I previously did a write-up of the Thai BL landscape in the
updated Thai BL family tree post, but got a little sleep deprived writing it and rambled a bit too much, making the result rather convoluted. So here's an attempted rewrite, by company, that's hopefully more accessible (and easily searchable).
But first, a note on terminology. Companies will take on various roles when co-producing a project. Some companies only finance projects, some only carry out the actual production for others, and others do both and then more. I haven't managed to figure out whether there's an accepted industry terminology for these roles, so I'll be referring to all of them as production companies, with series described as being produced
by the ones carrying out the production and
for the ones bankrolling the project.
The listed establishment dates are the companies' official registration date, which may be later than the actual beginning of their operations. The entries with no description are those where I didn't have enough information (or was just too lazy) to come up with one.
Anyway, here's an overview of each of the production companies of Thai BL, roughly grouped by business category. (Spoiler: There are A LOT of them.)
MEDIA CONGLOMERATE MEMBERS
https://preview.redd.it/2pb7vq0bze0b1.png?width=880&format=png&auto=webp&s=9a61613f9b232e00293a951d0675b6b35c1c5ee5 GMMTV
- Established: 1995
- Parent: The One Enterprise (of GMM Grammy group)
- CEO: Sataporn Panichraksapong
- Senior producers: X Nuttapong Mongkolsawas, Aof Noppharnach Chaiyahwimhon
- In-house BLs: Theory of Love, He's Coming to Me, Dark Blue Kiss (2019); Still 2gether (2020); A Tale of Thousand Stars, Bad Buddy (2021); Enchanté, Vice Versa, My School President (2022)
- Betcha never saw: Change (2013, spoiler: sad ending)
You all know them, the Disney of Thai BL, churning out perfectly serviceable, inoffensive works, even if relatively few turn out to be exciting mega-hits. GMMTV was originally focused on producing teen variety shows for mainstream TV, but pivoted towards teen series production around 2014 and hopped on the BL train with
SOTUS in 2016. Being the first major studio with a big budget to enter the field, they quickly established a foothold with their dependable production values, and the runaway success of
2gether in 2020 (a time when smaller studios were struggling with lockdown) cemented their leading position in the market. The success of their long-term pairings (artist management being a huge part of their business) have become a template for the industry. GMMTV has an in-house production crew, though the majority of their series are contracted to outside co-production companies.
Exact & One31
- Established: 1991, 2013
- Parent: The One Enterprise (of GMM Grammy group)
- CEO: Takonkiet Viravan
- Sort-of-BLs: Rak Diao (2022), To Sir, With Love (2022)
- Specialty: Lakorns and sitcoms
Back in the day, Exact made a lot of lakorns and sitcoms for the old analog TV channels, and notably introduced some of the first shippable M/M side pairings on TV in
Rak Paet Phan Kao (2004,05) and
Tomorrow I'll Still Love You (2009). It would be a long time before they revisited modern BL, under their new guise as One31, with the sitcom
Rak Diao (2022) and the big-budget period lakorn
To Sir, With Love (2022), the latter of which was a considerable domestic hit and wowed international audiences with the over-the-top drama of Thai soaps. As One31 is one of the big TV channels, TSWL's success might yet become a turning point in the mainstreaming of BL in Thailand.
GMM25, Atime Media & Change2561
- Established: 2013, 1988, 2018
- Parent: The One Enterprise (of GMM Grammy group)
- Subsidiaries: Atime26 (under Atime Media)
- BLs: None really, just LGBT+ stuff
- How on earth is this rated G?: Love Songs Love Stories: Long Oey (2016)
These companies aren't actually involved in BL, but are notable as the producers of
Club Friday, the relationship drama series based on the popular phone-in radio show, and several other lakorns and series, which have often touched on LGBT+ stories. These LGBT+ dramas grew somewhat in parallel with the early development of BL works, and have influenced the market, if not the BL genre directly, to some degree.
Atime26
- Established: N/A (launched 2021)
- Parents: Atime Media (of GMM Grammy group), Yeesibhok
- BLs: Our Days (2022)
Atime26 is a joint project between Atime Media and DJ Eakky Eakachai Aursangkomset's Yeesibhok, doing artist management as well as content production.
