The Economic Development Committee urges the government to crack down on “zero-budget film crews,” exposing that foreign capital smuggles equipment and illegal labor into Thailand for filming, causing Thai operators to lose hundreds of billions in revenue due to this illicit activity and unfair competition.
On 29 Oct 2026 GMT+7 at the Parliament building, the Economic Development Committee of the House of Representatives, led by Mr. Isariya Paireepairit, party-list MP of the People’s Party, held a press conference following a joint meeting with equipment rental business operators regarding the issue of “zero-budget film crews.” This followed complaints from Thai operators severely impacted by foreign capital groups, particularly from China, illegally importing equipment and labor to film in Thailand.
Mr. Isariya stated that Thailand gains substantial income and economic value from foreign film productions using its locations. The government has long supported and promoted this sector. However, a crisis has emerged involving “zero-budget film crews,” especially from China, which illegally smuggle filming equipment such as cameras, lighting, and support gear into the country. These crews avoid renting equipment from Thai operators and employ no Thai labor, relying solely on Chinese workers brought in illegally. As a result, neither Thailand nor its film industry workers benefit from government incentives.
Meanwhile, Mr. Noppat Jittapinan-kanta, Bangkok MP for Constituency 24 and member of the People’s Party’s cultural working group, said this problem has two key parts with different processes and impacts. The first involves foreign crews applying for government cash rebate incentives, which provide tiered reimbursements of 15-30% for productions investing at least 50 million baht. These productions must submit detailed, transparent financial documents, allowing effective government oversight.
The real problem lies in the second group: crews that do not apply for these incentives because their investment is below the 50 million baht minimum. Consequently, the Film and Video Business Office (FVBO) under the Department of Tourism, responsible under the 2008 Film and Video Act, lacks information on these crews’ expenditures, whether they evade taxes by renting equipment illicitly, or if they comply with Thai tax laws.
Mr. Noppat added that the annual budget allocated to the Department of Tourism’s Cash Rebate system is only about 300 million baht, which is very limited compared to the actual rebates owed to foreign crews. This causes delayed payments to many productions and leads major foreign producers to relocate filming to neighboring countries with more reliable and faster reimbursement systems. Thailand thus loses significant economic opportunities.
Mr. Purivat Jaisamran, Bangkok MP for Constituency 12 and member of the People’s Party’s cultural working group, said the “zero-budget film crew” issue extends beyond the film industry, spreading harm to advertising, documentaries, and large event and concert businesses. These activities rely on specialized equipment and skilled labor from basic to advanced levels. The influx of foreign capital bringing their own labor and equipment to provide turnkey services effectively blocks opportunities for Thai skill development and employment.
Mr. Purivat continued that after inviting relevant agencies to brief the committee, it became evident that many government bodies lack data and effective coordination systems. For example, the Customs Department, responsible for monitoring equipment imports under the ATA Carnet temporary admission system, cannot verify whether equipment is properly imported and returned on schedule. Similarly, the Department of Employment, which issues work permits to foreign workers, has no data or statistics on zero-budget crews or illegal labor use in film productions within their systems.
Furthermore, problems include nominee company registrations where foreign capital evades laws by using Thai shareholders as fronts or registers 100% foreign-owned companies that operate without authorization. There is also a lack of audits by the Revenue Department and the Board of Investment (BOI), exposing legal and regulatory gaps that have been neglected for over 4-5 years, causing serious damage to Thai operators.
Mr. Sombun Piriya-phakdikul, representative of equipment rental operators, said Thai operators are currently suffering accumulated losses and lack work because Chinese companies establish nominee firms in Thailand with registered capital of only 200,000 baht and smuggle massive filming equipment while evading taxes. They provide equipment rental services solely to Chinese crews without going through Thai tax systems or obtaining proper BOI approvals, as their registered capital falls below required thresholds. Even large foreign productions entitled to cash rebates increasingly evade laws by importing large quantities of equipment per project to avoid renting locally, reducing actual spending and economic benefits that should accrue to Thais.
Finally, Mr. Isariya concluded that today’s meeting yielded concrete results and promising cooperation. Thai operators identified and pinpointed locations storing illegal equipment to the Customs Department and Department of Employment. These authorized agencies will urgently inspect and crack down on these storage sites and apprehend workers without permits. The committee will closely monitor progress and report updates to the public.
