Date: expected 21–29 August 2027, Central Pattaya Beach and venues across the city, Pattaya, Thailand – Free entry
Pattaya International Film Festival 2027
Every late August, Pattaya rolls out the red carpet. The Pattaya International Film Festival brings nine days of free screenings, open-air cinema on the beach, awards and talks with filmmakers to the city, and the 2027 edition, the fifth, is expected to run from 21 to 29 August 2027.
Organised by Pattaya City with the Ministry of Culture and the Chonburi Provincial Culture Office, the festival is the centrepiece of Pattaya's bid to become a UNESCO Creative City of Film, with the application due in 2027. The 2026 edition, themed "The Cinematic Wave", set the format: a multiplex programme during the week, then a final weekend where Central Pattaya Beach turns into an open-air cinema.
Nine Days of Cinema, from the Multiplex to the Beach
Throughout the festival, free screenings of Thai and international films are held in a city-centre cinema (SFX Cinema at Terminal 21 Pattaya in 2026). On the closing weekend, the festival moves outdoors: films on a big screen on Central Pattaya Beach, a creative market, and a festive seaside atmosphere after dark.
The highlight is the Opening Ceremony, Red Carpet and Awards Night, held in 2026 at the Colosseum Show Pattaya, where more than 70 awards were presented to films, actors and content creators. The programme also includes talks with leading Thai directors (in 2026, Prachya Pinkaew, the director of Ong-Bak, on cinema in the age of AI), a behind-the-scenes film production showcase and a youth film festival for student filmmakers.
Programme Highlights
Festival period: expected 21–29 August 2027
Screenings: free film screenings in a central Pattaya cinema throughout the festival
Red carpet and awards: opening ceremony and awards night in the final week, with Thai film stars and directors
Open-air cinema: big-screen films and a creative market on Central Pattaya Beach over the closing weekend
Talks and showcases: conversations with filmmakers and a behind-the-scenes production showcase
Entry: free for screenings and festival activities
The official 2027 programme, theme and venues are announced by Pattaya City in the weeks before the festival. This page will be updated with the confirmed dates and schedule.
Why attend?
Watch films under the stars on Pattaya Beach, for free.
See the red carpet and meet the Thai film scene at the awards night.
Discover Thai cinema, from action classics to new independent voices.
Enjoy Pattaya in the green season, with quieter beaches and the best rates of the year.
Make the Most of Your Trip to Pattaya
Late August is Pattaya's green season: warm days, occasional short showers, fewer crowds and lower prices than in winter, which makes it a relaxed time to combine the festival with the city and the coast. Our local guides can help you plan your stay:
Best Things to Do in Pattaya — landmarks, island trips and experiences by day
Pattaya Shows — cabaret and live shows, including the venues that host the festival's red carpet
Pattaya Nightlife Guide — Walking Street, rooftop bars and live music after the last screening
Where to Stay for the Pattaya Film Festival
Nine days of cinema, talks and beach nights are easier to enjoy with a comfortable base close to the action. A private pool villa gives everyone their own room, a pool to cool off by during the day and a quiet place to come back to after the open-air screenings.
PATTAYA LAND offers a selection of private pool villas in Soi Pattaya Land, near Walking Street and a few minutes from Central Pattaya Beach, with different capacities to suit couples, families and groups of friends. For larger groups, several nearby villas may be booked together, subject to availability. Travelling light or for a few nights only? Our Pattaya hotels put you a short walk from the festival venues.
August offers some of the best villa rates of the year in Pattaya: a good moment to plan a longer stay around the festival.
Nine days, one red carpet, all your favourite people. Lights, camera, You Only Live Once.
Discover our Pattaya Pool Villas
Discover our Pattaya Hotels
Dates, venues and programme are set by Pattaya City and may be subject to change