Nadao Bangkok
- Established: 2009
- Parent: GTH/GDH 559 (of GMM Grammy group, partially, until 2022)
- Head: Yong Songyos Sugmakanan
- Almost BLs: Great Men Academy (2019), I Told Sunset About You/I Promised You the Moon (2020/21)
- OG ghost ship that never sailed: BankJames
As a partial subsidiary under GMM Grammy, Nadao Bangkok was GMMTV's artistically bent cousin. Nadao was established as movie studio GTH's artist management arm, but soon branched into TV production, revolutionizing the teen series genre with
Hormones (2013), which essentially created a market and paved the way for BL's oncoming wave. Their works were known for their quality, but they only dabbled in BL-adjacent territory, and quite late at that. When they did with ITSAY, though, it took audiences by storm. However, the company ceased series production in 2022 and is pivoting into the idol/music business.
Parbdee Tawesuk
- Established: 2015
- Parent: GDH 559 (until 2016), GMMTV (from 2022)
- BLs (and not really): Be My Favorite (2023), The Shipper (2020), both for GMMTV
- Failed to deliver: NanonChimon as PangWave
Parbdee Tawesuk is Nadao's more market-oriented former sister, though it left the GDH fold in 2016. They're focused only on the production side, doing TV shows for contracting partners, mostly GMMTV. They're behind the immensely popular non-BL
The Gifted (2018), though the closest they've come to a stand-alone BL (until next Friday) is with
The Shipper, which is really a show about BL rather than a BL show itself.
TV Thunder
- Established: 1992
- Chief Content Officer: Jaruporn Kamtornnoppakun
- BLs: Together With Me (2017,18), Manner of Death (2020), Paint With Love (2021), Triage (2022)
- No one's ever seen: Frank's side BL pairing in Nha Harn (2022)
TV Thunder is a long-established media company with a traditional focus on gameshows, though they've also produced plenty of lakorns and series. They're behind the popularity of MaxTul, though their more recent BLs haven't been huge hits, partly due to their choices of distribution partners. They do outsource at least some of their BL series productions, which are notable for often featuring older protagonists, though their co-production companies aren't clearly documented.
Kantana
- Established: 1984 (1951 as the Kantana Radio Troupe)
- Owners: Kaljaruek family
- BLs: Hidden Love (2021); several via partnerships
- Associates and partnerships: Good Drama, M Flow, Amarin TV
Kantana is a big old name in Thai showbiz, with all sorts of programming and media under their belt. They've bankrolled several BL productions, mostly indirectly through various partnerships. It has one with M Flow Entertainment via associated company Good Drama, and another with Amarin TV where they financed
What Zabb Man!,
Love Stage!!, and
Check Out (all 2022). They have their own roster of actors, hence BossPeter showing up in WZM as well as
Hidden Love, their only own production, by subsidiary Kantana Movie Town.
My Star Creator & Good Drama
- Established: 2019, 2020
- Associated with: Kantana
- Head/exec producer: Turk Kahabodee Kaljareuk
- BLs: Everything produced by M Flow Entertainment
These companies are headed by Turk Kahabodee Kaljareuk and associated with Kantana Group. They have a long-term partnership with M Flow, through which Kantana is invested in their BLs. Good Drama is also a filming studio.
Good Feeling, SMK & Dee Tuk Wan 2019
- Established: 2008, 2017, 2019
- Associated with: Channel 3
- Exec producers: Somching Srisupap (GF); Piya Sawetpikul, Chudapa Chantakett (SMK & DTW)
- BLs: Lovely Writer (2021), Golden Blood (2021), Something in My Room (2022)
These are production companies headed by producers (who are also directors/actors/hosts) associated with Channel 3. They produce programming to feed the channel, and following the channel's stepping into BL in 2020, the companies have been commissioning BL series for the channel's late-night slot.
Tanadlakorn
- Established: 2013
- Associated with: Channel 3
- Head: Paajaew Yuthtana Lopanpaibul
- BLs: The Miracle of Teddy Bear (2022)
Tanadlakorn is director Paajaew Yuthtana's production company, also associated with Channel 3. As the name suggests, they work in lakorn production, and notably produced Channel 3's first prime-time BL lakorn,
The Miracle of Teddy Bear. However, given its poor ratings performance, Channel 3's direction forward with regards to bringing BL into the mainstream seems unclear for now.
Broadcast Thai Television
- Established: 1989
- Associated with: Channel 3
- Head: Arunosha Bhanupan
- BLs: I Will Knock You (2022)
Broadcast Thai Television is Channel 3's largest associated production company, and is responsible for many of its biggest mega-hit lakorns. It commissioned
I Will Knock You, by h8, for the channel's late-night slot in 2022.
Middleman Media
- Established: 2014
- Associated with: 9 MCOT
- BLs: Love Sick (2014)
Middleman Media was a production company associated with Channel 9 MCOT that was briefly active in commissioning series for the channel. Its series include Mr. Big Picture's
Love Sick and Studio Commuan's non-BL
Grean House, both from 2014.
