Thailand says PM Srettha’s remarks on Taylor Swift concerts should not be seen as expression of ‘jealousy’ towards Singapore

Srettha Thavisin’s spokesperson said the Thai leader drew attention to the city state’s exclusive deal with the singer to ‘admire and compliment Singapore’
Calling the arrangement a ‘normal business practice’, he added there was ‘no reason why Singapore should be ashamed of its actions’

Singapore

CNA

Published: 10:30am, 6 Mar 2024

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After Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin revealed last month that Singapore had brokered an exclusive deal with Taylor Swift, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday that the prime minister’s remarks should not be construed as criticism or an expression of jealousy towards Singapore.

In a statement on Tuesday, spokesperson for the Thailand’s Prime Minister’s Office Chai Watcharong said Srettha had raised the topic to “admire and compliment Singapore”.

“Singapore’s proposal was an approach that shows they dared to think and dared to do it, and that successfully made Taylor Swift’s team agree to have the exclusive performance in Singapore, the only country in the region. That has benefited the country,” said Chai in Thai.

Srettha’s remarks, made on February 15 at a business conference in Bangkok, were the first to indicate that monetary incentives had been doled out to make sure Swift would perform nowhere else in Southeast Asia.

He said then that AEG, the concert organiser, had told him the Singapore government offered US$2 million to US$3 million per show in exchange of exclusivity, a figure that CNA understands is closer to the total sum for all six shows, not for each.

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A lawmaker in the Philippines later expressed unhappiness about Singapore’s deal and reportedly said “this isn’t what good neighbours do”, resulting in media reports focusing on the supposed unhappiness over Singapore’s actions.

Earlier on Tuesday, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told reporters in Melbourne that he did not see such a deal as being “unfriendly” to neighbouring countries.

“Our agencies negotiated an arrangement with her to come to Singapore and perform, and to make Singapore her only stop in Southeast Asia,” said Lee when asked at a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese if the deal had undermined the spirit of cooperation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

“It has turned out to be a very successful arrangement.”

In clarifying the Thai prime minister’s remarks, Chai, the government spokesperson said on Tuesday: “The tone and meaning that the Prime Minister has used when [talking] about this issue, were not to criticise or express jealousy towards Singapore.”

He noted Srettha’s remarks meant that a country that “wishes to promote its tourism should study Singapore’s strategy”. He added that the deal is a “normal business practice” and that there is “no reason why Singapore should be ashamed of its actions”.

02:14

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“As Singapore has explained further, it was not just about the financial incentives, but the country also has other factors that made [Swift’s] team agree with the deal,” said Chai.

“I feel sad that there are people who are trying to jeopardise Srettha’s work. Please stop. There’s no reason for us to try to devalue our country’s leader. And these actions could possibly cause unnecessary dissatisfaction of the people between the two countries.”

Swift has performed three shows in Singapore so far with three more in the coming days. The final concert is scheduled for Saturday.

This story was first published by CNA