Exporting Thai Soft Power: How DITP Turned Film and TV Into a Strategic Trade Engine

Thailand’s soft power push has matured from a slogan into a measurable export strategy, one that is increasingly being executed through the country’s film, television, and animation industries. The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), under the Ministry of Commerce, has emerged as a pivotal operator in this transformation, building trade platforms, curating international showcases, and brokering deals that convert culture into contracts. In 2025, the results were striking: Thai companies landed licensing agreements across Asia, secured co-production talks with major studios, and entered new markets from Europe to the Americas, while a Thai animated feature, Out of the Nest, made the nation’s most ambitious Oscars run to date.

This editorial examines DITP’s mission and methods, its expansion into Latin America, the agency’s role in elevating Thai TV and film abroad, and the symbolic importance of Out of the Nest in the government’s broader soft power agenda. It is praise-worthy in tone, yet investigative in approach, because the world’s attention on Thai content didn’t happen by accident.

The Mission: Trade Promotion Meets Cultural Diplomacy

DITP’s statutory mission is economic: promote Thai products and services internationally, expand market access, and facilitate trade. In practice, for entertainment, that means building bridges between Thai creators and global buyers through curated delegations, national pavilions at premium markets, business matching, and branded cultural events like Thai Night. In 2025, this apparatus was deployed with unusual coherence in service of the national soft power strategy, which the government has framed around 13 creative sectors (including film and television) and backed with new funding streams and policy tools.

The policy backdrop matters. The National Soft Power Strategy Committee (THACCA) has been tasked to align ministries, streamline incentives, and invest in content, an explicit shift from fragmented promotion to a whole-of-government creative economy agenda. Public briefings throughout 2025 highlighted a multi-pronged approach: rebranding culinary certification (Thai SELECT), launching licensing expos, and enabling IP-backed finance (e.g., allowing artists to use song copyrights as collateral) all designed to convert cultural appeal into exportable value.

Many agencies touch the film sector, Ministry of Culture, Department of Tourism, CEA, but DITP plays the role of deal-maker and market opener. It takes the artistry that other bodies nurture and places it in front of buyers, distributors, platforms, and investors, then wraps those meetings in the Thai brand.

The Method: Turning Festivals and Markets Into Sales Pipelines

Thai Night and National Pavilions: Branding Meets Business

DITP’s Thai Night has become the official calling card of Thailand’s entertainment sector at marquee events at Hong Kong’s FILMART, Cannes’s Marché du Film, and the American Film Market. Presided over in 2025 by Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana, Thai Night combined cultural performance, Thai SELECT cuisine, and curated networking to signal premium positioning and help convert meetings into MOUs and deals.

At Cannes 2025, DITP led twelve companies under the Thailand Pavilion, targeting trade valued at no less than 1 billion baht while facilitating hundreds of business negotiations. The content slate spanned film distribution, post-production services, and BL/GL series, an intentional mix to showcase breadth.

Results were concrete: Thai firms reported licensing and co-production talks, including Idol Factory’s negotiations that extended to buyers in Vietnam and Hong Kong and even an investment conversation with a Brazilian company, hinting at DITP’s emerging Latin America track.

FILMART 2025: Asia’s Premier Marketplace, Thailand’s Deal Floor

In Hong Kong, DITP fielded a 37-company delegation across four verticals including film/animation, production and post, TV programs/drama, and Y-series, targeting 1.2 billion Baht in negotiations. Deals and advanced talks reportedly included Hong Kong distribution for GDH titles, multi-market negotiations by Velcurve valued at over USD 2 million, and cross-border VFX/animation agreements for Kantana. Beyond immediate sales, the presence positioned Thailand as a regional content hub.

The press coverage across Asia underscored DITP’s framing: soft power is not a side effect of exports, rather, it is a lever to create them. Thai Night at FILMART amplified that narrative by convening global buyers (NBCUniversal, Lionsgate India, Variety, etc.), layering brand ritual over the trade floor.

Marché du Film: From Cannes Networking to 500+ Million Baht in Deals

At Marché du Film, the Thailand Pavilion reportedly facilitated 329 business negotiations with an estimated value exceeding THB 500 million, including animation co-production and IP licensing talks (The Monk Studios with partners in Japan and the UK) and first-ever theatrical market entries (M Distribution’s horror into Mongolia). It wasn’t just a showcase; it was a pipeline.

2025 Callouts: What Changed and Why It Matters

1. Trade Value and Market Access: Government reports through DITP and the PRD claimed 7+ billion baht in trade generated over six months via creative industry promotion, including film and television. While aggregated figures require caution when comparing apples to oranges across sectors, such numbers reflect the velocity of DITP-led market activity.

2. Funding and Incentives: The Ministry of Culture and THACCA announced THB 220 million (USD ~6.4M) for content production grants and international promotion, synced to market missions like FILMART and Cannes. Meanwhile, soft power reformers continued to push to raise location rebates to 30%, aiming to lock in inbound production, another export of services that complements DITP’s outbound content.

