Thailand has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since 1984, when it became the second independent nation in Southeast Asia to join the competition, after the Philippines. The award is given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue. Thai submissions are selected annually by the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand.

As of 2026, Thailand has submitted thirty-two films, but none of them were nominated.

Submissions

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited the film industries of various countries to submit their best film for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since 1956. The International Feature Film Committee oversees the process and reviews all the submitted films. Following this, they vote via secret ballot to determine the five nominees for the award.

The selection committee of the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand generally has chosen movies that highlight key moments in Thai history or important social issues.

Thailand's five earliest submissions all dealt with contemporary social problems included Nam Poo (drug abuse), The Elephant Keeper (environmentalism and illegal logging), Song of the Chaophraya (prostitution and rural migration to Bangkok), Once Upon A Time (child poverty) and Daughter 2 (AIDS).

Four Thai submissions were fact-based period dramas – King Naresuan Part 2 was a lavish costume drama set in the sixteenth century about one of Thailand's most distinguished kings; The Overture tells the life story of one of Thailand's greatest classical musicians from the 1880s until the 1940s; The Tin Mine is about a spoiled rich kid who ends up working in the titular mine in Southern Thailand in the years following World War II; The Moonhunter followed a band of controversial, leftist rebels in the 1970s.

Three Thai submissions were fast-paced thrillers, two of which incorporated strong elements of Buddhism and karma into their plots, namely Who is Running? and Ahimsa...Stop to Run. Also submitted was 6ixtynin9, about a recently laid-off woman who finds a huge cache of stolen money.

Two submissions were romantic comedy-dramas that were box office hits domestically. Love of Siam featured a gay teen romance, and Best of Times featured two potential couples, one in their 20s and one in their 60s. Other submissions included a bittersweet genre-bending musical romantic comedy (Monrak Transistor in 2002) and a surreal, artsy drama in Japanese, English and Thai (Last Life in the Universe in 2003). Four submissions were directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol, a member of the Thai nobility, while other four were directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang.

In 2024, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies advanced to the December shortlist, but it was not nominated.

In 2025, A Useful Ghost by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke was submitted, but it was deemed ineligible by the Academy. Required information was not provided during the submission process, though attempts to correct it were made after the deadline had passed. The film's production company characterized it as a communication and coordination error.

All films submitted are primary in Thai. Below is a list of the films that have been submitted by Thailand for review by the Academy for the award by year and the respective Academy Awards ceremony.

Year(Ceremony) Film title used in nomination Original title Director(s) Result 1984(57th) The Story of Nampoo น้ำพุ 1989(62nd) The Elephant Keeper คนเลี้ยงช้าง 1990(63rd) Song for Chao Phraya น้องเมีย 1995(68th) Once Upon A Time...This Morning กาลครั้งหนึ่ง เมื่อเช้านี้ 1997(70th) Daughter 2 เสียดาย 2 1998(71st) Who Is Running? ท้าฟ้าลิขิต 2000(73rd) 6ixtynin9 เรื่องตลก 69 2001(74th) The Moonhunter 14 ตุลา สงครามประชาชน 2002(75th) Monrak Transistor มนต์รักทรานซิสเตอร์ 2003(76th) Last Life in the Universe เรื่องรัก น้อยนิด มหาศาล 2004(77th) The Overture โหมโรง Itthisoontorn Vichailak 2005(78th) The Tin Mine มหา'ลัย เหมืองแร่ 2006(79th) Ahimsa...Stop to RunWas replacement entry after Invisible Waves was withdrawn by the FNFAT, according to Soop Sip, 4 October 2006, "Oscar hopeful to open film fest", The Nation, Page 12A (print edition). อหิงสา จิ๊กโก๋ มีกรรม 2007(80th) King of Fire ตำนานสมเด็จพระนเรศวรมหาราช ตอนประกาศอิสรภาพ 2008(81st) Love of Siam รักแห่งสยาม 2009(82nd) Best of Times ความจำสั้น แต่รักฉันยาว 2010(83rd) Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives ลุงบุญมีระลึกชาติ 2011(84th) Kon Khon คนโขน 2012(85th) Headshot ฝนตกขึ้นฟ้า 2013(86th) Countdown เคาท์ดาวน์ 2014(87th) The Teacher's Diary คิดถึงวิทยา 2015(88th) How to Win at Checkers (Every Time) พี่ชาย My Hero Josh Kim 2016(89th) Karma อาปัติ Kanittha Kwanyu 2017(90th) By the Time It Gets Dark ดาวคะนอง 2018(91st) Malila: The Farewell Flower มะลิลา Anucha Boonyawatana 2019(92nd) Krasue: Inhuman Kiss แสงกระสือ Sitisiri Mongkolsiri 2020(93rd) Happy Old Year ฮาวทูทิ้ง ทิ้งอย่างไรไม่ให้เหลือเธอ 2021(94th) The Medium ร่างทรง 2022(95th) One for the Road วันสุดท้าย ..ก่อนบายเธอ 2023(96th) Not Friends เพื่อน(ไม่)สนิท Atta Hemwadee 2024(97th) How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies หลานม่า Pat Boonnitipat 2025(98th)A Useful Ghostผีใช้ได้ค่ะ Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke 2026(99th)9 Temples to Heaven9 วัดสู่สวรรค์ Sompot Chidgasornpongse

Shortlisted Films Since 2012, Thailand has announced a list of finalists or eligible films that varied in number over the years (from 2 to 10 films) before announcing their official Oscar nominee. The following films have been shortlisted by the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand: YearFilms2012It Gets Better· P-0472014The Last Executioner · Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy2015Back to the 90s · The Blue Hour · F.Hilaire · Heart Attack · Mae Bia2016The Crown · The Island Funeral · Snap · Wandering2017Bad Genius · Song from Phatthalung · Pop Aye2018Die Tomorrow · Samui Song2019Manta Ray · Nha Harn · Norah · Where We Belong2020The Cave · Dew · Nemesis · Waning Moon2022Anatomy of Time · Come Here · Cracked · Faces of Anne · Fast & Feel Love · Happy Ending · Love Destiny: The Movie · Six Characters · The Up Rank2023Blue Again · Long Live Love! · Man Suang · Mondo · Scala · You & Me & Me20244 Kings II · Breaking the Cycle · Morrison · Operation Undead · The Paradise of Thorns · Red life · Shakespeare Must Die · Solids By The Seashore · Taklee Genesis2025Art of the Devil: Beginning · Death Whisperer 2 · Flat Girls · Halabala · In Youth We Trust · The Red Envelope · Regretfully at Dawn · The Stone · Toey Thai Baan20264 Tigers · Gohan · Human Resource · In the Name of Love · Morte Cucina · Regretfully at Dawn · The Undertaker 2

See also Cinema of Thailand List of Thai films

Notes

References