A mission to bring locations in Thailand and Thai film sets to a global stage by ‘Thep Thanyathep’‒a renowned location scout

~"The charm of each location lies in its story. A location can tell its own story."

Thep told EQ team before turning to speak with the owner of the location we were interviewing at today.

~"Feel free to make yourself at home, Thep," replied the owner of the large vintage house in the soi near Sutthisan.

Thep then took us on a tour of the house, which served as the location for the series ‘Doctor Climax,’ in a friendly manner.

~"We've known each other for a long time and trust each other so much that he even let us use the house for this interview," Thep said.

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~After being impressed by the amazing features of the location, we had the opportunity to sit in the living room where the characters 'Tukta' and 'Doctor Nat' had their conversations in the series. We then began our discussion about 'Location and Film Set Work Environment' with Thep Thanyathep, a skilled Location Manager who has redefined the meaning of buildings by using them as film locations many times.

~He is also the sole admin of the page Theplocation, a space dedicated to sharing stories, memories, and fun facts about various locations.

~Join EQ as we converse with the man who is passionate about the stories of different places.

Before becoming ‘Thep Location,’ what kind of person was ‘Thep’ as a child?

~"I graduated in Communication Arts like many others. 20-30 years ago, there wasn’t much information about career opportunities. We didn’t know what we would become after graduation because we were produced in similar environments from similar schools. So, we didn’t really learn what we truly liked or which path to take. At that time, I chose to study communication arts to learn film and advertising, which were very popular. Many people wanted to become directors once they graduated. I enjoyed working on film sets, so after graduation, I sought opportunities to work in film and television.

~"I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I left home to make a living. I dedicated myself to filmmaking but realized I couldn’t compete with others. The industry didn’t offer many opportunities back then, unlike today. So, I went back home. One day, an older colleague called and invited me to work as a location manager at an advertising company. I didn’t know what the role actually was, but I decided to give it a try."

Tell us about the first task as a location manager

~"My first location was finding a Louis period style house‒a classic Victorian style house. I had never done it before, so it was quite challenging to find, and there was no information on where such houses were located. At that time, my boss just threw me into the deep end. Boom! ‘Go find a Louis period -style house for the advertisement.' I had no idea where to start because I had never done it before, but in the end, I managed to find one.

~"In the past, we shot pictures on film. When going out to find a location, I had to make sure I could capture every angle on just one roll of film, making sure everything fit into the 36 frames. It wasn’t as easy as today, where you can take photos and create an album instantly on Line. But overall, the process of working hasn’t changed much. You still have to go out, meet people, talk, and coordinate with others."

What traits should a location manager have?

~"You need to be someone who is nosy and observant, always checking the surroundings and continuously updating your insights. Over time, you will be able to build your own database. If someone needs a specific type of house, you will have 20 options readily available for them. You will automatically know which houses are suitable for filming and which are not. Location managers tend to have this kind of instinct.

~"Is it necessary for us to take beautiful pictures? Not really. The photos just need to be clear and informative. As the first person to see the location, you need to take pictures that effectively convey the place to the director. The job of a location manager is essentially made-to-order work. You need to crack the case and provide what’s needed."

What's the biggest challenge for a location manager?

~“The biggest challenge in finding a location is transforming what's 'abstract' into something more 'tangible.'

~"When searching for a location, we need to read the script. For example, in the story 'Home for Rent,' the script describes the leading actor and actress sleeping in separate rooms. The actor sleeps in the living room while the actress sleeps with the child in the bedroom. This setup is written this way because the actor needs to go out to do something and return without the actress knowing, and then hide something in the bathroom.

~"This means we need to find a location where the actor sleeps in the living room and the actress and child sleep in the bedroom. It should be an old-style condominium with large rooms. We have to transform the script into a physical location. A common question that follows is, 'What exactly am I looking for?' But we have to do our homework and find it."

Any exciting stories while scouting for locations?

~"Here’s the most exciting one. About ten years ago, I was tasked with finding a new, modern house that was different from the typical ones used in baby milk ads, which directors often use. I asked a friend of mine named Tai, who is an assistant director. I probably shouldn’t have asked her, but I gave it a shot. My friend said she knew of a place that might fit, so I drove to check it out the next day.

