California Fitness Centre and Major Bowl; and allied brands like Coke, Pepsi, True and Advanced Info Service.

He said all three layers would be converged into more complicated marketing and promotional campaigns aimed at growing ticket sales and a total entertainment lifestyle. Regular clients of one entertainment venue would be encouraged to use the others.

This year, 60 per cent of revenues have come from the first layer. The group sells more than 30 million movie tickets a year.

"We'll also increase our marketing budget from Bt100 million this year to Bt200 million in 2007, in order to leverage our business assets into more sophisticated marketing campaigns," said Anavach.

Five Star believes competition will intensify next year, because a glut of this year's postponed films will flood into the domestic market. Many studios and producers chose not to release their films this year, fearing that the coup and floods would deter movie-goers. These films will have to battle Hollywood blockbusters like the latest Harry Potter instalment and "Spider-Man 3", as well as "Naresuan".

As the economy is predicted to slow down next year, many fear the worst.

Five Star executive director Aphiradee Iamphungphorn said its slate for next year would be full of "mass entertainment" in staple genres like horror, comedy and action.

Already "Muay Thai Chaiya", starring teenage singer Golf, has secured presales from several European countries and recouped all of its cost. So has "Art of the Devil 2" and "The Screen" - both horror flicks soaked in Thai themes and motifs.

Aphiradee believes international audiences, particularly in Europe, where cinema literacy is high, have accepted that Thai films can be entertaining and therefore accessible, tearing away from their image as strictly art house, which is evident in the success of "Ong-bak" and "The Protector".

She added that Thai films' next frontiers would be in Eastern Europe, Australasia and South Africa. Little do people know, too, that Thai films have been well received in Central and South America.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn,

Ki Nan Tsui

The Nation