Major Cineplex unfazed by border row
On Thursday, when military attacks occurred, Narute Jiensnong, chief marketing officer at Major Cineplex, said the audiences at Cambodian branches were strong.
The number of Cambodian moviegoers has remained robust, resulting in the company's Cambodian theatre performance growing 5% year-on-year in July.
On a year-to-date basis, the market reported 10% growth year-on-year.
At the end of last year, Major Cineplex operated 187 branches, including 52 in Bangkok and surrounding areas, 126 in other Thai provinces, six in Cambodia and three in Laos, according to its annual report.
He said the company has complied with the Cambodian government's order to suspend the screening of Thai films.
"Major Cineplex Cambodia acknowledges and respects the directive from Cambodia's government to exclude Thai films from cinema schedules, effective from June 13," according to Facebook fanpage "Major Cineplex Cambodia", posted on June 13.
"The company adjusts the programming accordingly and remains committed to delivering quality entertainment experiences for our audience."
Major's theatres in Cambodia are showing local films and Hollywood titles, with the latter receiving a positive response from Cambodian moviegoers, said Mr Narute.
This year, Hollywood is offering a strong summer movie lineup, including Jurassic World: Rebirth, F1 and Fantastic Four.
Moreover, the Cambodian movie industry is growing as locals films become increasingly available there, he said.
Most staff at Major Cineplex Cambodia, from management to service levels, are Cambodians, said Mr Narute.
The company sees business potential in the Cambodian cinema market due to the nation's growing population and rising spending power, he said.
Mr Narute said he believes Cambodians still have confidence in the Major Cineplex brand.
Given this promising outlook, the company wants to expand in Cambodia based on its market confidence, he said. While the border clashes could affect some Thai businesses, they should not impact Major Cineplex's operations in Cambodia, said Mr Narute.
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