Asian horror is a unique genre in its own right, known for aesthetically pleasing visuals, creepy storylines, and gruesome deaths, and this includes the best Thai horror movies. Various supernatural folklore and a belief in ghosts and spirits have heavily influenced the Thai horror genre, with movies like Nang Nak and Inhuman Kiss drawing from Thai myths to create some truly memorable scares. Over the years, Thai horror movies have grown in popularity with international audiences who have a love for the horror genre as a whole but are looking for something just a little bit different.

Most are familiar with some of the best Asian horror movies like Ju-On or The Ring franchise, but the American remakes of these classic Asian tales never seem to correctly capture their elusively creepy atmosphere. Pee Mak, the most commercially successful Thai film of all time, is further proof that the horror genre is the most popular within Thai cinema. Leaning heavily into the concepts of both ghosts and gore, Thai horror movies are full of chills and thrills that are sure to delight even the most hardened of horror lovers. Here are 20 of the best Thai horror movies that are sure to please any horror aficionado.

25 My Boo (2024)

A Horror Comedy That Blends The Supernatural With Romance

The Thai horror movie industry is still going strong in 2024, with films in the genre counting for some of the country's most highly regarded feature-length entertainment. One of the most intriguing (and, unlike many scary movies from Thailand, heartwarming) recent releases is My Boo, from director Komgrit Triwimol. Released as Anong in Thailand, My Boo is a party horror, part comedy, part romance, focusing on a supernatural love story that sees a young man fall in love with a ghost from centuries ago.

My Boo has some very heavy emotional notes by its end, and is a perfect Thai horror movie for viewers seeking a supernaturally-flavored movie from Thailand that isn't necessarily scary or full of gore. The story of My Boo focuses on a young man who falls for the ghost of one of his ancestors. The pair have to navigate many obstacles of their strange relationship, such as not being able to touch, and the final scenes stand as a perfect example of just how inventive and expectation-defying Thai horror cinema can be.

24 Buppah Rahtree (2003)

A Tragic And Scary Tale Of Abandonment And Revenge

There are many Thai horror movies that deal with heavy themes and feature some incredibly difficult-to-watch moments, but few can match 2003's Buppah Rahtree when it comes to uncomfortable and harrowing moments. The movie by writer-director Yuthlert Sippapak first gained notoriety during screenings at the Toronto Film Festival the year following its release, and focuses on the vengeful spirit of an abandoned woman who died from complications due to an abortion.

The plot starts when the girl, the titular Buppah, is convinced to spend the night with a student at Bangkok University named Ake. Tragically and unbeknownst to Buppah, Ake only sought her affections due to a bet. Ake abandons Buppah once he learns she is pregnant, and it's from here that the movie starts to take many strange and supernatural twists and turns, including a particularly stomach-churning scene involving leg amputation.

23 The Medium (2021)

A Stomach Churning Yet Satisfyingly Deep Mockumentary

Released in Thailand as Rang Song, the 2021 Thai horror movie The Medium is a mockumentary style folk horror from director Banjong Pisanthanakun. The film was praised for its innovative use of the rich tapestry of traditional folklore and culture Thailand has to offer, with the plot also being remarked on as satisfyingly deep for a horror film. Like many Thai horror movies, The Medium has some incredibly stomach-churning moments, including scenes of incest, animal cruelty, and cannibalism. However, it masterfully uses these to explore its premise.

The plot of The Medium focuses on a camera crew who travel to a densely populated region of Thailand to document a local medium claiming to be possessed by the spirit of a local goddess named Ba Yan. They soon discover that the goddess has a long history of possessing women in the same family, and her latest host has been used to Ba Yan to commit some absolutely unspeakable acts. However, things take a much more sinister turn when an attempt to remove Ba Yan opens up her latest host to even darker and more sinister spirits.

22 The Cursed Land (2024)

A Unique And Innovative Modern Thai Horror

2024's The Cursed Land is already regarded as one of the most innovative horror movies from Thailand in recent decades. While its genre-bending aspects didn't go well with critics who are horror genre purists, more open-minded reviewers have praised it as both a unique supernatural mystery and an example of how the horror genre can be used to convey complex messages about social issues. The Cursed Land takes place in an Islamic district of Bangkok, and the tension between the central character Mit (who isn't a Muslim) and the local community is a key theme throughout.

The horror aspects of The Cursed Land also feature an intriguing exploration of many entities from Islamic folklore, such as djinns. This also makes it truly unique even among Thai horror movies, and viewers seeking a film in the genre that treads through thoroughly under-explored cultural territory within the genre will find The Cursed Land an incredibly satisfying watch.