3. Institutional Cohesion: The Creative Economy Agency (CEA) scaled its Content Lab and Content Project Market programs to improve project readiness, with DITP then providing the market gateway, evidence of better choreography among agencies. Thai creators pitched 34 projects to international investors in September 2025, with an emphasis on animation and globally viable series.

4. Genre and Format Strategy: DITP leaned into globally resonant formats: horror movies (a Thai export staple), BL/GL series (growing worldwide), and premium animation services. The targeted curation at markets (e.g., Idol Factory’s GL portfolio; Kantana’s sound/post-production; The Monk Studios’ animation pipeline) reflects an understanding that soft power and sales follow distinctive creative signatures.

Latin America: From Exploratory Talks to Structured Market Entry

Thailand’s 2025–26 playbook explicitly includes Latin America and Spanish-language markets. DITP scheduled a formal Thai presence at Content Americas 2026 in Miami, a major trade hub for LatAm and US Hispanic content, listing an official activity for January 19–22, 2026, with business matching, pitching, and co-pro panels (Telemundo, Globo, Disney Latin America, among others). This is not a festival cameo; it is structured market access.

The targeting aligns with informal signals seen in 2025. Cannes reporting mentioned Idol Factory in talks with a Brazilian investor, and the government highlighted Brazil and Mexico in its FY2026 plan to expand Y-series overseas, pairing fan-meet activation (to build demand) with trade missions (to convert demand into deals). That twin-track approach is classic DITP: prime the market culturally, then capitalize commercially.

Beyond Miami, Thailand’s soft power apparatus moved BL/GL outreach directly into Brazil via MFA-led events, indicating inter-agency alignment where cultural roadshows are used to seed market demand ahead of DITP’s trade programming. It is telling that these mission briefs emphasize tourism and merchandise as well, the “whole basket” of soft power exports.

For co-production, Latin America provides depth: Brazil’s audiovisual policy ecosystem (ANCINE, SAv) actively courts partnerships, and Miami functions as a command center for Spanish/Portuguese-language buyers. DITP’s presence in this corridor suggests Thailand intends to negotiate not only distribution but also co-financing and service production relationships, leveraging Thai studios and post houses to supply global content workflows.

A Landmark Symbol: Out of the Nest and the Oscars

If soft power needs a flagship narrative, Thai animation’s rise provides it and DITP capitalized on that momentum by integrating animated studios into trade delegations and highlighting Thai capabilities at global markets. DITP supported the promotional efforts of Out of the Nest to build awareness of the animated film to Academy members, and hosted multiple screenings in Los Angeles. The breakout emblem was Out of the Nest (องครักษ์พิทักษ์เจี๊ยบ), a Thai–Chinese animated feature directed by a cross-border team (Arturo A. Hernandez, Andrew Gordon, and Veerapatra Jinanavin), produced by T&B Media Global under Founder and CEO Jwanwat Ahriyavraromp (Shelldon, Vanguard, Hidden Strike) with production ties to Riff Studio and Base FX. The film premiered in Thailand in September 2024, was honored with an 'Annecy Selects' at Annecy 2024, and secured international sales representation soon after.

“Working with DITP has been vital for us. Their support goes far beyond introductions. It’s about insight, trust, and a shared vision for Thai creativity on the world stage. Thanks to their partnership, T&B Media Global has been able to dream bigger and reach audiences we never thought possible. They’ve shown that when government and industry move together, Thai stories can truly be showcased on the global stage.” - Bhak Tanta-Nanta, Deputy CEO, T&B Media Global

In 2025, the film achieved official eligibility for the Best Animated Feature category at the 98th Academy Awards, appearing on the Academy’s list of 35 animated features deemed qualifying. Thai outlets celebrated the milestone as a first for a Thai animated feature, and industry trades corroborated the Academy’s eligibility lists (201 documentaries, 86 international features, and 35 animated features). That distinction matters: eligibility does not guarantee shortlisting, but it validates production quality, US release compliance (July 18, 2025), and international campaign execution.

Coverage from Cartoon Brew documented the film’s arduous, decade-long production and the growth of Thailand’s animation talent pipeline, context that reinforces why DITP’s inclusion of studios like The Monk Studios in Cannes delegations is strategically prescient. If Thai animation can hit Oscar-qualifying thresholds, then Thailand can credibly pitch itself not only as a downstream service provider but as an originator of animated IP, a higher-margin position in the global content value chain.

For 2025’s soft power ledger, Out of the Nest is more than an awards headline. It signals that Thai producers can meet the technical, narrative, and distribution bar for global recognition, precisely the kind of proof point DITP needs when courting buyers and co-financiers in markets from East Asia to Latin America.

What DITP Does Differently

1. Integrating Trade With Culture: Many countries host national pavilions. Few wrap them with culinary branding (Thai SELECT), royalty-backed ceremonies, and curated performance to create a premium aura around deal-making. This soft power “frame” appears to improve meeting quality and create spillover into tourism and lifestyle exports.

2. Cross-Agency Sequencing: DITP’s trade missions are timed to ride on the back of creative incubation (CEA’s Content Lab), state funding (THACCA’s production grants), and policy reforms (rebates), a sequence that increases the odds of commercial outcomes. Reports through 2025 show coordinated delegations (Ministry of Culture, Tourism, THACCA) sharing responsibilities, a departure from the siloed efforts of the past.

