Another rapidly-growing international location is Thailand. When Sly Stallone decided to write, direct and star in Rambo, his fourth outing as the action hero, the star set the story against the backdrop of the Burmese-Karen conflict, the world's longest running civil war, now in its 60th year. “There was really only one place we could do it and make it as authentic as possible: Thailand,” says Stallone. “They have the experience, the equipment and incredible locations.”

Rambo filmed on location in and around Chiang Mai, the ancient city of northern Thailand, which is very close to the Burmese border. He had a crew of 500 and spent three months in the jungle under extreme conditions. “Where we were was very primitive,” he says. “It was a bitch of a shoot. It was tough because of the heat, the snakes, the mosquitoes and the burning season. They burn to clear the land and we were all choking. The weather, the pollution and just the overall lifestyle took a big toll. Many people had to go to the hospital to have fluids pumped into their bodies, so we were all pushing it. You know you’re in the real jungle when you see this, but I don’t think we could have got the look we wanted anywhere else.”

Stallone notes that Thailand offer filmmakers a lot of other advantages, including low costs, trained crews and spectacular locations ranging from tropical beaches to mountainous rain forests. Bill Bowling, worldwide locations executive for Warner Bros. and an official advisor to the Asian Film Commission Network says, “Even though you don’t get any tax breaks, it’s still cheap to shoot there compared with anywhere in the west. If you need to build sets in a tropical environment, Thailand is an especially good resource.” Recent movies shot in Thailand include American Gangster (USA), Return to the Bronze Forest (France) and Protégé (Hong Kong).

Ubolwan S. at the Thailand Film Office reports, “Thailand continues to be an excellent location choice for all types of productions, from Hollywood blockbusters to T.V. commercials and many others. Currency exchange rates and a low cost of living make Thailand an economical place to shoot. But low cost does not mean low quality.  Professional local crews are both creative and hardworking, and state-of-the-art equipment and a full range of both pre- and postproduction facilities easily fulfill the requirements of the most demanding directors.  In addition, the government has opened a ‘One Stop Service Center’ under the Thailand Film Office. The purpose of this service is to coordinate with other concerned government agencies to facilitate the issue of necessary permits under one roof. A relatively new venture, the one stop service aims to expand in the future, making shooting in Thailand an altogether easier and more pleasant experience.”