21 The One Hundred (2022)

A Visceral Gross-Out Creature-Feature From Thailand

Also released in some territories as Creepy Crawly, 2022's The One Hundred is one of the best creature features to come from Thailand, and directors Chalit Krileongkon and Pakphum Wongjinda show a masterful understanding of everything that makes the horror sub-genre great. Plus, like many great horror movies from the region, The One Hundred mixes modern concepts with traditional Thai legend, in this case a chilling tale dating from the era of King Rama V in the late 19th century.

The One Hundred also stands out due to mixing traditional tropes of supernatural scary films with creature-feature and body horror aspects usually seen in movies like The Thing. The story focuses on a young woman quarantined in a hotel after returning to the country. While there, she realizes she is trapped in the building with a shape-changing monster - one that also has the chilling ability to possess human beings. The One Hundred reached particular acclaim internationally, especially for its many grotesque visuals.

20 Nang Nak (1999)

Based On The Thai Legend Of Mae Nak Phra Khanong

Thailand has many culturally unique ghost stories and supernatural myths that make for great horror movies, such as 1999's Nang Nak, from director Nonzee Nimibutr. Based on the legend of Mae Nak Phra Kanong, Nang Nak is a Thai horror movie that mixes up some domestic problems with a ghostly atmosphere. In the film, a veteran soldier named Mak returns home from war to his wife Nak and their newborn baby. However, when he returns, his neighbors tell him something is going on in his home that he should beware of.

This is a largely forgotten but terrifying haunted house movie based on a classic folk tale about a woman who died during a difficult birth after her husband went to war. However, while there are numerous films based on this folk tale, Nang Nak stands out thanks to the great performances and incredibly build-up of suspense throughout.

19 Art Of The Devil 2 (2005)

A Gory, Violent Revenge Thai Horror Movie

Art of the Devil 2, directed by Pasith Buranajan, is the second movie in the franchise, and is a sequel in name only. It thematically revolves around revenge and what that means to the person seeking vengeance. As a warning, the film is incredibly gory, as is the trailer. However, this fact is what makes it stand out among Thai horror movies, and in the Art of the Devil trilogy, as it successfully mixes some incredibly visceral visuals with themes of black magic and the supernatural.

Art of the Devil 2 is one of the most intense Thai horror movies

In Art of the Devil 2, teacher Aajaan Panor wants to gain revenge against the students who tormented her in the past, and she turns to black magic to do so. This results in a very gory movie with intense violence that shows the dangers of tampering with black magic. Art of the Devil 2 is one of the most intense Thai horror movies and is a nonstop slasher movie from start to finish.

18 The Unseeable (2006)

A Psychological Thai Thriller

The Unseeable, from director Wisit Sasanatieng, is a 2007 release that features a pregnant woman searching for her lost husband, and it's one of the creepiest Thai horror movies. Titled Pen Chu Kap Phi in Thai (which literally translates to Committing Adultery with Ghost), The Unseeable has a surprisingly emotional plot, although this doesn't detract from just how chilling the movie can be.

In The Unseeable, a young pregnant woman names Nualjan seeks shelter in a large mansion. Once there, she begins to discover unborn spirits and learns that her world is not as it seems. What makes this movie so impressive is that it is not a gore fest nor does it rely on shocks to scare the audiences. Instead, The Unseeable is a slow-burn tale of terror that sends the lead character on a journey of finally letting go of her past.

17 House of Ghosts Pisaj (Evil) (2004)

A Thai Ghost Story

House of Ghosts Pisaj (Evil), also commonly known as simply Pisaj, is a 2004 Thai horror movie from director Chookiat Sakveerakul. It thematically focuses on different ways of dealing with pain and loss, and how these can vary from person to person, and it's one of the more unique Thai horror movies.

The main character in House of Ghosts is a girl who loses both of her parents in a horrific tragedy and ends up living with her aunt. This aunt also happens to be a spiritual medium. House of Ghosts takes viewers on a trip with this girl as she tries to deal with her loss and pain, but finds herself thrown into a world where it is hard to understand what is real and what isn't. The movie ended up as a cult classic and remains regularly cited as a highlight of Thai cinema among fans of horror movies stemming from the country.

16 The Sisters (2004)

Based On A Real Murder Case In Thailand

The Sisters, known as Pee chong air in Thailand, comes from director Tiwa Moeithaisong. While it may be a somewhat by-the-numbers story of a ghost with unfinished business on the surface, The Sisters has more than enough that makes it stand out among other Thai horror movies, including some incredibly effective jump-scares.

The Sisters starts with a bang when a group of musicians finds a severed head in their hotel room and then ends up haunted by a lost spirit. This is a basic ghost movie, where the cast has to solve a crime or die trying. As with this genre, the ghost victim can't leave without her murder being solved. While this is a story told many times over in other movies, this one stands out. The story of The Sisters was also based on a real murder case from Thailand that remained unsolved and everyone who found that body also died, making this movie even spookier.