Thai studio films movie in Korea

Production on a Thai romantic comedy starring two of the country`s top actors will begin filming in various locations around Korea, the first time for Thailand, the Korean Tourism Organization said yesterday.

Korea was selected by the filmmakers in the hopes of grabbing publicity in Thailand where "Hallyu" and all things related to Korean pop-culture continue to enjoy immense popularity and media coverage.



The film titled, "As It Happens" starring Nataweeranuj Thong Mee and Dr. Navin Yaowapolku is scheduled for a four-day shoot beginning Friday at the Seoul N-Tower, the Gonjiam Resort in Suwon, the Wawoo Temple in Gyeonggi Province, the Seven Luck Casino Seoul, the popular shopping district Myeong-dong, and on a ferry on the Han River.

Miss Nataweeranuj is a familiar face for Korean movie-goers who have seen her in the popular horror film "Shutter," while the film`s male lead Dr. Yaowapolku is a popular singer-cum-television actor and interestingly, a professor at a Thai university.

"I`m so happy that Korea was selected as one of our filming locations. I really like it there and have been many times in the past and even volunteered to host a Hallyu event" Nataweeranuj recently told Thai media.

The film`s plot revolves around a romance that develops between the two leads when they have a string of chance encounters while traveling in Korea.

The production also looks to shore up interest in the country as a potential destination for Thai tourists.

"Starting from the pre-production phase the film received numerous offers from Japan and China that presented the filmmakers with location opportunities in their country but because of the immense popularity and presence of Korean entertainment in Thailand, the producers decided to choose Korea to bolster their film`s profile," said the Asia-Oceania regional chief of the Korea Tourism Board, Jeon Hyo-sik, adding "this will also be a great opportunity for us to attract tourists from Southeast Asia ahead of the peak winter season."

The Korea Tourism Board will also cooperate with the Korea-Thailand Cooperative Center to develop tour packages of the filming locations for Thai tourists.

(kws@heraldm.com)







By Song Woong-ki