Major Cineplex
Major Cineplex Group Public Co. Ltd. is the largest operator of movie theaters in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. Combined with its subsidiary, EGV Entertainment, the company has 838 screens in 180 locations around Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. Among its properties is Thailand's largest multiplex, the Paragon Cineplex at Siam Paragon, with 16 screens and 5,000 seats, along with the IMAX theater. The second-largest chain in Thailand is SF Group.
History
Major Cineplex was founded by Vicha Poolvaraluk in 1994. A member of a family with roots in the movie business, Vicha started out in property development.In 1992, he was asked by his father, Charoen Poolvaraluck, to take over the movie theater business. Vicha decided on a concept of large movie complexes that could offer a range of entertainment services, including not only movies, but also bowling alleys, karaoke rooms, restaurants and shopping. The first such complex opened in 1996 on Borommaratchachonnani Road in Pinklao, Bangkok. The 14-screen, 4,000-seat Major Cineplex Ratchayothin opened in 1998 and featured Thailand's first IMAX cinema. It was the company's flagship cinema complex until 2006, when Paragon Cineplex opened. Other early Major Cineplex theaters include branches at Ramkamheang and Sukhumvit.
In 2004, Major Cineplex absorbed Thailand's No 2 theater operator, EGV Entertainment, which was Thailand's first cineplex operator. EGV had been owned by a rival branch of the Poolvaraluck family, headed by Vicha Poolvaraluck's cousin, Wichai Poolvaraluck, who started EGV as a partnership with Golden Village.
Image:Majorcineplexsukhumvit.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Major Cineplex Sukhumvit, a stand-alone cinema complex, with a bowling alley, karaoke, restaurants and small shops.
Theaters
Major Cineplex
There are at least 19 Major Cineplex-branded theaters in Thailand, with the number expected to grow in the coming years. The company aims to increase its total number of screens to 500 by 2012. Major Cineplex's theaters range from shopping complexes, anchored by the cineplex, such as Major Cineplex Ratchayothin or Major Cineplex Sukhumvit, that include bowling alleys, fitness centers, restaurants and shops, to multiplexes that are part of larger shopping malls, such as the Bang Na or Rama III branches in Bangkok.At the theaters themselves, there is a range of seating choices, including the luxury "Emperor" class, which is similar to EGV's "Gold Class", and "Opera", which provides a sofa-like seat, designed for couples.
In December 2006, the company debuted another flagship brand, the Esplanade Cineplex, consisting of 13 theaters and a 26-lane bowling alley at the Esplanade complex on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok's Din Daeng district.
EGV/Major Cinema
Thailand's first cineplex operator, EGV or Entertain Golden Village, was formed in 1993 by Wichai Poolworaluk's Entertain Theatres Network as a joint venture with Hong Kong's Golden Harvest and Australia's Village Roadshow.The first cineplex was opened in 1994 at Future Park Bangkae. Other branches include the Grand EGV in Siam Discovery and the EGV Metropolis, which anchors a Big C shopping center on Ratchadamri Road in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok opposite CentralWorld.
Village Roadshow took over Golden Harvest's stake in 2000, and in 2002, Wichai bought out Village Roadshow's 50% interest. The company then merged with Major Cineplex in 2004, putting aside a rivalry within the Poolvaraluck family.
In 2019, Major Cineplex has replaced the former EGV brand with Major Cinema, which has been used to rebrand EGV branches.
EGV's theaters
Aside from its EGV-branded multiplexes, EGV has the following:- Gold Class – Smaller theaters, located on existing EGV properties, with their own box offices. The screening rooms have around 50 seats, with heavily padded reclining chairs and valet food-and-drink service. Blankets, pillows and foot-warming stockings are provided. EGV was the pioneer in this concept of luxury movie-going in Thailand and it remains popular.
- D-Cine – Small, living-room-like theaters where customers can program their own DVD movie showings.
- Drive-In Café – A short-lived concept, this was tried in 2003 in an auditorium at EGV Seacon in Prawet district. Featuring a 1950s American drive-in theater motif, the audience sat in automobile-like restaurant booths and could be served hot dogs and hamburgers while they watched a movie.
Major
Paragon Cineplex
Opened in early 2006, Paragon Cineplex is on the fifth floor of the Siam Paragon shopping mall. With 13 screens and 4,186 seats, it is Thailand's former largest movie theater location until 2025. It includes the 1,200-seat Siam Pavalai Royal Grand Theatre. There is also the Enigma, a members-only cinema and the Thailand's second ScreenX theatre. It was firstly located at the Quartier CineArt.IMAX
Thailand's second IMAX cinema is part of the Paragon Cineplex at Siam Paragon. It was firstly located at the Major Cineplex Ratchayothin.In 2025, Major Cineplex Group has 10 IMAX Theatres around Thailand. The locations with IMAX with Laser theatre are Paragon Cineplex at Siam Paragon, ICON Cineconic at Iconsiam, Quartier CineArt The EmQuartier Bangkok, Esplanade Cineplex Ngamwongwan-Khaerai, Bangkapi Cineplex at M Lifestore Bangkapi, Major Cineplex Ratchayothin, Major Cineplex CentralFestival Chiangmai, Westgate Cineplex at Central WestGate, Major Central Pinklao at Central Pinklao and Mega Cineplex at Central Mega Bangna which is the only IMAX with Laser theater that does not feature IMAX nXos 12.1 channel sound system.
Major Cineplex also operates IMAX Theater in Cambodia, it is a part of the Major Cineplex by SMART at AEON Mall Sen Sok.
In 2023, Major Cineplex and IMAX Corporation announced they would be opening 10 new IMAX with Laser locations around Thailand and Cambodia. This would be the biggest investment in IMAX system within Southeast Asia. The 10 locations include 5 upgrade locations that will transform IMAX Digital 2K Xenon projectors to laser projector. They will start with Major Cineplex Ratchayothin and Quartier CineArt in 2023, Major Cineplex CentralFestival Chiangmai in 2024 and finally, the Westgate Cineplex and Major Cineplex by SMART AEON Mall Sen Sok in 2025. A further 5 new installations will start with Esplanade Cineplex Ngamwongwan-Khae Rai in 2023, Bangkapi Cineplex at M Lifestore Bangkapi in 2024, Major Central Pinklao at Central Pinklao in 2025, and 2 more location which will be revealed within 2026 that will focus on prime and strategic locations.
Esplanade Cineplex
Opened in late 2006, Esplanade Cineplex is a forth installment of Major Cineplex specialty chain. It's located on the fifth floor of Central Esplanade Ratchada shopping mall in Dindeang district. With 12 screens, including 2 Cinema Galleries for showing the Experimental film, VIP Cinema screens with reclining seats and Southeast Asia first Dolby Vision+Atmos cinema.However, Major Cineplex has opened a second branch of Esplanade with brand using from Central Pattana in Nonthaburi Province called Esplanade Cineplex Ngamwongwan-Khaerai, and serve Thailand's biggest and largest digital laser cinema theater "GLS: Giant Laser Screen" which the theater was converted to sixth branch of IMAX with Laser in November 2023. This branch also provide a same functional of Esplanade Ratchada except Dolby Atmos, and RealD 3D cinema system.