A Century of Thai Cinema

This is the first book to provide a visual history of Thai cinema and all its associated memorabilia, from advertisements and programmes to reproductions of highly collectable film posters. Cinema was born in 1895. Just two years later it had reached Siam, where it quickly became hugely popular, with small booklets in Thai explaining the stories of the imported films. An indigenous film industry was quickly established, whose `golden age' was during the 1930s before the outbreak of the Second World War.
Some 700 cinemas were built throughout the country, as well as the many open-air screenings during temple fairs and other popular events. In the post-war era, cinema remained the most popular public entertainment. Despite various technical shortcomings, Thai movies withstood foreign imports thanks to the popularity of Thailand's version of Burton and Taylor - Mitr and Petchara. This celebration of Thai cinema and its paraphernalia will delight, intrigue and surprise all fans of international film and Southeast Asian culture.