The Kingdom of Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...

 since 1984, when it became the second independent nation in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

 to join the competition, after the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. The award is given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...

 to a feature-length

Feature length

Feature length is motion picture terminology referring to the length of a feature film. According to the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a feature length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes to be eligible for an Academy Award.The term may also...

 motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 dialogue.

Over the years, Thailand has submitted eighteen films to AMPAS for Oscar consideration but thus far no Thai candidate has received an Oscar nomination. Four submissions were directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol

Chatrichalerm Yukol

His Serene Highness Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol is a Thai film director, screenwriter and film producer. A prolific director since the 1970s, among his films is the 2001 historical epic, The Legend of Suriyothai. A member of the Thai royal family, his official royal title is Mom Chao, or M.C., the...

, a member of the Thai nobility, and three were directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang

Pen-Ek Ratanaruang

Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is a Thai film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his arthouse work, Last Life in the Universe, and is considered to be one of Thai cinema's leading "new wave" auteurs, alongside Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong Weerasethakul...

.

Submissions

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited the film industries of various countries to submit their best film for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film since 1956. The Foreign Language Film Award Committee oversees the process and reviews all the submitted films. Following this, they vote via secret ballot

Secret ballot

The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...

 to determine the five nominees for the award.

Thai Oscar submissions are selected annually by the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand. All submissions were made in Thai

Thai language

Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...

.

Year (Ceremony)	English Title	Thai title	Director	IMDB
1957-1983	No submissions
1984	Story of Nam Poo	น้ำพุ	Euthana Mukdasanit Euthana Mukdasanit Euthana Mukdasanit is a Thai film director and screenwriter. As a contemporary of Chatrichalerm Yukol, Euthana was among a group of directors that during the 1970s made films that focused on social problems...	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344097/
1985-1988	No submissions
1989	The Elephant Keeper	คนเลี้ยงช้าง	Chatrichalerm Yukol Chatrichalerm Yukol His Serene Highness Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol is a Thai film director, screenwriter and film producer. A prolific director since the 1970s, among his films is the 2001 historical epic, The Legend of Suriyothai. A member of the Thai royal family, his official royal title is Mom Chao, or M.C., the...	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332183/
1990	Song of the Chaophraya	น้องเมีย	Chatrichalerm Yukol Chatrichalerm Yukol His Serene Highness Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol is a Thai film director, screenwriter and film producer. A prolific director since the 1970s, among his films is the 2001 historical epic, The Legend of Suriyothai. A member of the Thai royal family, his official royal title is Mom Chao, or M.C., the...	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0176163/
1991-1994	No submissions
1995	Once Upon A Time...This Morning Once Upon a Time (1994 film) Once Upon a Time or Once Upon a Time... This Morning is a 1994 Thai drama film directed by Bhandit Rittakol.-Cast:*Ronnarong Buranat*Martang Jantranee*Santisuk Promsiri *Chintara Sukapatana*Charlie Trairat...	กาลครั้งหนึ่ง เมื่อเช้านี้	Bhandit Rittakol Bhandit Rittakol Bhandit Rittakol was an award-winning Thai film director, producer and screenwriter. His films include the controversial biographical film of Thai communist revolutionary Seksan Prasertkul, The Moonhunter; the jungle thriller Tigress of King River and The Seed , a semi-documentary story of Isan...	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110231/
1996	no submission
1997	Daughter 2	เสียดาย 2	Chatrichalerm Yukol Chatrichalerm Yukol His Serene Highness Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol is a Thai film director, screenwriter and film producer. A prolific director since the 1970s, among his films is the 2001 historical epic, The Legend of Suriyothai. A member of the Thai royal family, his official royal title is Mom Chao, or M.C., the...	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133706/
1998	Who Is Running? Who Is Running? Who is Running? is a 1997 Thai drama film directed by Oxide Pang Chun. The directorial debut of Oxide Pang, it was Thailand's official entry to the Academy Awards in 1998.-Plot:...	ท้าฟ้าลิขิต	Oxide Pang	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179524/
1999	no submission
2000	6ixtynin9	เรื่องตลก 69	Pen-Ek Ratanaruang Pen-Ek Ratanaruang Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is a Thai film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his arthouse work, Last Life in the Universe, and is considered to be one of Thai cinema's leading "new wave" auteurs, alongside Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong Weerasethakul...	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235154/
2001	The Moonhunter The Moonhunter The Moonhunter is a 2001 Thai film directed by Bhandit Rittakol. It was Thailand's submission to the 74th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.-See also:*Cinema of Thailand*List of submissions to the 74th Academy Awards for Best...	14 ตุลา สงครามประชาชน	Bhandit Rittakol Bhandit Rittakol Bhandit Rittakol was an award-winning Thai film director, producer and screenwriter. His films include the controversial biographical film of Thai communist revolutionary Seksan Prasertkul, The Moonhunter; the jungle thriller Tigress of King River and The Seed , a semi-documentary story of Isan...	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0295145/
2002	Monrak Transistor Monrak Transistor Monrak Transistor is a 2001 Thai film directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. Blending several genres, including comedy, romance, musical and crime, it is the story of a young man named Pan and his odyssey after he goes AWOL from the army and tries to make it as a luk thung singing star.-Plot:The story...	มนต์รักทรานซิสเตอร์	Pen-Ek Ratanaruang Pen-Ek Ratanaruang Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is a Thai film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his arthouse work, Last Life in the Universe, and is considered to be one of Thai cinema's leading "new wave" auteurs, alongside Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong Weerasethakul...	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306359/
2003	Last Life in the Universe Last Life in the Universe Last Life in the Universe is a 2003 Thai film directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. The film is notable for being trilingual; the two main characters flit from Thai to Japanese to English as their vocabulary requires...	เรื่องรัก น้อยนิด มหาศาล	Pen-Ek Ratanaruang Pen-Ek Ratanaruang Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is a Thai film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his arthouse work, Last Life in the Universe, and is considered to be one of Thai cinema's leading "new wave" auteurs, alongside Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong Weerasethakul...	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0345549/
2004	The Overture The Overture The Overture is a 2004 Thai musical-drama film. A fictionalised account based on the life story of Thai palace musician Luang Pradit Phairoh , it follows the life of a Thai classical musician from the late 19th century to the 1940s...	โหมโรง	Itthisoontorn Vichailak	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415046/
2005	The Tin Mine The Tin Mine The Tin Mine is a 2005 Thai biographical drama film directed by Jira Maligool. It is adapted from short stories by Ajin Panjapan and his semi-autobiographical account of growing up in a mining camp in southern Thailand during the post-World War II years...	มหา’ลัย เหมืองแร่	Jira Maligool Jira Maligool Jira Maligool is a Thai film director, screenwriter and producer. He's directed two films, Mekhong Full Moon Party and The Tin Mine, and was the screenwriter behind the international hit, The Iron Ladies....	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454190/
2006	Ahimsa...Stop to Run Ahingsa-Jikko mee gam Ahingsa-Jikko mee gam is a 2005 Thai karmic-crime-comedy-drama written and directed by Kittikorn Kiasirikun .-Plot:Ahingsa is a young man who's haunted by his karma, which takes the form of a mysterious red-haired man who dishes out abuse when Ahingsa runs afoul of morality...	อหิงสา จิ๊กโก๋ มีกรรม	Kittikorn Liasirikun Kittikorn Liasirikun Kittikorn Liasirikun , also known as Leo Kittikorn, is a Thai film director, screenwriter and producer. His films include Bus Lane and Saving Private Tootsie.- Director :* 18-80 Buddy...	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0485081/
2007	King Naresuan Part II: Reclamation of Sovereignty King Naresuan (film) The Legend of King Naresuan is a Thai biographical historical drama film about King Naresuan the Great, who ruled Siam from 1590 until his death in 1605....   (as King of Fire)	ตำนานสมเด็จพระนเรศวรมหาราช ตอนประกาศอิสรภาพ	Chatrichalerm Yukol Chatrichalerm Yukol His Serene Highness Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol is a Thai film director, screenwriter and film producer. A prolific director since the 1970s, among his films is the 2001 historical epic, The Legend of Suriyothai. A member of the Thai royal family, his official royal title is Mom Chao, or M.C., the...	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0975744/
2008	Love of Siam	รักแห่งสยาม	Chookiat Sakveerakul Chookiat Sakveerakul Chookiat Sakveerakul is a Thai film director and screenwriter. He is also credited as Ma-Deaw Chukiatsakwirakul or Matthew Chukiat Sakwirakul....	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152282/
2009	Best of Times Best of Times (2009 film) Best of Times is a Thai romantic drama film directed by Yongyoot Thongkongtoon and released by GTH in 2009. Starring Arak Amornsupasiri, Yarinda Bunnag, Krissana Sreadthatamrong and Sansanee Wattananukul, it features the story of Keng, a young veterinarian who, during giving computer classes to a...	ความจำสั้น แต่รักฉันยาว	Youngyooth Thongkonthun	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1522145/
2010	Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is a 2010 Thai film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It won the Palme d'Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:The film centers on the last days in the life of its title character...	ลุงบุญมีระลึกชาติ	Apichatpong Weerasethakul Apichatpong Weerasethakul Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul is a Thai independent film director, screenwriter, and film producer. His feature films include Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, winner of the prestigious 2010 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or prize; Tropical Malady, which won a jury prize at the 2004...	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1588895/
2011	Kon Khon Kon Khon Kon Khon is 2011 Thai film by Sarunyu Wongkrachang is about love tragilie between three rival Khon dancers The film was selected as the Thai entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards-Plot:...	คนโขน	Sarunyu Wongkrachang