4th Apple
- Established: 2013
- Parent: RS Group
- BLs: Big Dragon (2022, with Star Hunter)
4th Apple is a digital marketing agency under RS Group, Thailand's second-largest record label after GMM Grammy, though RS lately struggled with the changing media landscape and pivoted to a "entertainmerce" model. 4th Apple is focused on creating online influencers, and co-produced
Big Dragon in 2022.
Khaosan Entertainment
- Established: 2018
- Head: Bhurit Kunjara
- BLs: What If (2022, by Studio Wabi Sabi)
Khaosan Entertainment is a music label that commissioned
What If as a promotional vehicle for an upcoming single by one of its musical duos. However, they halted business operations before the series was released, leaving it something of an orphan work that never fulfilled its original purpose.
OG BL CREATORS
https://preview.redd.it/wkmlib4cze0b1.png?width=704&format=png&auto=webp&s=d04715e0a586108d180000100001e5409275c57e Studio Wabi Sabi
- Established: 2018
- Head: New Siwaj Sawatmaneekul
- Flagship BLs: Love by Chance (2018,20), Until We Meet Again (2019), My Only 12% (2022), Between Us (2022)
- Partnerships: Copy A Bangkok, Mchoice, Rookie Thailand, GMMTV, Star Hunter, Khaosan Entertainment, Star Thai Production
Joining the industry as part of the
Love Sick crew, New Siwaj and his company made it big with his first two solo hits,
Love by Chance and
Until We Meet Again, which became instant classics. However, his following works have been somewhat of a mixed bag - he tends to follow a very distinctive classic BL style, with strong seme/uke dynamics, that some find unexciting. Studio Wabi Sabi does a bit of everything: they produce for GMMTV and Star Hunter, they outsources productions, they seem to partner with everyone, and they also do artist management on the side.
Copy A Bangkok
- Established: 2018
- Head: Cheewin Thanamin Wongsakulpach
- BLs: Make It Right (2016, with Cosocomo), YYY (2020), Y-Destiny (2021), War of Y (2022)
- Most industry cameos: War of Y
Cheewin, like New Siwaj, joined the industry via Love Sick, as production coordinator. Copy A Bangkok's name first appeared with
Make It Right, though it was registered as a company only two years later. The series they've released reflect Cheewin's prolific directorial range being all over the place, though lately it seems they're leaning into more ambitious projects for the company's own productions, which, going by the audience reception, might have been a bit more then they could chew. They also have an artist management side, though it seems to be downsizing as of late.
9Naa Production
- Established: 2012
- Head: Kapper Worarit Ninklom
- Flagship BLs: I Am Your King (2017,19, by Make a Picture Production), Check Out (2022)
- Pronounced: /kâːw nâː/ in Thai, a homophone for "progress"
9Naa has been around the BL scene for a while. It released
I Am Your King in 2017, one of the first series to be conceived with Chinese partnership and marketed directly to the Chinese audiences. However, most people seem to know the company from
Check Out, which, to put it mildly, didn't quite live up to the hype generated by its Episode 0 the prior year.
Jinloe Media Work
- Established: 2014 (2012 as Jinloe Movie Production)
- Head: Anawat Anukoon
- Head director: Yuan Jakkaphong Pachara
- BLs: Love Sick 2 (2015, for Wealthy Enterprise), Make It Right (2016, with Cosocomo and Copy A Bangkok), What the Duck (2018,19), Hit Bite Love (2023)
- First controversy: The trailer for lesbian movie Fingering (2013)
If you saw the WTF-fest that was
Hit Bite Love (2023) and thought it felt like something that slipped through time from over 5 years ago, that also pretty much describes Jinloe. Having directed
Love Sick 2 and co-directed
Make It Right, Yuan went on to make the non-BL
War of High School (2016), which was every bit as weird as HBL. After
What the Duck, Jinloe went rather quiet on the BL scene as they worked on a confusing range of other stuff including Chinese-language dramas, a children's variety show, and an old-school Japanese superhero show that starred Earth Pirapat in its second season. (Technically, this last one was before WTD,
but still.) Chaos just seems to be in their spirit.
