The Prime Minister of Thailand, Srettha Thavisin, has claimed that neighboring Singapore has secured Taylor Swift’s concerts with the aid of “government production support”, according to reports from The Guardian, Sky News and the Thai Bangkok Post.
In March, Swift will perform six concerts at Singapore’s National Stadium as part of her global tour, The Eras, each accommodating 55,000 attendees. The Prime Minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, questioned at the Ibusiness Forum 2024 why Swift hasn’t performed in Thailand.
Thavisin revealed that concert promoter AEG stated that the Singaporean government would subsidize Swift’s concerts to the tune of two to three million dollars per concert. This implies that the total support for the six concerts would be 12–18 million dollars. However, neither AEG, Singapore’s government, nor Swift herself have responded to these allegations.
Thavisin further said that due to this support, Singapore has obtained exclusive rights to Swift’s concerts in Southeast Asia. “If I had known this, I would have brought the concerts to Thailand. Concerts can add value to the economy,” he said, referencing the ‘Taylor effect’ – the economic boost caused by Swift’s concerts in concert venues and their surrounding areas.
Swift’s Singapore concerts were announced in the summer of 2023, causing consternation among Swift fans in other Southeast Asian countries. The Philippines was concerned about its lack of infrastructure, while Thailand recalled that Swift had to cancel her planned 2014 concert in Bangkok due to a military coup.
