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Thailand’s first purpose-built international content marketplace wrapped its debut edition this month with an estimated THB2.2 billion ($65.5 million) in business value generated across three days of structured deal-making
and co-production talks.
The Bangkok International Content Market 2026 – known as BICM2026 – ran earlier this month at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, organized by the Creative Economy Agency (CEA) under the Thailand Content Market 2026 umbrella. More than 600 participants, spanning content companies, production studios, distributors, and streaming platforms from Thailand and international markets, took part in sessions covering film, television series, and production services.
The event’s flagship business matching program drove more than 1,200 one-on-one meetings between content owners and buyers, yielding deals that ranged from licensing and adaptation-rights acquisitions to international co-production agreements. BICM2026 also formalized regional ties with QCinema International Film Festival in the Philippines, JAFF Market in Indonesia, Taiwan Creative Content Fest, and the Danang Asian Film Festival in Vietnam – connections CEA framed as part of a broader push to position Thailand as the gateway to a consumer base of more than 700 million people across ASEAN.
A pitching competition, supported by White Light Studio, Kantana Sound Studio, Gear Head, and QCinema International Film Festival, drew more than 55 production-ready projects. The Asian Project Pitching prize of $10,000 went to “Honey Milk” from Taiwan, a feature directed by Chien Yu Lin and produced by Man Yin Tseng. Two Thai projects each took $5,000 grants: Woottidanai Intarakaset’s feature “The Mining,” written by Chanikarn Opaspimoltum, won the Thai Project Pitching award, while “The Kindness of Miss Ari,” produced by Pinyada Poommek and written by Chalermpong Udomsilp, claimed the Thai Story Pitching prize.
Industry forums and workshops drew strong turnout, with sessions on regional content formats, foreign production incentives, and government support mechanisms for domestic Thai filmmaking proving especially popular.
Nalina Chayasombat, executive producer at Jungka Studio, one of the companies that participated in the business matching program, said: “BICM2026 gave us the opportunity to meet new companies and new people. It acted as a bridge, connecting us with creators and potential partners that we can genuinely collaborate with. At Jungka, we’re not simply looking for projects – we’re looking for new ways of working and strong creative teams with the potential to grow and reach wider audiences. This platform has opened up exciting opportunities for collaboration and for developing new creative works and business models that can meet future market demands.”
Chakrit Pichyangkul, executive director of CEA, added: “The success of the inaugural BICM2026 has clearly demonstrated that a dedicated marketplace is the missing piece that Thailand’s content ecosystem has long needed. Bringing together buyers, investors, and creators from around the world on one platform in Thailand – and seeing real business agreements emerge — proves that Thai content possesses genuine commercial potential. CEA is committed to developing BICM into an annual international marketplace that continues to grow year after year, empowering Thai creators to move beyond contract production and become owners of high-value intellectual property. Our long-term ambition is to firmly establish Thailand as the content hub of Asia.”
CEA confirmed plans to stage a second edition of the market, continuing to build on the international partnerships and deal flow established at the inaugural event.
