Thailand's Prime Minister Spills Why Taylor Swift Is Skipping Other ASEAN Countries for Singapore

Thanks to Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, the cat's out of the bag. Swifties from Southeast Asian nations, including Thailand and the Philippines, no longer have to wonder why pop icon Taylor Swift is exclusively holding her Eras Tour concerts in Singapore, bypassing all other countries in the region.

At the iBusiness Forum 2024 in Bangkok, Thavisin revealed that international concert promoter Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) informed him that Singapore's government had reportedly offered Swift and her team of up to "two to three million dollars per concert" to secure sole rights to Swift's concerts in Southeast Asia.

"If I had known this, I would have brought the shows to Thailand," he stated in his keynote speech at the forum. "Concerts can generate added value for the economy."

Thavisin, who is also Thailand's finance minister, said it's an "astute" move by the Singapore government, adding that he had been puzzled why Swift had never held a concert in his country, a question that was answered by AEG.

"If she came to Thailand, it would have been cheaper to organize it here, and I believe she would be able to attract more sponsors and tourists to Thailand. Even though we would have to subsidize at least 500m baht, it would be worth it," the Prime Minister was quoted as saying.

Swift is scheduled to stage six performances of the Eras Tour at the National Stadium in Singapore, which can accommodate 55,000 spectators, from March 2 to 9, with a break on March 5 and 6. This makes Singapore the exclusive Southeast Asian venue for the concert of the Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. Numerous fans from acorss the region, includin the Philippines and Thailand, are expected to travel to Singapore to attend the concerts.

Meanwhile, it seems Filipino Swifties have rested their case, having campaigned for a concert in the Philippines, and have instead splurged to witness the star's Eras tour in Japan, Australia, and Singapore.