Mungmee Productions & Star Thai Production
- Established: 2013, 2016
- Heads: Vittavat & Anika Singlumpong (MM); Chawthip Natcharern & Nitipas Chiamparnthong (ST)
- BLs: Love's Coming (2014), Love Love You (2015), The Best Twins (2019), Gen Y 2 (2021, for Star Hunter), That's My Candy (2022, for Vibie), Even Sun (2022, for Studio Wabi Sabi)
- They came from there?!: Teemild, Nonkul (Love's Coming); Gun Atthaphan (Love Love You) Bright (Love Say Hey, 2016)
Mungmee Productions was among the earliest players in Thai BL, creating
Love's Coming, one of the first clearly recognizable true BLs, in 2014. Mungmee's Ball Vittavat later passed the torch to his friends Chawthip and Nitipas, who took over with Star Thai Production. Star Thai is another name that tends to fly under the radar, as they mostly only take on contracted work and have only
The Best Twins produced under their own name. But then, with a portfolio including
Gen Y 2 and
That's My Candy, maybe that's all for the best. Unless you're the kind of audience that enjoys such things, in which case do remember to keep an eye out for them.
Mr. Big Picture & Cosocomo
- Established: 2013, 2015
- Head: Andy Rachyd Kusolkulsiri
- BLs: Love Sick (2014), Water Boyy (2015), Make It Right (2016,17), Water Boyy (2017 - ? - uncredited, for GMMTV), 'Cause You're My Boy (2018, for GMMTV)
- Also known for: Absurdly short school-uniform shorts, guys in Speedos
The names are all but forgotten nowadays, but Thai BL as we know it very much owes its existence to Andy Rachyd and his production companies, who blazed the trail with Love Sick in 2014. Most of Cosocomo's works during Thai BL's early development are collaborations between him, New, Cheewin and Yuan, all of whom were involved in Love Sick. Influential as they were, though, these works very much bear signature styles of that early period, and haven't aged particularly well.
Wealthy Enterprise & GTE Great to Est. (Greatest Entertainment)
- Established: 2014, 2016
- Exec producer: Art Phoomphat Thanachaiboonyapat
- BLs: Love Sick 2 (2015), My Bromance (2016), Brothers (2021)
- Discovered: Mean Phiravich, Kimmon, Gameplay (among others, from the Love Sick Freshy Camp program)
Art Phoomphat made his name executive producing
Love Sick 2 for Wealthy Enterprise. After
Love Sick, he went on to produce a string of BLs and non-BLs with BL sides/crumbs under Greatest Entertainment for Channel 9 MCOT, until they got axed when MCOT wiped its programming schedule. He then disappeared for a few years due to financial difficulties as some ambitious projects with Chinese partners turned sour, but returned with the company (now renamed GTE Great to Est.) and produced
Brothers in 2021. Latest update is he's backing a couple of boys to be idol trainees in China.
Dolphin Film
- Established: 2013
- BLs: Timeline (2013,16), Summer to Winter (2014), Love O-NET (2014)
- Defunct: 2018
Dolphin Film seems to remain only as a fossil of the early BL years. No one remembers them now, but
Timeline was actually the first work to take the step crossing over from indie gay movie into what's now recognized as the BL genre. The works now remain of interest mostly as a lesson in history.
YOUNGER WAVE-MAKERS
https://preview.redd.it/tg2vqqucze0b1.png?width=528&format=png&auto=webp&s=490551c1f029fe6b830afd149a9bee149c59389b Me Mind Y
- Established: 2019
- Head: Mame Orawan Vichayawannakul
- BLs: TharnType (2019,20), Don't Say No (2021), Love in the Air (2022)
- Also known for: The mind-boggling interconnectedness of Mame's shared universe
After adapting her novel for the
Love by Chance screenplay, prolific author Mame created Me Mind Y as a vertically integrated one-stop shop to take care of her creative output from novel publication to series adaptation. And they made waves from the beginning with
TharnType, which introduced spice to Thai BL series. This sexy approach has remained a signature of their productions, which tend to be popular but also divisive, as Mame's works have tended to feature tropes that quite a few people find objectionable.
Mandee Work (Domundi TV)
Domundi originated as a YouTube channel themed around carefree macho (and hunky) guys doing prank videos and vlogs. Apparently one thing led to another, and they produced their first full BL series
Why R U? in 2020. Though the story suffered from lockdown, the actors' electric physical chemistry won them a huge following, and their following works have continued to deliver in that regard.
Star Hunter Entertainment
- Established: 2020 (2017 as Star Hunter Studio)
- Head: Oh Yot Kornherun
- Flagship BLs: Gen Y (2020,21) What Zabb Man! (2022) Big Dragon (2022)
- T-pop groups: SBFIVE, ELEMENT (from Superboy Project), COSMOS
After producing
Love Sick 2 and
2 Moons, Oh Yot Kornherun set up Star Hunter and brought with him the
2 Moons actors under his management. Star Hunter is focused on artist management, and manages boy bands as well as acting careers, finding roles for its actors both inside and outside its productions. All its productions are contracted out to external companies, though they do appear to share a common quality. As
u/ThoughtsAllDay put it, "You cannot go into it looking for things to make sense. You have to flow with it and just allow yourself to enjoy the ride as you go. It's an unpredictable ride and things will usually make zero sense but that is the beauty of Star Hunter."
