SACRED HOUSES: THE LIDO, BANGKOK

“Sacred Houses Series”
In this edition of the “Scared Houses Series,” we would like to pay homage to the historic Lido Theatre in Bangkok, Thailand, as we continue to celebrate and honor notable movie theaters around the globe.

The Lido Theatre, a 1,000-seat movie palace, opened on June 27, 1968, in the fast-modernizing Pathumwan neighborhood of Bangkok. That night, the movie “Guns For San Sebastian,” starring Anthony Quinn, was shown in 70mm.
According to Philip Jablon’s 2019 book, “Thailand’s Movie Theatres,” which was reviewed in the South China Morning Post, “The Omen” premiered at the Siam Cinema in 1970. The film became incredibly popular, and the same print was simultaneously shown at the Lido Cinema. However, it sold out quickly and was moved to the Scala Cinema. This was the only time in Thai history when a single print was shown in three cinemas simultaneously. Each reel was quickly transported to the next theatre as soon as it was finished.
In 1993, a fire caused the theater to close for three years. It reopened in 1996 with three screens but sadly closed on May 31, 2018, ending its 50-year run.

In 2019, the historic cinema formerly known as Lido was converted into Lido Connect. This new establishment pays homage to its predecessor and features a 147-seat cinema called Lido 1 and two former cinemas renamed Lido 2 and Lido 3. These spaces have been transformed into areas for artists, concerts, musicians, filmmakers, photographers, and others to showcase their work.

Among the first showings in Lido 1 was “RBG,” the American film on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the South Korean film “Burning.” In August, American folk singer Julie Byrne was among the first musicians to appear at Lido 2.
Operated by Love Is Entertainment on property owned by Chulalongkorn University, the renovations were designed by PIA Architecture.

Check them out here

If you know of a theater that deserves recognition in our “Sacred Houses” series, please contact us and provide details about its location, name, and significance to you or your community. We are passionate about supporting local theaters and believe they should be celebrated alongside the more well-known historic venues.