Twenty years ago, going to the movies in Thailand was not always an enjoyable experience. Many cinemas were
getting rundown and owners were afraid to invest in improvements because film piracy was crippling sales. Tickets
could not be booked in advance. Scheduling was arbitrary and a film could be pulled without notice if it wasn't
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drawing people.
One man set out to change all that, taking the risk of establishing the country's first standalone cineplex, where
watching movies would be a pleasure, complemented by other lifestyle and entertainment attractions.
The risk has paid off handsomely for Vicha Poolvaraluck, whose Major Cineplex Plc earned more than one billion
baht in profit last year from 520 screens with 125,000 seats plus a host of related entertainment businesses.
"I've been involved in the cinema business since I was born," he tells Asia Focus, taking a sip from a tall Starbucks
takeaway. "My family used to own and operate standalone cinemas back in those days, so I simply grew up with this
business."
Established in the 1960s, the familyowned cinema business flourished for two decades along with the evolution of
movies in Thailand. However, as more western companies started to establish their presence in Thailand, many local
standalone theatres started to wither and die.
"Eventually, many locals got defeated by the increasing numbers of foreign cinemas that opened their branches in
large shopping centres and department stores," recalls Mr Vicha. "A number of standalone cinemas were forced to
shut down."
However, he also observed that there were limitations on having a cinema located in a large shopping complex. "For
latenight screenings, the mood and feeling from the movies tends to be destroyed [when you exit through] a closed
and dark department store. And it's always a pain to find your car," he adds with a smile.
Although Major operates successfully in numerous shopping malls today, the 52yearold founder says he was
determined to establish something more distinctive when he started out. Reasoning that the moviegoing audience
tended to be young, fond of entertainment and dining out, he felt that having a cinema in a mall would blur the focus.
He wanted someplace that would be a destination in itself.
Crisis turned to opportunity in 1994 when a fire damaged a familyowned shopping centre in Pin Klao district of
Bangkok. Mr Vicha took the plunge and opened his first standalone cinema and entertainment complex on the site.