Be On Cloud
- Established: 2020 (as Filmania)
- Head: Krisda Witthayakhajorndet
- BLs: KinnPorsche (2022)
It's much too early to tell whether Be On Cloud will be remembered as the brilliant upstart that shook up the Thai BL scene forever, or the one-hit wonder that stumbled over an unfortunate scandal. But there's no denying that
KinnPorsche was released to sky-high hype that matched its ambition (The action! The sexy! The budget obviously poured into the production!), and quite easily lived up to it.
Idol Factory
- Established: 2020
- Founder: Saint Suppapong Udomkaewkanjana
- BLs: Secret Crush on You (2022)
Set up a mere two years after his entry into showbiz, Idol Factory is Saint's venture into the artist management and production side of the business (though it's actually headed by his manager). In addition to
Secret Crush on You, Idol Factory is also notable for launching Thailand's first full GL series
GAP (2022).
Miti Art Media
- Established: 2021
- Founder: Patomkrit Sudsara(?)
- Not really BL: 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us (2022)
Miti Art Media is a mystery. They popped up out of nowhere, with a huge registered capital of 55 million baht, announced they're going to make a complex multilayered drama, and did exactly just that, with zero fanfare or attempt to capitalize on sales.
180 Degree Longitude must be the most expensive personal passion project on this list.
TALENT MANAGERS, MOSTLY
https://preview.redd.it/g5pk43cdze0b1.png?width=528&format=png&auto=webp&s=237239b92f1ccfe6d7ef8237ef5ff6d3d2d28f8e Rookie Thailand
- Established: 2019
- Head: Bank Anan Thunyarat
- BLs: EN of Love (2020, uncredited), The Best Story (2021), 21 Days Theory (2022), Future (2023)
- You can tell things aren't going well when: Your top pairing leaves the company (YinWar)
Rookie Thailand is primarily an artist management business and commissions series as vehicles for their actors. They were the initiators of
EN of Love and the 2022
Love Mechanics remake, though the company isn't listed in the production credits (and in the case of LM, left the project following a rift in its own management, in which partner Aunz Patchara Kongsaming left the company along with some of their top stars). Their other miniseries are also contracted out to independent production houses. They tend to be soft and syrupy, but can also go all-in on the angst.
Y.Entertainment
- Established: 2021
- BLs: YYY (2020, with Copy A Bangkok), Unforgoten Night (2022)
Y.Entertainment is an artist management agency. They've co-produced and commissioned series as vehicles for their actors (that is, mainly, Yoon Phusanu).
Mchoice (Millennials Choice)
- Established: 2017 (as Khonggong24)
- Head: Gong Grit Jirakiertivadhana
- BLs (and sides): A Chance to Love (2020, with Studio Wabi Sabi), AiLongNhai (2022, uncredited, with M Flow), Why You… Y Me? (2022)
Mchoice is celebrity hair stylist Kong Grit's branching out into the artist management and events business (he's the owner of Hive salon and also of Mint magazine). They partnered with Studio Wabi Sabi to produce
A Chance to Love as well as the LBC follow-up special miniseries
Reminders and
2 Wish (2019), and with M Flow to supply the actors for
AiLongNhai. Ultimate Troop
- Established: 2020
- Heads: Zaanook Nipitpon Muangsinun
- BLs: The Yearbook (2021), Remember Me (2022)
Ultimate Troop is primarily an artist management agency, and its head Zaanook comes from such a background, though he's since taken up directing with these series. Zaanook has expressed his distaste for BLs using sex as a selling point, and Ultimate Troop's two works so far have instead been emotional sepia-toned nostalgic reminiscences.
Totsatis Media
- Established: 2020
- BLs: The Tuxedo (2022, with Q Power); Chapter of Green (2021), Our Winter (2023), Crush on You (2023), on TikTok
Totsatis Media is an artist management agency, and also makes microseries for TikTok, currently in association with Mandee.
Warper
- Established: 2021
- Head: Chadtarat Kittichotiwong
- BLs: He She It (2019, by Lionroar Production), Ingredients (2020, uncredited, with DV8, for Central Retail)
Warper is mainly talent management, with some content production (mostly music).
