As the amount of those infected with Covid-19 continues to rise, one of the best ways the general public can help limit the spread of the virus is to stay at home and practise social distancing. To make this seemingly indefinite self-isolation and working-from-home period more enjoyable, it's time to make use of streaming platforms to pass our time. Here are five platforms for you to start binge-watching your favourite shows:
Netflix. photo:
Netflix
This streaming giant really needs no introduction. Its library is overflowing with an array of international films and series that can satisfy everybody's needs. Fan of K-drama? There are Itaewon Class, Crash Landing On You and Descendants Of The Sun. The platform also packs its own originals, including Sex Education, Stranger Things, Kingdom and others. Award-winning movies like Marriage Story, Roma and The Irishman aren't to be missed. If you want something local, try household hits like Bupphae Sannivas (Love Destiny) and Pit Sawas (Blood And Treasure).
Angsty teen dramas. Sappy rom-coms. Documentaries. Reality shows. And did we mention Studio Ghibli's wonderful animation? The list goes on and on. Netflix's strong line-up of content will be sure to last the entire family through this isolation period. The platform also offers a variety of audio choices and subtitles in local languages. Some stories also have a Thai dubbed version.
 Price: Netflix recently released its Mobile Plan at 99 baht per month. Users can stream and download shows and movies on one mobile tablet or device at a time in standard definition. Casting is not supported in this plan, however. For details of other plans, visit netflix.com.
Line TV. photo:
Line TV
Line TV is popular among Thai people, especially younger audiences. The app packs lots of Thai TV drama, much of which is from GMM Grammy, Channel One 31 and Nadao Bangkok. Well-known titles include My Ambulance, Project S The Series, One Year and more. There are also shows such as The Face Thailand, Drag Race Thailand, The Mask Singer, The Voice and more for you to watch reruns of your favourite programmes.
One thing that makes Line TV stand out is its line-up of Thai Yaoi (boy's love) series. Watch genre classics like Sotus The Series, Love Sick and the current hit 2gether The Series and familiarise yourself with the Yaoi landscape in Thailand.
While there is lots of Thai content, the app also has Japanese cartoons like Detective Conan, One Piece and Naruto. South Korean movies such as The Berlin File and My Sassy Girl are also available. The overseas content is available in Thai-dubbed versions.
Line TV does make for an enjoyable watch. A huge plus is the app is free, but it comes with ads at the start of each video, which can be annoying. I also wish there were more language options.
Price: Free, but with ads. Visit tv.line.me.
AIS Play. photo:
AIS Play
Watch Thai TV channels and stay up-to-date with news, PM Prayut's announcements and soap operas on AIS Play. The app provides free access to major channels such as Channel 3, 7, Thai PBS, PPTV and many others. There are also free movies and cartoons available. Users can also opt to purchase different packages to access premium content from top channels.
As far as freebies go, the app offers quite an interesting mix of content that includes this year's Academy Awards Best Picture winner Parasite; Western series like NCIS, CSI and Doctor Who; Japanese anime such as Attack On Titan and Sword Art Online; reruns of Thai variety shows, concerts, futsal, esports and more. Many shows are available in their original audio with Thai subtitles. Some also have Thai dubbed versions. However, I'm not really a fan of its interface, which could incorporate more functions for a better viewing experience.
For additional fees, users can also watch premium channels such as Fox Sports, tvN and National Geographic, plus access to other streaming platforms like Viu and Hooq.
 Price: Free, with paid add-ons for premium content and packages. The AIS Play Premium package is 199 baht per month. Visit ais.co.th.
Viu. photo:
Viu
K-drama lovers should already be familiar with this app as the source for many Korean content.
Users can get the app for free to access hit series like The Last Empress, Hotel Del Luna, Sky Castle, and others. For other titles such as What's Wrong With Secretary Kim and Reply 1988, they can be unlocked upon signing up for Viu Premium. It should be noted that these same titles are all available on Netflix.
In addition to all things Korean, the platform also has some selections of Thai, Japanese, Hong Kong and Chinese series, plus variety shows, reality series, cooking shows, and others.
Its free version offers a substantial amount of content in standard definition. However, I may consider going for the premium plan to unlock Korean-based tvN's movies like Along With The Gods, Miss Baek, Another Child, and others that aren't really available on other streaming platforms yet. Viu Premium also allows you to get rid of the ads, in addition to unlocking features such as Full HD, unlimited download, TV access, and Thai dubs.
 Price: Free. Get Viu Premium at 119 baht monthly to unlock all features. Visit www.viu.com.
WeTV. photo:
WeTV
If fans of Korean series need Viu, then fans of Chinese series will be delighted with WeTV by Tencent.
The app comes with a selection of Chinese, Thai and Korean series, plus variety shows, animation and more. It's a good place to explore and discover modern Chinese content, which includes many famous xianxia (Chinese mythological fantasy) stories like The Untamed, Eternal Love Of Dream and others.
What I like about WeTV is there's no ads, even in the free version. The app is also easy to navigate. Users already get access to many series in high definition for free. Still, like other streaming platforms, there's always that option to go VIP to get the app in all its glory.
Some of the content on WeTV is labelled as VIP, including Eternal Love Of Dream, for example. The series is 56 episodes long. General users can watch it up to the 54th episode. A VIP membership is needed to watch the final two episodes. So, yes, you need to pay to actually find out how some of the stories end.
 Price: Free. Different VIP plans are available on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis to unlock full contents and features. The weekly subscription is 35 baht. If you plan to use the app in the long run, go for the annual subscription at 599 baht. Visit wetv.vip.
