Thailand is ready to sell its stories to the world. The country’s creative economy agency is set to launch the Bangkok International Content Market 2026 – billed as Thailand’s first international market for films, series and animation – which will take place from July 20-22 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok.
The market is the focus of the Thai Content Market 2026, a joint effort between the agency, known as CEA, and the Ministry of International Trade Promotion to attract international buyers and position the country as what officials call the “Content Hub of Asia.” Introduced as a business and co-production platform, BICM2026 targets the participation of more than 80 investors and streaming services from around the world.
The launch comes as Thailand pushes to turn the growing international profile of its display sector into an export business, and is part of the government’s Content Thai-branded soft power campaign. Investment in streaming is an important part of the picture: Netflix said it spent about $200 million on Thai content between 2021 and 2024, and the country’s Y series — love dramas for Thai boys — have gained a loyal following abroad. The Bangkok market also gives Thailand a platform in a crowded regional field that already includes Filmart in Hong Kong, the Asian Television Forum in Singapore, TIFFCOM in Tokyo, and the Asian Content and Film Market in Busan.
“Bangkok International Content Market 2026 represents an important step in systematically raising the Thai content market to an international level,” CEA Executive Director Chakrit Pitchiangkul said in a statement, adding that the agency aims to “transform Thai content and storytelling into sustainable economic value for the country.” Shakrit pointed to the country’s 2020 input-output data showing that every baht invested in content – especially films and streaming – returns about 1.8 baht in economic value.
The central program of BICM2026 will be a promotional competition for Asian and Thai storytelling, attracting more than 55 production-ready films, series and projects from Thailand and the wider region, with prizes of at least $20,000. The market floor will host more than 500 exhibitor booths, along with an industry forum for talks and panel discussions. BICM is part of the larger Thai Content Market, a trade division event covering 12 creative sectors – games, animation, art games and books among them – which targets more than 300 international buyers and 10,000 participants this year. Organizers say government support for the program is expected to help secure participation commitments from global broadcasters and studios.
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