Yeoh Siew Hoon sees stars in Thailand at an event that aims to make the connection between movies and tourism.

The man sitting next to me nudged me as he pointed to the next table. "Who's that man? Sitting there? He looks familiar."
I looked, shrugged and said, "I don't know."

I did see someone I knew though on the same table – a travel industry personality – and walked across to say hello. She was sitting next to the man I said I didn't know.

She introduced us and when I looked into his eyes, it hit me. He was Jeremy Irons, British screen heart-throb. Well, at least, mine anyway. Known for his tortured soul roles in "The Mission" or "Damage" and his latest movie, "Being Julia".

"Very nice to meet you, Mr Irons. Or can I call you Jeremy?" I said as cool as a cucumber. Inside, I was as flushed as a teenage girl experiencing a sudden rush of hormones.

Jeremy – yes, we are now on first name terms – looked exactly as I imagine he would look. Gorgeous. Unlike some of the other stars who looked so much smaller in real life than they appear on the big screen. I am told by reliable star watchers that this is often the case – it's called celluloid magic.

For example, the only way I knew it was Michael Douglas was – apart from the hordes of media and fans surrounding him wherever he went – was that famous chin. He looked tiny but smart, in his grey suit and slicked back grey hair.

And Jean Claude Van Damme? That action hero? He was downright skinny, almost scrawny.

Not to mention Bai Ling, who also comes in a very small – but extremely nice – package.

And no, I wasn't in Hollywood but in Bangkok, attending the 2005 Bangkok International Film Festival awards evening, organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Michael Douglas was there to present the award for Career Achievement to his good friend, producer Joel Schumacher, whose latest movie "Phantom Of The Opera" is currently screening in cinemas across Asia.

Acknowledging that it was a "difficult time" for Thailand, Douglas also came bearing gifts from Hollywood – a 10 million baht donation to the Thai government for tsunami relief efforts.

Joel Schumacher, meanwhile, spoke of his wish that even as he saw "a lot of Western capitalistic influences" on his way from Bangkok airport to his hotel, "the ancient traditions of the Thai culture will influence our culture more so that our cultures will become closer".

While the event was indeed grand, with a heavy dose of stardom, you could sense the celebrations had been muted down.
Nevertheless, the TAT certainly spared no expenses hosting the event. The show it put on at the end, "Heritage of Paradise – Journey of The Stars", featured a cast of at least 400 Thai dancers.

There had been some rumblings as to whether the TAT should have gone ahead with this event and spent so much money at this time. But it was obviously felt that "the show must go on".

Personally, I feel that having celebrities such as Michael Douglas, Joel Schumacher and Jeremy Irons in Bangkok at this time will do a world of good. Their influence is considerable and if they can spread the word that really things are not as bad as painted out to be, then it's a good thing.

I spoke to an American producer of short films who was visiting Thailand for the first time. He was like a little boy in a candy store, excited and impressed by all he had seen and experienced in Bangkok.

"If I had believed the media, I would have stayed home," he said. "I am now returning every year."

What was also good about the film festival was its spotlight on Asian talent with movies such as "Beautiful Washing Machine" (Malaysian) and "Birthday" (Singaporean) winning in their respective categories, and others such as "Old Boy" (Japanese) and "Puteri Gunung Ledang" (Malaysian) being nominated.

Wong Kar Wai, Hong Kong film director of movies such as "2046", who won the Award of Recognition, said that he had shot his last two movies in Thailand.

It is clear the film industry is a burgeoning business in Asia. The BIFF, held from January 13-24, also featured a Film Mart.

Singapore too is laying out the red carpet to movie makers and last year introduced a range of incentives to get producers and directors to consider making their movies in the Lion City.

We need look no further than movies such as the Lord of The Rings trilogy and the Harry Potter series to appreciate the magic films can do for tourism and the BIFF is clearly aimed at making that connection.

As for what other magic I experienced that night, after the awards, well, that's another story.



The SHY Report
A regular column on news, trends and issues in the hospitality industry by one of Asia's most respected travel editors and commentators, Yeoh Siew Hoon.

Siew Hoon, who has covered the tourism industry in Asia/Pacific for the past 20 years, runs SHY Ventures Pte Ltd. Her company's mission is "Content, Communication, Connection". She is a writer, speaker, facilitator, trainer and events producer. She is also an author, having published "Around Asia In 1 Hr: Tales of Condoms, Chillies & Curries". Her motto is ‘free to do, and be'.
Contacts: Tel: 65-63424934, Mobile: 65-96801460

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