The Thai Film Archive was established in 1984 as the National Film Archive as a unit under the Fine Arts Department.
Before then, there was no agency in charge of preserving Thailand's rich cinematic legacy that dates back to the first years of motion pictures.
The National Film Archive became the Thai Film Archive in 2009 after receiving status as a public organization, a higher rung on the bureaucratic ladder that should enable it to more effectively seek much-needed funding.
Many decades worth of historic films have been lost, and the archive in its present state is struggling to preserve and restore what little it can.
The founder of the archive is historian Dome Sukwong. Formerly chief archivist, he is now director of the Thai Film Archive.
The archive moved to a compound in Salaya, Nakhom Pathom, sometime in the late 1990s.
There it has built the Thai Film Museum, which is a treasure trove of Thai movie memorabilia and artifacts, and the Sri Salaya Theatre, which has regular movie screenings and special events. Screenings are on weekdays at 5.30 (moving to 6pm as of September 2011) and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays at 1. Frequent activities include talks and workshops as well as visits by Thai movie stars, who put their hand and feet impressions in the pavement around the Sri Salaya Theater. The museum is open for tours on Saturday, Sundays and public holidays at 10am, 1 and 3pm. Call beforehand to arrange an English-language tour.
It is well worth visiting!
From Bangkok, the archive can be easily reached on the 515 air-conditioned bus from the southwest quadrant of Victory Monument. The compound on the campus of Rajamangla University of Technology Salaya is near the end of the approximately 45-minute ride. When you see the yellow museum building for the "hor pappayon", ring the bell to get off.
Contact the Thai Film Archive:
Website: www.Fapot.org
Phone: (02) 482 2013-15, (02) 482-1087-88
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