Top 5 Music Videos Shot in Thailand
| 5 MIN READ |
Written by Patrick Harney | @pharnney
Top Music Videos:
Duke Dumont – I Got U
The Libertines – Gunga Din
Scratch Massive – Waiting for a Sign
Tahiti 80 – Hurts
Spiller – Groovjet
Being an international hub for cinematography music video and creative content curation, many directors and production houses come to this country to embrace the scenery and elements that make the land of smile live up to its reputation. Here at UMOON Productions we have already been involved in many creative art video and especially music videos. Out of the many international mainstream songs chosen to be filmed in Thailand. A few of the most popular ones have directed by yours truly;
Duke Dumont – I Got U
In the music video you can see the man waking up in the VR world appearing to one of Phuket’s luxury Villa; Lomchoy. Portaling into the sea, you see a POV ending up in the royal Phuket Marina; Phuket’s most popular yacht club destination. After showcasing the beach lifestyle of Krabi, the video transitions to the city of Bangkok, its neon nightlife comes alive showing sukhumvit road, Soi Cowboy and hotels. The video ends with various activities you can experience in Phuket and Bangkok, whether it would be bungee jumping, shooting at the gun range, parasailing, driving into sunsets or bonfires at the beach.
The Libertines – Gunga Din
Another featured music video shot by UMOON; showcases The Libertines first album in a decade shot in Pattaya’s infamous walking street. You can see the band strolling down the red light district as they shoot a music video in the peak hours of walking street. As the feature film transitions between scenes of walking street and hotel rooms, you can tell that near the end of the video the band has walked the entire walking street with the exception of a few side soi streets.
Scratch Massive – Waiting for a sign
Evoking a lord of the flies theme, this muted film illustrates a dark journey a group of boys need to face in the deep rural land of Thailand. The start of the video is set in a post apocalyptic concept with the boys grouping in a rainforest type shallow river surrounded by small streams, waterfalls and open mountain ranges who then end up on a main bridged road. The boys end up in this graveyard temple, by a river where their journey ends, with the producer focusing on haunting shots of skulls on pikes with a misty fog floating across the river.
Tahiti 80 – Hurts
Compared to the music video above, this film displayed Bangkok in a bit more detail. That being said, the first scene is shot at Hua Lampong station followed by a one of the larger boats on the Chao Praiya River for metropolitans. A scene showing our protagonist preparing street food on one of Bangkok’s Chinese theme areas in the late hours of the night. As the main character falls in love, we can see different sights on Bangkok itself; clips of neon Chinatown at night, Tuk Tuk rides, The hidden green walkway that attaches to Lumpini, Central World, and Victory monument.
Spiller – Groovejet
Shot in 2000, Spiller gives us a tour of his take on Bangkok. You can tell the director wanted to show the lifestyle in Bangkok with skytrains, and the norm of crowded streets. We can also see doorless restaurants serving people, street vendors selling t-shirts, local food markets, and clubs. The music video itself glamorizes the familiar urban landscape of central Bangkok, showing off the busy metropolis through the eyes of DJ Spiller.
*August 2019 edit by Marco Neveu:
We apologize and are ashamed to admit that we forgot something very important.
Jain – Dynabeat
How could we forget something so memorable ? This catchy 2017 feel-good tune comes from the ever so talented french artist behind dance-pop hit “Makeba”. This work pairs some surrealist images, lively colours and fun transitions with a catchy beat that keep your head bobbing unconsciously. Through cast, set design and locations, this music video gives off the feel of being a love letter to Thai culture and Bangkok. Besides being pretty fun and nonsensical, what matters is that we should dance. Whether in Yaowarat or towering over Bangkok’s cityscape. Live the “sabai sabai” lifestyle so prevalent in Thailand. Now get on grooving !
HONORABLE MENTION – Dave Rodgers – Deja Vu
After 20 years, eurobeat is back. Finally, I have been waiting for this dead music genre to return, and oh how powerful is this return. The legend, the meme, this song is from the anime Initial D about street racing and drifting and saw a revival in interest thanks to its use as an internet meme. Now it is 2019 and virtuoso Dave Rodgers has decided to release a music video that we have all been waiting for so long, and what a shock, it’s shot in Thailand ! From a studio and a useless guitar to modern Bangkok streets and then some countryside town, Dave Rodgers enthrals us in the suspense of finding his lost son (?) and I am a 100% sold. If only there was a bit of drifting, but maybe that’s asking too much.
If you want to know more about the film industry in Thailand then you must read our Film Industry in Thailand – A Producer’s Guide article.