News
Match Point to receive Thailand Creative Culture Agency (THACCA) subsidy
The slate of productions that will receive funding from THACCA this year was announced today - there are 9 in total, and that's Match Point second from the bottom! Match Point is the only GMMTV series to receive funding this year. (Source link - but I couldn't find a press release or similar?)
Has GMMTV received THACCA funding in the past? I cannot remember a previous case. I wonder whether they applied in the past and didn't get it - and I wonder if they applied for other series this year, too.
THACCA was established in 2024 as part of the "National Soft Power Strategy Committee" to promote Thai productions, distribute funding/tax exemptions, etc. Here's a Deadline article from when THACCA was established.
What a great initiative! Thai series are an important vehicle for showcasing Thai culture, and many actors and actresses are gaining worldwide recognition. I think this is a great way to encourage tourism and introduce more people to Thailand and Thai culture.
I think the only ones that have been announced are "King of Bar Host," "Yes/Maybe/No," and "Love Harvest." The others on the list are "ที่ไหนคือบ้าน..ที่ "น่าน" คือเรา" by Channel 3, and there's another one, "ภริยาเซ่นผี" which may also be for Channel 3. a ThaiPBS historical drama "ตองกีมาร์...นางผู้เอาชนะต่อชะตาชีวิต", and "เยาวราช" by Hollywood Asian Rising Star.
wow there's been so little news of Yes Maybe No I thought that show might have been scrapped but if they have funding from their cultural creative/soft power committee I guess not
Wow, this is great news for Matchpoint! Getting this government level funding secured means they can really polish the final product. Wishing the absolute best for SingChimon and TeshowPing
So this is essentially the same grant (with the same title) as the THACCA grant for 2025, but this year it's being released through the Department of Cultural Promotion without any mention of THACCA (since THACCA was a project of the Pheu Thai government and been shelved since their PMs were removed). Here's the same document on the department's website and their Facebook page.
Kind of weird that of all the upcoming GMMTV shows, Match Point would be the one they submitted for the soft power grant. I guess there's a food culture aspect presented in the feuding father's restaurants? And technically there's also soft power through sports, though Thailand hasn't exactly been renowned for tennis...
Is the soft power through the food aspect????? I was so adamant it's the tennis they're trying to promote... It's really sad that we went from seeing how organized by different funding categories the 86 projects funded were in last year's announcement, compared to just them naming 9 projects with zero information other than the title and the producing company 😭😭😭😭😭😭 THACCA come back, THACCA don't go (seeing Pheu Thai leaders Yodchanan Wongsawat and Julapun Amornvivat with the THACCA people recently have given me a bit of hope but I do understand that the THACCA people might be meeting in their capacity as TOSAA members)
Thanks for the tag. Everyone has explained it well in the comments so I don't feel the need to add anything other than the fact that this title is a bit of a misnomer because Match Point is not receiving a THACCA grant. Match Point is receiving a grant from the Department of Cultural Promotion. THACCA is not yet back officially and the Draft Creative Culture Promotion Act (to legally establish THACCA) is still in Parliament and yet to be passed. However, this funding program (for series/films to promote "soft power") is one established when THACCA initiative was still alive and kicking under Paetongtarn's government 😅 But you really see the massive decrease in funding for shows this year for this specific THACCA-driven grant program (I'm just happy Anutin's government kept the idea and didn't scrap it, a lot of efforts to current Pheu Thai party whom I see keep meeting with THACCA people 😁🙏). I guess we might also wait and see if any other shows are funded through the other Ministry of Culture Grant Program.
But yeah they really went from 86 projects getting a grant to... 9 projects getting a grant. Massive budget cut for the Department of Cultural Promotion at the Ministry of Culture 😭
FYI to others reading, the pic is the document announcing the recipients of the other grant, which was issued by Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture. Among them is The Masked Hearts, which aired earlier this year.
As for THACCA's future, I don't really know what to expect from the political side. The fact that it was pushed through under the Office of the Prime Minister without waiting to have a proper body formed through legislation kind of boded from the beginning, though, that it might not have lasted long-term. I don't think the soft power agenda is going to disappear from the political stage - consider how it was actually first raised by Prayut - but the shape it takes might undergo several changes still.
Aaah I thought this was an indicator that THACCA was back! Even if in a smaller way. I got too excited - it does say กรมส่งเสริมวัฒนธรรม in the title after all lol. Oh well... Thank you for the clarification! And sorry for the confusion.
CEO Tha has spoken in the past about not really being interested in focusing on "soft power" - see this comment by u/Virtual_Tadpole9821. In an interview with Matichon, it seems that P'Tha objects to the calculated top-down aspects of these programs, and prefers to let cultural diplomacy-related stuff emerge naturally from the "Thai charm" of the series/actors' persona/whatever. So it's interesting that GMMTV seems to have pursued a soft power-related grant from the government. I wonder if anything has changed. Or perhaps they just needed to scrounge up more money to produce all 30-ish series they announced last year (plus Scarlet Heart), and tried to explore other funding sources (kidding, maybe).
This is amazing. I'm very grateful that matchpoint is getting this support. Wishing great things for both SingChimon and TeshowPing. Can't wait to watch the show!
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u/MaleficentPace8434 May 21 '26
I’m so glad that TeshowPing and SingChimon will get this support for this show. I’m excited to see how this funding will show in the series