~"When I arrived, I found a not-too-deep soi with large, high-walled houses owned by rich people. I rolled down my window and asked a motorcycle taxi rider which house was used for filming. To my surprise, he pointed to one and said, 'This one! It’s where someone was murdered!'

~"At that moment, I was really excited. I was about to enter a house where someone had been shot dead. It was scary, but I had to go in and take pictures. It was frightening, but I managed to get through it. Every time I visited a location, I had to capture every room. While walking around, I kept thinking about the news. ‘The shooting happened in this room, and then continued into that room.’ It was terrifying, but I made it through."

Which film was the most fun to scout locations for?

~“‘Die Tomorrow’ by Ter Nawapol was a life-changing experience for me. The film’s concept is about how we could die tomorrow. I remember that there was a scene in the film set in a condo where Violette needed to stay in the story. We were scouting locations around Town in Town, looking at old-style condos. Ter likes vintage stuff, so we went with 7-8 people to check it out. After we finished scouting the location and went down the elevator, it got stuck. 'Ding!' At first, we laughed, thinking, 'Hey, it's Die Tomorrow!' But the elevator was stuck for a long time, like half an hour. I called my wife, scared of dying and wondering if I’d ever see my child again. Eventually, someone came to rescue us. It was both funny and sad.

~“Finding a location for ‘Home for Rent’ was also fun. Scouting for a horror film is challenging. Who would want to let us shoot a horror film in their house? And who would be interested in having a hospital scene? But we had to make it work. We had to explain to the owners what would happen in their house and let them decide if they were comfortable with it. We also had to take good care of their property.”

Which location did you stumble upon purely by chance?

~"It's ‘Home for Rent.’ There was a scene where someone drove the actress to the location where she was to be killed. The director wanted to set up the camera on the other side of the road, with a car driving by on the opposite side. However, the background had to be clear, with no lights. The script only briefly described this setup. We drove around, got lost, and were about to give up when we accidentally stumbled upon the exact location we needed for the shot. We could only get the shot within the frame, there was no room to move the camera even a little bit."

Recommended films with great locations that we must see

~“‘Opapatika’ is a film that captures locations in Bangkok exceptionally well, and ‘Love of Siam’ is well-known for its depiction of Siam Square. These films preserve these locations forever.”

What do you do in your free time?

~“On my days off, I usually just sleep. But thinking about it, I don’t really have days off. Whenever I come across something interesting, I take pictures of it and review them later. If I were truly free, it might be a bit lonely, but I always stay observant. Even on the BTS Skytrain, I pay attention to why there are houses in certain places or why there’s an old apartment in Sathorn area. When I have free time, I drive around to check out these locations.

~“Currently, I have over 100,000 pictures on my phone. I need a phone with at least 2 terabytes of storage because whenever I go out, I take pictures of everything. Sometimes I might look like a thief. But I know it might be useful one day.”

What lessons have you learned from being a location manager?

~"We can always make mistakes, no matter how long we’ve been working or how good others think we are. Mistakes can happen at any time. What matters is how we accept them and what we do after making those mistakes.

~“It’s okay to make mistakes. People make mistakes. Just start again and do better.' This was advice from a 25-year-old intern who spoke to me after I made a mistake while working together. The intern encouraged me, and it made me realize that it’s okay for me to make mistakes too. The older we get, the more we need to accept ourselves, which can be difficult. Everyone makes mistakes.

~"Making films teaches me lessons in every aspect. When something goes wrong, we need to accept it and move on."

Why do film sets from around the world want to shoot in Thailand?

~"Perhaps it's because our country is affordable, and Thai people are skilled and talented. We have locations that can be adapted to represent almost any country that goes with the yellow tone. It's also convenient here. Our locations are actually very beautiful, but I don’t understand why they are often associated with a yellow tone in color grading.

~"Any project that uses foreign funds to shoot in Thailand must go through the Film Board under the Ministry of Culture. Therefore, everything filmed here with foreign budgets has already been filtered through multiple layers of review by Thais before it reaches the cinema.

~"Recently, a Chinese film shot in Thailand led to concerns among Chinese viewers, who now fear that they might lose a kidney if they come to Thailand. The Film Board gave this film a pass, but no one really knows the standards used for this consideration.

~"Take the Apple OOO advertisement, for example, which was removed. For such a large production, it’s impossible for them to overlook such issues. It’s just a matter of perspective. They view us as 'third-world,' which is associated with the yellow tone."

