Chiang Mai hosts Hollywood film shoot

Published: 6 Nov 2013 at 18.13 Bangkok Post

Chiang Mai has been chosen as the shooting location for Hollywood's ‘The Coup’ with the shooting already started this week until Dec 20, according to the province’s Public Relations Department.
Ubonrat Kongkraphan, Chiang Mai public relations officer, said Bold Films, with the cooperation with Film Board of Thailand, brought "The Coup" production to Chiang Mai. Shooting started on Nov 3, according to a report in Khaosod.
The production team has presented its scripts and received approval for the use of equipment from the province. After finishing the shooting in each part, the film will be examined first by the province.
"The Coup" is about an American family moving to a new home in an Asian country and finds itself caught in the middle of a coup, so the father tries to find a safe escape for his family. It is directed by John Erick Dowdle and stars Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan and Michelle Monaghan. The film is scheduled to be released in 2014.
Ms Ubonrat said large settings had been created with shooting running for the whole day. So it was the first time for Chiang Mai to experience a large-scale film production. She said she hoped Chiang Mai would be recognised as a destination for international film shoots in the future.
Besides investment in the production, Chiang Mai is also benefiting from the employment of extras in the film and hotel occupancy.
Chiang Mai was earlier the location for the shooting of the Chinese comedy film “Lost in Thailand”. Since its release at the end of last year, Chiang Mai has become a destination for many Chinese tourists.
In 2012, more than 500 foreign films and documentaries were made using Thailand as a location. It was expected that film shoots would reach as many as 700 in 2013, according to Thai Film Office under the Tourism Authority of Thailand.