PRODUCTION POWERHOUSES
https://preview.redd.it/sf5onrqdze0b1.png?width=704&format=png&auto=webp&s=c572c71807bbae37be45be8f57fad0f82ab44f04 Studio Commuan
- Established: 2010
- Head: Madeaw Chookiat Sakveerakul
- BLs: Manner of Death (2020), Triage (2022), both for TV Thunder; Self (2022)
- Would you call it BL?: Dew (2019)
For one whose work left such a huge mark on the genre, it seems surprising that the company headed by Madeaw - director of
The Love of Siam (2007) - should be such a relatively unknown name in the BL scene. But that's because he's been working mostly behind-the-scenes on the production services side of things, and hasn't limited his focus to BL, as opposed to dramas with LGBT+ elements in general. This is also reflected in the company's BL works, where intricate plots often overshadow romantic elements, leading some to question whether or not they technically fall under the BL genre.
Dee Hup House
- Established: 2019
- Head: Anuson Limprasert
- Head director: Tee Bundit Sintanaparadee
- BLs: TharnType (2019, uncredited, for Me Mind Y), Lovely Writer (2021, for Ch3), Something in My Room (2022, for Ch3), Step by Step (2023, with JustUp)
- Origins: Classmates at Burapha University
The Dee Hup team met as classmates at Burapha University. They worked on
TharnType and did post-production for
Why R U? (2020), before fully producing their breakthrough series
Lovely Writer for Channel 3. They come across as quite ambitious in their projects, and anticipation runs high for the much-delayed upcoming period drama
I Feel You Linger in the Air.
Trasher Bangkok
- Established: 2016
- Head: Wichuda Ratipaiboon
- Former head director: Jojo Tichakorn Phukhaotong
- BLs: My Secret Love (2022, for Boyy Entertainment)
- Top non-BLs: Gay OK Bangkok (2016), 3 Will Be Free (2019, for GMMTV)
Primarily a party-organizing group, Trasher Bangkok began dabbling in series production with Jojo's
Gay OK Bangkok (2016), which was followed by a string of projects done for GMMTV, often with LGBT+ (but not actually BL) themes. Jojo left Trasher in 2021, though the company is still active in series production, producing
My Secret Love (2022) for Boyy Entertainment.
Hard Feeling Film
- Established: 2021
- Head: Jojo Tichakorn Phukhaotong
- BLs: Never Let Me Go (2022, for GMMTV)
Hard Feeling Film is Jojo's company, founded after he left Trasher Bangkok. He continues to work with GMMTV from here.
TOO COOL FOR MAINSTREAM SCHOOL
https://preview.redd.it/vx7jgh8eze0b1.png?width=528&format=png&auto=webp&s=0eab3e5c3e8dc89c9bccea746b3a00535d33817d Wayufilm Production
- Established: 2014
- Head: Nicchi Nitchapoom Chaianun
- First BL: My Bromance (2014)
- Headquarters: Chiang Mai
Wayufilm is one of the oldest players in the industry that most people have never heard of. They started with a bang with
My Bromance (the movie), one of the earliest works of Thai BL, but slid into the background as the industry took off, opting instead to remain indie and rely mostly on direct donations from a small group of fans rather than big business models. Their works are mostly low-budget, but according to their fans, always have a big heart.
Commetive & Commetive Plus
- Established: 2016, 2022
- Head: Aam Anusorn Soisa-ngim
- (Almost) BLs: Present Perfect (2017,20), Call It What You Want (2021), Till the World Ends (2022)
- Incubator: Bangkok University
Commetive is Aam Anusorn's creative outlet, started when he was a student at Bangkok University in 2013. I'm not familiar with his works, but from what I've read there seems to be the impression that they're rather self-serious, trying to be both BL and not BL at the same time?
Nob Productions
- Established: 2014
- Head: Nob Sathanapong Limwongthong
- BLs: Sweet Boy (2016, with Gogo Production), My Bromance 2 (2020, distribution, with Wayufilm)
Nob Productions co-produced the 2016 movie
Sweet Boy, which its head Nob Sathanapong co-directed, and handled distribution for Wayufilm's 2020 series
My Bromance 2. Nob himself has since directed several other projects, though none were produced through the company.
ONE-SHOT HIT MAKERS
https://preview.redd.it/exsmhaueze0b1.png?width=528&format=png&auto=webp&s=1fdb7739688fc7957df0210e08799cc7a391d56e Motive Village
- Established: 2015
- Heads: Piya Punchaisri, Bundit Worakul
- BLs: 2 Moons (2017,19,22)
- Number of licensed seasons for 2 Moons: 3, of 12 episodes each
Motive Village is known solely for
2 Moons, the saga behind the production of which thankfully finally ended after 6 years. If you need to know what all that drama was about,
see here for a summary.
