Bangkok

• Vertical micro-dramas are rapidly gaining popularity across Asia and globally due to their fast-paced plots and smartphone-optimized format. • The Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) has identified this trend as a significant growth opportunity for Thai content producers to expand into markets like China, India, Japan, South Korea, the US, and Europe. • Mr. Nantapong emphasizes that this shift reflects changing consumer behaviors, urging creators to prioritize intellectual property (IP) protection and develop unique content to increase Thailand's global recognition.

• The Bangkok Post has released a curated list of streaming recommendations for the week of July 22-28. • A primary highlight is a localized, unscripted version of a popular UK dining reality series featuring 20 Filipino celebrities. • These suggestions aim to help viewers find new content to binge-watch over the weekend.

• Top diplomats from ASEAN nations gathered in Manila starting Tuesday to discuss regional stability and diplomatic cooperation. • The meeting is overshadowed by the escalating conflict between the US and Iran, which adds geopolitical uncertainty to the Southeast Asian region. • Discussions are complicated by existing regional crises, including maritime tensions with China and the ongoing struggle to resolve Myanmar's civil war.

• A new survival-horror film has been released for streaming between July 15-21, featuring a plot centered on two best friends. • The story takes place in Thailand, where the protagonists become trapped on a sinking tour boat within a tiger shark sanctuary. • The release provides viewers with a high-tension binge-watching option for the weekend, highlighting the survival-horror genre.

• Thailand has emerged as the leader in Southeast Asia for short-drama in-app purchase revenue and ranks as the region's third-largest market for downloads, according to Sensor Tower. • TikTok Thailand is leveraging this trend by providing local content producers with distribution channels to reach new audiences through mini-dramas. • This shift is significant as mini-dramas are now one of the fastest-growing mobile entertainment categories, currently outperforming traditional over-the-top (OTT) streaming apps in downloads.

Bar owner in Thailand offers ‘deepest apologies for this tragic incident’ as police investigate whether exits were either blocked or hard to accessThe Bangkok pub that has become the scene of the city’s deadliest blaze in 17 years has said it will cooperate with an investigation into alleged negligence, as the death toll rose to 30.The local district office said on Tuesday that three more people died after the devastating fire that broke out in the early hours of Monday. An initial assessment by disaster officials found that an electrical short ‌circuit in an air conditioner located in the ‌ceiling caused the fire. Continue reading...

Fire is one of the deadliest such incidents in the popular tourist destination in ⁠recent yearsAt least 27 people have ⁠been killed in a ⁠fire ​at a pub in Bangkok, Thailand’s prime minister and other officials said ⁠on Monday, in one of the deadliest such incidents in the tourism hub in ⁠recent years.“There are more than 27 dead,” said ​Anwut Pho-ampai, of ‌the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, which ‌operates a voluntary emergency rescue service. Continue reading...