The selection committee of the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand generally has chosen movies that highlight key moments in Thai history or important social issues.

• Thailand's five earliest submissions all dealt with contemporary social problems included Nam Poo (drug abuse
  Drug abuse
  Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
  
  ), The Elephant Keeper (environmentalism and illegal logging), Song of the Chaophraya (prostitution and rural migration to Bangkok), Once Upon A Time (child poverty) and Daughter 2 (AIDS
  AIDS
  Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
  
  ).

• Four Thai submissions were fact-based period dramas - King Naresuan Part 2 was a lavish costume drama set in the sixteenth century about one of Thailand's most distinguished kings; The Overture tells the life story of one of Thailand's greatest classical musicians from the 1880s until the 1940s; The Tin Mine is about a spoiled rich kid who ends up working in the titular mine in Southern Thailand in the years following World War II
  World War II
  World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
  
  ; The Moonhunter followed a band of controversial, leftist rebels in the 1970s.

• Three Thai submissions were fast-paced thrillers, two of which incorporated strong elements of Buddhism and karma
  Karma
  Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
  
   into their plots, namely Who is Running? and Ahimsa...Stop to Run. Also submitted was 6ixtynin9, about a recently laid-off woman who finds a huge cache of stolen money.

• Two submissions were romantic comedy-dramas that were box office hits domestically. Love of Siam featured a gay teen romance, and Best of Times featured two potential couples, one in their 20s and one in their 60s.

• Also submitted were a bittersweet genre-bending musical-comedy-drama-romance (Monrak Transistor in 2002) and a surreal, arty drama in Japanese
  Japanese language
  is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
  
  , English
  English language
  English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
  
   and Thai
  Thai language
  Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
  
  (Last Life in the Universe in 2003).