3. Segment Specialization: The decision to bring BL/GL producers as a distinct cohort reflects demand science: those fan communities are transnational, digitally organized, and primed for merchandise, travel, and streaming conversions. DITP’s 2026 plan to back Y-series exports to Brazil and Mexico combines fan engagement with B2B deal-making and again, sequencing culture to commerce.

4. Services and IP, Not Just Distribution: Deals highlighted in market reports include post-production, VFX, sound, and animation services, areas where Thai firms like Kantana and The Monk Studios can capture foreign spend. This services export model complements IP sales and diversifies Thailand’s revenue streams from content.

   
   

The 2025 Scorecard: Successes and Signals

• Market Presence: DITP delivered visible national footprints at FILMART and Cannes, plus sectoral roadshows and digital content festivals at home (BIDC). Thai businesses reported hundreds of negotiations and multi-hundred-million-baht deal values, a proxy for momentum even when final closings occur months later.

• Brand Elevation: The Thai Night narrative, “Where Films Come Alive," successfully linked craft, culture, and commerce. International buyers and media outlets attended in significant numbers.

• Pipeline Development: Thai creators advanced co-production talks (Japan, UK, North America), while distributors opened first-time markets (Mongolia), evidence of diversification beyond familiar territories.

• Awards Traction: Out of the Nest validated Thai animation on the Academy’s official eligibility list, marking a milestone in international perception and campaign capability.

• Policy Synchronization: Funding announcements and incentive discussions (toward a 30% rebate) tracked alongside trade missions, suggesting better alignment of promotion with reform priorities.

  
  

Risks and Realities: What an Investigative Lens Must Acknowledge

Soft power metrics can be inflated if agencies aggregate intentions and negotiations alongside actual closings. Reported values (e.g., 500 million Baht at Marché du Film) often reflect projected trade over 1–3 years and may be subject to post-event attrition. Transparency about execution, how many deals convert, at what value, and over what period, will determine credibility.

Similarly, incentives (production rebates) need consistent legislative footing and administrative clarity. Thailand’s promise to reach 30% has been discussed repeatedly; the industry will judge by implemented policy, not presentations. If DITP’s pitch relies on rebates to attract co-productions and foreign shoots, then bottlenecks in approval or disbursement could dampen momentum.

Finally, institutional coordination is fragile. Thai soft power reforms require multiple agencies to move in step, THACCA, Culture, Tourism, Commerce, Foreign Affairs, and CEA. Any leadership change or budget realignment could disrupt sequencing. Analysts in 2025 cautioned against top-down curation that freezes culture into “marketable images,” urging ecosystem approaches that let creators lead. DITP’s strength is market connection; its challenge is resisting the temptation to overprescribe content.

Why Latin America Matters to Thailand’s Next Phase

The Miami-LatAm corridor is a natural frontier for Thailand’s soft power exports. It offers:

• Scale and Diversity: Spanish and Portuguese-language markets with massive streaming appetites. Content Americas convenes US Hispanic and LatAm buyers in one place, ideal for a national delegation.

• Co-Production Potential: Brazil’s policy architecture (ANCINE & SAv) is designed for international collaboration, and the region’s broadcasters/platforms actively seek distinctive genres, horror, melodrama, youth romance, that Thailand can supply.

• Fan Economies: BL/GL fandoms are transnational, and Brazil has already hosted Thai series outreach. DITP’s FY2026 plan explicitly lists Brazil and Mexico for drama/series trade missions, evidence of intent to move past exploratory talks into structured market development.

  
  

If Thailand secures sustained distribution in LatAm, it gains a second pole for soft power exports beyond East Asia, balancing portfolio risk and amplifying global brand recognition.

The Editorial Take: DITP as the Quiet Architect of Thailand’s Content Exports

Two things are true at once:

1. Thailand’s film and TV surge is powered by creators, studios, and daring producers who broke through with hits and festival placements, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, horror franchises, BL/GL series, and now Oscar-eligible animation. The artistry comes from the ground up.

2. The conversion of art into trade, the reason Thai content is signing deals in Hong Kong, Cannes, Busan, and (next) Miami is increasingly the work of DITP’s machinery: curated delegations, business matching, branded national events, and multi-market scheduling that gives buyers a repeatable path to discover, negotiate, and contract with Thai companies.

   
   

The praise is earned. In 2025, DITP positioned Thai entertainment where it counts, on deal floors. The investigation suggests a next step: formalize conversion reporting, ensure incentive delivery, and keep creators at the center of the narrative. Soft power thrives when national branding invites the world to purchase authentic stories, not managed images.

Out of the Nest shows what Thai animation can do when it reaches global standards. DITP’s job is to ensure the industry gets many more chances to test those standards across genres, markets, and languages, until Thai content is not only admired but continually bought. The 2025 ledger hints that this is already happening. The 2026 Latin America chapter, starting in Miami, will tell us how wide the Thai wave can spread.