I love watching Asian movies, whether it be Korean dramas, Japanese anime, or Thai films. There are at least 50 Thai movies I really liked, but I’ve narrowed them down to the top-10 must-sees. In the next few blog posts I’ll introduce to you these movies, and explain why it’s so important for you to watch each – important in the sense that you are a student in Thai culture and language. As an added bonus, it’s a good chance to practice your Thai and pick up a few new words. What I won’t do is go over the plots or reveal any spoilers, so don’t worry. I’ve included links to trailers of each of the movies, but I strongly recommend skipping the trailer and trusting me that it’s worth watching. Trailers spoil the film, you know?

Now, before I go into the movies, I’d like to pre-empt your question about where to get these Thai movies. You can of course find them online with youtube or bittorrent software, which is the cheapest way – and perhaps even the only way – if you are not in Thailand. If you are in Thailand, you can find them in the street markets that are frequented by Thais (not by tourists). Typically these are pirated videos and will cost $2 or $3, where the high quality fakes (which look like legal copies) can cost a little more. You can also go to a mall or super store like Tesco or Siam Paragon to find legal copies of the movies, costing you about $5 and up. My personal recommendation is to ask a friend (a Thai or someone who is vacationing in Thailand) to get one or two of these movies for you as a birthday gift. Most Thai movies come with English subtitles, but not always. Make sure to ask the seller first, he’ll usually know.

1. Mon Rak Transistor

This to me is the number one film you should watch. It isn’t the best Thai film ever, by far, however what I like about it is that it gives you a taste of what it’s like to be Thai. The character goes through various moral dilemmas throughout the film, putting him into repeated bad situations. How these situations occur and the actions he takes will reveal true ‘Thai-ness’. This famous film will definitely give you the ‘Thai experience’. =)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OlxMNZDwH8