Thailand is promoting its film industry as a shooting location for foreign films in an effort to boost the economy and improve the kingdom's image through cultural soft power, a government spokesman said on Monday.

Thailand's popularity as a filming destination has grown over the years due to its diverse locations and skilled production crews, which will help the Southeast Asian country become known for its beauty, said Anucha Burapachaisri, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister and government spokesman.

Encouragement of foreign film productions was another cost-effective measure, as it would generate income for businesses and locals near film locations throughout the country, Anucha said.

Last year, a total of 348 movies were filmed in Thailand, generating a record 6.4 billion baht (about 188 million U.S. dollars) in revenue, according to data from the Thailand Film Office (TFO).

That was compared with a revenue from foreign film production of 4.66 billion baht (about 137 million dollars) in 2021 and 1.75 billion baht (about 51 million dollars) in 2020, the TFO website showed.

Last week, the Thai government approved a plan revising tax incentives and criteria to woo foreign film production in order to compete with other countries that offer more appealing incentives.

After the adjustment, the cash rebate scheme was increased to 20 percent for every 100 million baht (about 3 million dollars) spent on the film shoot, with an additional 10 percent cash rebate offered to productions that hire Thai staff to promote Thai culture, and shoot in second-tier tourism provinces.

The cash rebate cap was raised to 150 million baht (about 4.4 million dollars).