Thailand rebounds from Taylor Swift miss, to host Summer Sonic music festival, Tomorrowland

After missing out on Taylor Swift’s world tour, Thailand has sealed deals to host Summer Sonic and Tomorrowland music festivals as it pushes event-driven tourism to propel Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.

The push came after Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who took office in September, identified measures such as visa waivers for tourists as “quick wins” to stimulate Thailand’s economy, which he has repeatedly said is in a “crisis.” Thailand, which has seen an average growth short of 2 per cent in the past decade in a region where a pace upwards of 4 per cent is the norm, has pushed promotional campaigns to extend holidaymakers’ stay and year-round festivals to boost the number of foreign tourists.