Can Thailand become the hub for film locations of the world?

~"It definitely can, but our profession alone can't achieve this. It has to come from the government. We need to first envision what it means to be a film hub and then assess what we already have. Starting in Bangkok, we need to evaluate the available areas and locations for filming. Only then can we invite international producers to meet with Thai producers, using our locations as a major draw. Imagine how much money it could bring in! It all starts with the government’s vision.

~"I’ve been in this industry for over 20 years, and I know it’s still not strong enough. If we want to build it, we need to start from the foundation. Right now, we are producing people for an industry that isn’t yet strong.

~"Universities that teach film studies only focus on roles like cinematographers or directors. But what about roles like stylists, location managers, and report makers? These positions are crucial for moving the industry forward. We need to teach students about these roles as well. Some universities are beginning to address this. I have interns who quickly discover their preferences. When they say they don’t want to be location managers, that’s actually a good thing. Internships help people find their paths early, but ideally, this should happen even sooner. Universities should teach that film productions are diverse and include many different roles and should also educate students about life on a film set.

~"I really want to push for these changes."

What word of advice would you like to give to newbies on a film set?

~“Don’t think that the world can’t get by without you. When I was younger, I thought if I had to be on set, I would stay awake all night. I would push myself to stay up until midnight, but then we would start working on set around 4 a.m. By 9 a.m., the sunlight would make you want to fall asleep. Working on a film set isn’t steady. It’s not like a regular job where you work every day. It’s more of a freelance basis, but you often have to work hard to the point that it disrupts your sleep habits.”

How did Theplocation page come about?

~“10 years ago, I thought it would be nice to create a page to share stories about locations. One day, I took my child to an old cake shop on Rachadamnoen road and posted about it on the page. I wrote that it was the school break, we went there for a treat, the shop owner was incredibly indie, the parking lot was hard to find, and the shop didn’t always open, but the cake was delicious. I felt that sharing these kinds of stories was fun. It didn’t have to be content about finding locations for films. It could be about any place.

~“The posts that resonate most with my followers, who aren’t working in the film industry, are stories about schools, universities they used to attend, or even spooky locations. These often attract a lot of comments.

~“I run the page without needing to tell my followers everything. I don’t have to know all the details or be the only expert. I want to create a space where people can comment and interact, asking and answering each other’s questions.”

Do your followers help with location scouting?

~“For any location where I need help, I just ask for it. I have a diverse group of followers. For example, the condo in ‘Home for Rent’ was suggested by a follower who is a Residential Juristic Person of that condo.”

Which direction is Theplocation heading?

~“I plan to expand and make it more accessible. I would like it to become a show, a film, or a series where the locations are the main feature. I’m still figuring out the best way to achieve this. I want to build the Theplocation brand so that more people recognize it. My kid knows what I do, my friends know what I do, and when someone finds a beautiful location, they think of me.

~“I want to do something valuable and make the most of my life. I don’t want to waste time without purpose. I was also involved in some of Bangkok’s projects, like the One Stop Service Bangkok. There’s so much property here, such as schools, sports centers, libraries, and public parks. These locations can generate revenue for Bangkok.”

~“I want to push for serious improvements in the labor market for people working on film sets and make it happen. Sometimes, it requires those with a political position to drive these changes. I don’t see any serious efforts in this area yet. Workers on film sets will always be here, and newcomers are flushing in. A foundation for these workers, or something similar, could become a community that looks out for each other, especially about welfare and benefits. I believe we can help each other this way.

~“Another initiative is that I started a market for film workers. I am an admin of a Facebook page that was set up during COVID. When people were out of work, I created this market for them to sell their goods. But it’s not just about buying and selling. I want these workers to have a second source of income as well. Working in the film industry should come with a backup career.

~“I want to do more for the film industry.”

What keeps you in the location manager role?

~"One of the things that drive me is my child, and being a location manager is also one of those factors. For me, it’s about contributing to the industry I’m in. I have been doing this for half of my life, and I feel it’s important to give back. If I can do something valuable for the next generation, I will. I truly want this industry to become stronger.

~“When I go out and people recognize me, my child gets excited and proud that I’m a location manager. She can tell her friends about the things I do. That’s enough for me. It makes my life feel more meaningful.”

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