The arrival of Disney+ Hotstar, the economical version of Disney+, is heating up the streaming war in Thailand. Netflix, one of the biggest players, is making a move to secure its leading status.
Today (June 15), the world's famous platform that's a favorite among upper-middle-class Bangkokians, issued a press announcement it has appointed the new content director for the newly-erected Thailand Headquarters, and that person is veteran film director Yongyoot Thongkongtoon.
Co-founder of GDH, one of Thailand's best-known film production studios, Yongyoot is a veteran film director, producer and screenwriter with over 20 years of experience in the industry. He's behind many of Thailand's most popular flicks such as The Iron Ladies (2000), Maid (2004) and Best of Times (2009).
"After a lifetime of working alongside extremely talented Thai artists and creators, I'm excited to join Netflix, a world-class entertainment company. This new opportunity will allow me to continue doing what I love most and I look forward to telling great Thai stories and showcasing Thailand's powerful creative community to the world", says Yongyoot, in a press release.
Netflix has asserted that Yongyoot, who's currently on a business trip in Singapore, will be based in Bangkok and will oversee both content acquisition and production of Netflix's local original films and series in Thailand.
This appointment, however, came after two latest straight-to-Netflix Thai productions, The Stranded and GDH's Ghost Lab, were bombarded with negative reviews from the Thai audience.