CCDM (Chachi Digital Media)
- Established: 2016
- Heads: Thanvalai Anunpichaidech, Oh Yot Kornherun
- BLs: 2 Moons (2017, with Motive Village)
- Defunct: 2023
CCDM, with Star Hunter's Oh as one of the partners, was set up to co-produce the original
2 Moons with Motive Village. Oh appears to have left the company on bad terms as the
2 Moons partnership was breaking down.
Jakjai Production
- Established: 2018
- Head: Napat Pousawat
- Not-actually-BL: The Effect (2019, by Sookniyom Production)
Jakjai Production was set up by Napat Pousawat, aka the author Sweetsky, specifically to self-produce the adaptation of her cautionary tale warning how far some of the harmful tropes seen in BL actually diverge from reality.
Tri Creation
- Established: 2015
- Head: Nancy Chollada Songlumjiak
- BLs: I Am Your King 2 (2019, with 9Naa Production), My Engineer (2020)
It's unclear what the issue is exactly, but Tri Creation seems to have problems following through with its projects. The long-awaited
My Engineer sequel seems dead now,
Bitter Sweet has evaporated, and there were also problems with
I Am Your King 2, which it commissioned, that led to 9Naa's Kapper suing (and winning) over failure to deliver payment.
Mauve Bangkok & Roger Films
- Established: 2019, 2020 (as Pliansaeng Group)
- Head: Tey Vissarut Jipiphob
- BLs: Oxygen (2020, with Beluga Production)
Roger Films began in 2012 making The Sims machinimas before taking up video game live-streaming. They partnered with Beluga Production to create
Oxygen, their only live-action series.
PlanT.N Entertainment
- Established: 2019
- BLs: Nitiman (2021, by Yubaba Studio)
SERIAL PULP PUBLISHERS
https://preview.redd.it/msllck9fze0b1.png?width=352&format=png&auto=webp&s=db497be20a9fa9239b7299a96e4c83ba0e4b53e8 M Flow Entertainment
- Established: 2019
- Exec producers: Waranluck Phonpawiworakun, Nanmanat Sethakunwichai
- BLs: With Love (2019), Second Chance (2021), Coffee Melody (2022), AiLongNhai (2022), Tin Tem Jai (2023)
- Partnerships: Good Drama (of Kantana Group)
M Flow seems to be considered a producer of some of the better "pulp" BLs - the mass-produced works that don't pretend to be highbrow or try to hide that they're on a shoestring budget. All of their works are produced under a partnership with Good Drama of Kantana Group. Their performance isn't very consistent - none of them seem to be strong on plot, but some turn out endearing, others just plain boring.
Gondola Entertainment & Image Artist Entertainment
- Established: 2016
- Head: Teeradech Phuangsiri
- BLs: Friend Forever (2020, with Blackbloock Studio's & Sweetloft), My Bromance 2 (2020, with Wayufilm), Love Area (2021,22)
Teeradech's Gondola Entertainment appears to have been a label that promoted a few boy groups from 2019 to 2021. They co-produced
Friend Forever and
My Bromance 2 under this name, but changed to the company name Image Artist Entertainment or IAE for their later miniseries
Love Area.
CREATIVE MARKETERS
https://preview.redd.it/ncbgtcsfze0b1.png?width=704&format=png&auto=webp&s=c93b1fabf87a0c238b262a88a4623fb51c61bad9 DV8 (Demeter Corporation)
- Established: 1978
- BLs: Ingredients (2020, uncredited, with Warper, for Central Retail), Love With Benefits (2021), Work From Heart (2022)
- Main business: In-store radio advertising
DV8's corporate history is very confusing, as it's transitioned through several industries over the years, but it's now a marketing company that leads the field of in-store radio advertising. They also do integrated digital marketing, which explains
Ingredients being essentially a long-form commercial (though it's kind of hard to see the direct purpose of their later series).
Vibie (Donuts Bangkok)
- Established: 2012
- Flagship BLs: That's My Candy (2022), Ghost Host Ghost House (2022)
- Main product: Vibie Live live-streaming application
Vibie is a live-streaming application, and produces BL to promote the streamers on their platform and drive traffic. Their work is quite varied, ranging from experimental short films and short web series to full TV series.
gr8digit
- Established: 2019
- Heads: Pubej Bel, Tidarat Laepeth, Issarachai Charoenkijwiwat
- BLs: Missing Piece (2019), Love at 7-11 (2019), Love Poison (2019,21), Siew Sum Noi (2021)
- Seems to have some sort of connection with: Very Great
Gr8digit originally launched as a digital marketing agency, but also did series production under a partnership with WeTV in 2019. They were the first to do fully Isan-language BL with
Love Poison, which performed well enough to launch a sequel and a conceptual knock-off (
Siew Sum Noi, for AIS Play). They haven't released anything since 2021, though.
