5 Hollywood films that were filmed at various locations within Thailand

[Andrew Reeve]

Listed below compiled by fanclubthailand.co.uk is a list of 5 Hollywood films that were filmed at various locations within Thailand.

The Big Boss (1971)

Bruce Lee’s classic martial arts film, The Big Boss, follows the fortunes of a young fighter from China who immigrates to Thailand to be with his family. He finds work in an ice factory only to discover it is a front for a drug operation. The movie features Pak Chong district in Nakhon Ratchasima, North-East Thailand.

The Deer Hunter (1978)

The Deer Hunter is one of many Vietnam War movies that use Thailand in place of its near neighbor. The multi-Oscar winning film features a host of stars including Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken and Meryl Streep. The Russian roulette bar scene where Walken shoots himself was filmed in Bangkok’s Patpong nightlife area and the POW camp with cages in the river was filmed in Sai Yok, Kanchanaburi.

The Killing Fields (1984)

The moving story of The Killing Fields and the genocide in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge uses a number of locations in Thailand as stand-ins for the actual locations in Cambodia. The Railway Hotel in Hua Hin (now the Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villas) was used as the Hotel Phnom Penh and locations in Bangkok and Phuket also feature.

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)

Good Morning, Vietnam used Bangkok as a substitute for Saigon with rooms in the Malaysia Hotel in the Thai capital transformed into the radio station where Williams’ character, Adrian Cronauer, would broadcast from. Thai actress Jintara Sukapat plays the love interest in a movie which was also filmed in Phuket.

Air America (1990)

The gorgeous scenery of Mae Hong Son province in North Thailand stands in for Laos in Air America, the story of a covert CIA operation in Laos during the Vietnam War. In one of the movie’s most iconic scenes, Mel Gibson’s character takes an unsuspecting Robert Downey Jr. for a helicopter ride with a difference over Chong Kham Lake in Mae Hong Son town.

[BlueSphinx]

Hi, not a Hollywood movie, but a genuine Thai movie, and an absolute must-see for any movie-fan, willing to make the effort to get mesmerized by the slow rythm and fascinating story/camera-work of this beautiful movie.

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Thai: ลุงบุญมีระลึกชาติ; RTGS: Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat)

It is a 2010 Thai art drama film written, produced, and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The film, which explores themes of reincarnation, centers on the last days in the life of its title character, who is played by Thanapat Saisaymar. Together with his loved ones—including the spirit of his dead wife, Huay, and his lost son, Boonsong, who has returned in a non-human form — Boonmee explores his past lives as he contemplates the reasons for his illness.

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives was inspired by the 1983 book A Man Who Can Recall His Past Lives by Buddhist abbot Phra Sripariyattiweti. The film is the final installment in a multi-platform art project by Apichatpong Weerasethakul called "Primitive". It premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d'Or, becoming the first Thai film to do so.

[ThaiGolfGuy]

How about a few others:

No Escape = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Escape_(2015_film) not a great film, mostly in the north of the country, Chiang Mai. But I ran into Owen Wilson after filming completed, at the St Regis on Rajadamri for a Sunday Brunch. Needless to say what happened stays between us.

Off Limits - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off_Limits_(1988_film) There is a memorable scene where Hines and Dafoe are on foot leaving a bar and running down the street chasing a taxi - this is Patpong 1 way before there was a night market.

Bangkok Dangerous - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok_Dangerous_(2008_film) not many memorable scenes but many a Thai actor/actress's and some good shots it Bangkok.

Do we even need to mention Hang Over Part 2 = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hangover_Part_II the only scene for me is the shot at LeBua at State Tower, OK Maybe the shot down Soi 7/1 Sukhumvit, you can see the Devils Den sign in the back ground....

[uanmak]

Other notable reels filmed here include:

The Beach (of course)

Three Rambo movies (II, III and the 2008 one)

Kickboxer (with Van Damme)

Mortal Kombat (at least the first, not sure the 2nd)

007 - Tomorrow Never Dies (instead of filming in Vietnam)

Alexander (some parts along Mekong river)

Star Wars ep. III (the battle on Kashyyk)

American Gangster (at Chiang Mai)

The Railway Man (great act from Colin Firth)

A Prayer Before Dawn (a less-known 2017 movie on the real story of Billy Moore; some shots filmed in a real Thai prison, but I don't know where)

[Metaluna]

Perhaps add Heaven and Earth.

[vlad]

Missed probably the best film location.  Cue Nick Nack & Mr Scaramanga.

[Vigo]

Paradise Beach. A depressing French thug/criminal film set in Phuket and featuring a lot of Patong.

[Marc26]

  On 2/5/2022 at 7:04 PM, Vigo said:

Paradise Beach. A depressing French thug/criminal film set in Phuket and featuring a lot of Patong.

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I actually liked that movie

I'm not saying it was a good movie

It wasn't very good but I like bad gangster movies sometimes 

[WrightT]

Couple of Jason Stratham movies that sort of fit the bill.

Mechanic Resurrection (2016). This as a follow up to the earlier 2011 The Mechanic, which was a remake (mostly in name) of the Charles Bronson / Michael Winner (Calm down dear) 1972 film. Internationally shot in Australia, Brasil, Bulgaria, Malaysia and Thailand.  The Thailand locations, were Bangkok, Phuket and Chanthaburi. Chanthaburi abandoned prison was used to to film the maximum security prison scene. Phuket locations were in and around Phang Nga Bay.  The infinity pool scene which in the movie is on the top floor of a sky scraper in Circular Quay Sydney was actually the pool at a villa overlooking Kata Noi Beach, Phuket;  that was then Green-Screened to create the impressive view.

In his 2018 summer blockbuster The Meg, the earlier screen of Jason drinking Chang beer at his local Thai jetty was actually shot in China!

However, the 2023 follow-up  movie, The Meg 2 : The Trench; was to use Krabi as a key location. But as reported earlier this year in the Thaiger, the local Governor rejected the application on the grounds "the film might present the wrong picture of the place to the audience". 

I'm quite sure Martha's Vineyard hasn't been effected by that other big shark movie!

Thaiger article = https://thethaiger.com/news/national/krabi-rejects-meg-2-shark-horror-film-request-to-shoot-at-railay-ton-sai-beaches

Mechanic Resurrection = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3522806/

[lspab]

Thirteen Lives was partly filmed on location. A rather good film, with solid performances from Viggo Mortensen. Colin Farrell and Joel Edgarton.

Musk didn't have a part.

[angelalucas]

Thailand is well known for its beaches, natural places, and islands it's like a Nature Kingdom. It's also known for its market, Nightlife, and Thai-style multi-cuisine foods, In so many years this become a top destination for many movie makers to choose this place to shoot their various movie sequel scenes.

Extraction (2020)
The Hangover Part II (2011)
The Gray Man (2022)
The Railway Man (2013)
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

The Hangover and Extraction are my favorite movies.