We all love a good thriller that makes you sit at the edge of your seats in dreaded anticipation, gasp at a plot twist and cheer when the story all comes together in your head. the best thrillers are the ones that slowly build up tiny pieces that click into place at the final moment and make you feel proud of yourself for getting it before the protagonist. but do you know who makes the best thrillers? Thailand, of course! Thai thrillers have secured a rank amongst the highest and nuanced performances seen to date and are celebrated internationally. Without any further ado, here is a compilation of the Top 10 Thai Thriller Movies.
1. Pee Mak
Pee Mak, highest grossing film in Thai history, is directly based on an old Thai folktale called Mae Nak Phra Khanong. This film seemed to have won audiences internationally with an earning of $33 million. The movie revolves around Mak, a soldier who invites four of his friends to his home and village to meet his wife and infant son, but as the story progresses, the slowly realize that both are actually ghosts.
2. Ghost Lab
Directed by Paween Purijitpanya, Ghost Lab is a Netflix film starring Thanapob Leeratanakachorn and Paris Intarakomalyasut. Ghost Lab is the story of two doctors who try to uncover the secrets behind a strange paranormal happening in their hospital after being sole witnesses to it. They slowly become more and more entangled in something darker as they dig deeper. This film was released as a Netflix original in 2021.
3. The Medium
The Medium is based on a real life incident. A documentary team enters a village with the sole purpose of being the first ones to film the deity spirit Bayan, who possesses women from the bloodline of medium Nin. This film is a collaboration with South Korea and is the 6th highest Thai grossing film in history. It won the Bucheon Choice Award for the best film 2021.
4. Inhuman Kiss
A normal girl by day and monster by night, the film follows Sai who is possessed by the Evil spirit Krasue who feeds on flesh at nightfall, and how her friends stand up for her as she is hunted by her villagers. This thriller is a must-watch for Thai fans worldwide and is sure to be memorable.
5. Bad Genius
Bad Genius received accolades worldwide for its brilliant plotline and actors. This heist thriller follows a high school student who devises an internationally acclaimed scheme of cheating in exams which is taken to a whole new level when she decides to leak STIC papers with the same. She grapples with honesty and her greed along the way.
6. Home Stay
Based on Colorful, a Japanese novel by Eto Mori, this film stars Teeradon Supapunpinyo. Min, a teenager has just committed suicide. A spirit is assigned by the Guardian to inhabit his body and bring him back to life with 100 days' time to uncover the reason behind Min's death, failing which he dies permanently.
7. Deep
This mystery thriller was directed by the students of Bangkok University. The film follows a mysterious neuroscientific research experiment that lures four medical students with insomnia. The students soon find that they must escape before the experiment spirals out of control. This film was released as a Netflix original in 2021.
8. Dorm
A boy is sent to a boarding school by his father to prevent him from revealing his affair to his mother. His roommates decide to scare him with stories about school myths they heard around the campus. Ton soon makes new friends but all is not what it seems in this horror thriller story.
9. Alone
This Thai thriller has had several remakes in countries like US and India. It follows the story of Pim, who goes back to her hometown when she hears that her mother suffered a stroke. There she experiences several hauntings by her deceased conjoined twin Ploy, who passed away during surgery. This thriller is bound to keep you entertained.
10. Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior
The film is set in the Northeast village of Ban Nong Pradu. When the head of the village's sacred Buddha statue Ong Bak is found missing one day, local martial artist Boonting takes it upon himself to travel to Bangkok in search of it and finds himself going against the city's underworld.