Kidhaisud Kidhaisuk
- Established: 2022
- Head: Wanthanabhadee Jittanukroh
- BLs: The Promise (2023)
This is skincare brand Devonte's production arm. They commissioned
The Promise (by Kongkiat Production) as a full-length promotional piece for the brand.
CHINESE INVESTORS
https://preview.redd.it/sb5s909gze0b1.png?width=704&format=png&auto=webp&s=df3b8fd18303f39bdc75dd89ee20f0a1d28c7ab2 Artop Media
- Established: 2009
- Flagship BLs: Meow Ears Up! (2022)
Artop Media is a Chinese company focused on international media distribution and production, importing and exporting works between markets across the region. Naturally, its first full BL production
Meow Ears Up! was an adaptation of Chinese original IP.
Q Power Entertainment (Q Power Public Media)
- Established: 2020
- BLs: The Tuxedo (2022)
Q Power Entertainment is an artist management and production business under Q Power Public Media, aiming to train artists and create content serving the Thai and Chinese markets.
Insight Entertainment
- Established: 2021
- BLs: Destiny Seeker (2023)
Insight Entertainment works mainly in arranging distribution and commissioning Thai series for export to the Chinese market.
Aplan International Group
- Established: 2019
- BLs: None directly, but several in sponsor roles
INDIE YOUTUBE UPSTARTS
https://preview.redd.it/6env01zgze0b1.png?width=704&format=png&auto=webp&s=0b08dc58a4f309879076d31aff71a698af8b2e05 Mind Trio
- Established: 2020
- Head: Kaofao Gawilo
- BLs: Calculating Love (2020), Once in Memory (shorts, 2021-ongoing), On Cloud Nine (2022)
Mind Trio is an indie producer doing passion projects released directly to YouTube. They weren't really noticed until
On Cloud Nine blew audiences away with its exquisite visuals and non-linear storytelling. It remains to be seen how they perform going forward.
Imagine
- Established: N/A
- BLs: Several shorts
Imagine is a small production outfit that's done several BL shorts posted directly to YouTube since 2019, which are now also on Gagaoolala.
DoubleM Studio & 28 MDP Studio
- Established: N/A
- BLs: Room Mate (2020), Soul Mate (2020), The Love of Winter (2022), Hard Love Mission (2022)
DoubleM/28 MDP Studio doesn't appear to be registered as a company, and their works appear to be rather indie projects.
Non Noi Production
- Established: N/A
- BLs: Top Secret Together (2021, for Star Bangkok), several student short films on their YouTube channel
PRODUCTION SERVICE PROVIDERS
https://preview.redd.it/s8uj89rhze0b1.png?width=880&format=png&auto=webp&s=36b39bd2dc13211f409409f84da222481e0ffbc6 Drat. I hit the post character limit. Details for the remaining categories will be in the comments.
Bear House Production & BeBraveHub
h8 (Housestories 8)
Keng Kwang Kang & Keng Kwang Kang Wai Sai
Gmo Film
Allthis Entertainment
Fillframe
Beluga Production
Satuboon Production
Dune Creative House
Flat 11 Film
Green on Blue
Kongkiat Production
Moongdoo Production
Nawalart Nimit
Panda House
Prungfilm
Punphap Studio
ShoRyuKen Production
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
https://preview.redd.it/5fxx4i0jze0b1.png?width=1056&format=png&auto=webp&s=f8460a10515fe55cb0a0f74f2ff8194f9225e82f 678 Acts
Acttraction
Boyy Entertainment
Cloth_Lab+ Entertainment
The DND (The Dream and Destiny)
Hollywood Thailand
Golden Eyes View
Income Infinite
JustUp
K10 Global Content
Maximon Solution
Newsinfinity Entertainment
Safe Studio
Saturday 20th Studio
Signature (Signature Film)
Very Great
Waga Creative
World Star (World Star Network)
World Y Entertainment
ONE-OFF PULP MAKERS
https://preview.redd.it/znl6jzpjze0b1.png?width=528&format=png&auto=webp&s=cea7bad4e072dbe24d5e636b5ef0b0bcd38d2574 Blackbloock Studio's & Sweetloft
Cloudy Studio
Jumdee Film Production
Nava Entertainment
Onzon Creative
Play Eminent
Space Jamie & Studio Oh Ha Oh
Thaiband Entertainment (Muan Zuen Production)
Wondery Pops
And... that's it! I've left out a few that I didn't think anyone would miss, but if you do miss any, let me know and I'll see what I can find.
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