The government has defended its stance following the denial by the organizers of Tomorrowland, a notable electronic dance music (EDM) festival, regarding a government statement that implied the annual event would be hosted in Thailand. The organizers clarified that such plans were still under review.
Government spokesperson Chai Watcharonke stated that his earlier announcement was meant to demonstrate “the government’s optimism” about Thailand’s chances to host the internationally acclaimed festival.
“We never said that we had received confirmation from Tomorrowland. We just said we were confident we might.”
In a December meeting with the festival’s organizers, the Thai government presented its proposal.
The organizers mentioned that there were no plans to expand the festival outside of Belgium for the years 2024 and 2025. However, they were open to the possibility of Thailand hosting the festival from 2026 onward, provided a successful proposal is made.
On Friday, Mr. Chai noted, “There hasn’t been an official agreement yet. We have communicated that discussions and negotiations have taken place on the Thai side.”
“Therefore, if the previous communication created a misunderstanding, we accept such criticism and will try to improve communications to be clearer in the future,” he added.
Although a team is actively working on this initiative, no additional details have been provided.
EDM.com, an industry news outlet, reported on Thursday that discussions about hosting Tomorrowland in Thailand have occurred, but nothing has been finalized, and further evaluation is necessary.
“The Tomorrowland team is diligently conducting thorough research and exploration to assess the feasibility of hosting Tomorrowland in Thailand. There is still much to be investigated,” spokesperson Debby Wilmsen said.
The meeting between Thai officials and the Tomorrowland team in December was confirmed, yet there was no agreement about the festival taking place in Thailand.
Annually attracting around 400,000 visitors, Tomorrowland is a celebrated two-week summer festival in Belgium.
Scheduled to take place in Boom, Belgium, from July 19 to 28 this year, the festival has expanded internationally, such as TomorrowWorld in Atlanta and Tomorrowland Winter in France, with Brazil set to host an edition in October.
Furthermore, Mr. Chai mentioned the Board of Investment (BoI) has endorsed initiatives to promote investments in music, sports, and festivals, aiming to position Thailand as a premier destination for major events and a tourism hub.
To attract event organizers, the government will waive customs duties on imported equipment for events that invest at least 100 million baht and will streamline the visa and work permit process for foreign event staff.
One event that has been officially scheduled for this year is Summer Sonic, a highly acclaimed music festival originating from Japan. The festival is set to occur at Impact Arena from August 24th to 25th, following its shows in Tokyo and Osaka.
The government’s initiative to attract more events to Thailand is aimed at increasing tourist arrivals and stimulating the economy.
Mr. Srettha is actively exploring new trade and investment opportunities for Thailand, aspiring to replicate Singapore’s success in securing an exclusive performance by superstar Taylor Swift for her Southeast Asian tour.
