Thai PM’s Office clarifies: No criticism intended regarding Singapore’s strategy to secure exclusive Taylor Swift concerts

The Thai government issued a clarification regarding Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s comments on Singapore’s exclusive engagement with Taylor Swift, asserting that the statements were in admiration, not in criticism of Singapore’s strategy to attract the global pop star.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Chai Watcharong, the spokesperson for Thailand’s Prime Minister’s Office, explained that the Prime Minister mentioned the deal to “admire and compliment Singapore.”

He elaborated, “Proposing incentives to Taylor Swift is a very ambitious approach. It successfully convinced Taylor Swift to perform exclusively in Singapore … (which) created many advantages for the country,” thus underscoring the benefits of Singapore’s approach.

This clarification comes after Prime Minister Srettha, at a business conference in Bangkok on 15 February, revealed that Singapore had offered monetary incentives to ensure Taylor Swift’s exclusive performance in the city-state, citing figures between US$2 million to US$3 million per show as relayed by concert organiser Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) .

Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth Edwin Tong, while addressing Parliament on 4 March, refuted the accuracy of the figures mentioned but refused to release exact figures, citing the confidentiality of the agreement details. He emphasized the initiative’s role in rejuvenating Singapore’s tourism and entertainment sectors post-pandemic.

The deal also sparked reactions from regional representatives, such as Philippine lawmaker Joey Salceda, who critiqued the exclusivity, stating, “Our countries are good friends. That’s why actions like that hurt.”

However, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, during a press conference in Melbourne following the 9th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting, defended the arrangement as a strategic negotiation, asserting it was not “unfriendly” towards ASEAN neighbours.

PM Lee highlighted, “Our agencies negotiated an arrangement with her to come to Singapore and perform, and to make Singapore her only stop in Southeast Asia.”

“I don’t see that as being unfriendly. Sometimes, one country makes a deal. Sometimes another country does,” he said, adding that the incentives provided to Swift were from Singapore’s Tourism Development Fund to revive the industry after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Further clarifying the Thai Prime Minister’s comments, Mr Chai reiterated, “The tone and meaning that the Prime Minister has used when (talking) about this issue, were not to criticise or express jealousy toward Singapore.”

He suggested that countries looking to promote tourism should consider Singapore’s strategy, emphasizing that such deals are a “normal business practice” and there’s “no reason why Singapore should be ashamed of its actions.”

However, the spokesperson has not retracted the claim regarding the Thai PM’s statement that Taylor Swift’s team was offered between US$2 million and US$3 million per show for exclusivity.

Around 300,000 people from Singapore and around the region are expected to attend the six sold-out shows from 2 to 9 March.