Market Report: Thailand
A perennial giant of leisure and tourism, it’s no wonder Thailand’s live events scene is booming. Alongside the 11,000- cap IMPACT Arena, which welcomed 50 Cent and Westlife last year and has Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo stopping over, ASM Global opened the 6,000-cap UOB LIVE in the heart of Bangkok, which launched with a show by Ed Sheeran.
Primary ticketing
Thai Ticket Major (TTM) is the largest/most established ticketer and was partly aquired by Ticketmaster in 2022.
“There are so many independent venues and clubs hosting and showcasing some amazing local talent, and that’s a space we’re excited to do more in”
“There are so many independent venues and clubs hosting and showcasing some amazing local talent, and that’s a space we’re excited to do more in,” says Komkrit Sirirat, MD of TTM.
Distribution of sales
According to Sirirat, there’s a push towards more eco-friendly ticketing. “We’ve partnered with several digital companies, including XPLORE, an app where customers can access TTM events and purchase their tickets,” he adds.
“I think 95% of people now buy their tickets online,” says Sarun Pinyarat, founder and CEO of promotions company Fungjai, adding that more and more venues and ticketers have implemented RFID technology through wristbands and QR codes for convenience and ease of entry to shows and festivals.
Value of market
According to PwC and a report by Fungjai, the market is estimated to be worth around $167m.
Secondary ticketing
Despite TTM’s Resale platform adding an extra layer of security when it comes to buying resold tickets, scalping remains a scourge on the live events industry. “While we do have restrictions on scalping here, a lot of people still fall victim to online scams where they’ll buy an illegitimate ticket on platforms such as X [Twitter],” Pinyarat says, adding that it’s still a very murky issue at present.
“While we do have restrictions on scalping here, a lot of people still fall victim to online scams where they’ll buy an illegitimate ticket on platforms such as X”
International/domestic splits & genres
While the market remains skewed towards domestic acts, the Thai government earlier this year revealed plans to make the country a “strong hub” for international concerts and festivals. In the wake of Singapore’s exclusive deal with Taylor Swift, the government had planned to meet with top record companies and promoters – including Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment – to look into how Thailand can better facilitate such events.
With Japan’s Summer Sonic scheduled to make its debut in Bangkok in August, Thailand is set to import one of the biggest EDM festivals in the world. Belgium’s Tomorrowland will make its Thai debut in 2026, and according to the government, could take place for another nine consecutive editions.
“There’s definitely been an increase in international artists coming over since we came out of the pandemic,” says Pinyarat. “From artists like Ed Sheeran to Swae Lee and Olivia Rodrigo and Dua Lipa tour stops, we’re having, maybe, 12 international shows per month on average in 2024.”
Pinyarat added that pop, hip-hop, K-Pop, EDM, and R&B are dominant, alongside a “new wave of Thai music” – T-pop.
“There’s definitely been an increase in international artists coming over since we came out of the pandemic”
Cultural analysis
A trend Pinyarat has noticed is that due to having a lot more choices but less money, fans are more likely to buy tickets closer to the event date. “Early-bird sales used to account for 80% of tickets being sold, but recently, it’s decreased to 50% or 60%,” he says.
Taxes & charges
Due to the lack of entertainment tax in Thailand, all sectors are set to a VAT of 7%. Due to this structure, there is no withholding tax on incoming acts, which Pinyarat reckons is one of the major factors in the inflow of international artists.
Country Profile: Thailand
Thailand remains a key market in Southeast Asia for international artists, with Bangkok serving as the hub for the country’s live music ecosystem. Prominent promoters such as Tero Entertainment, Live Nation, Midas Promotions, Avalon Live, iME, VIJI Corp, Have You Heard?, and Fungjais are responsible for bringing global acts to the region.
Live Nation had significant success with Western acts in 2024, with concerts from Coldplay, Olivia Rodrigo, and Harry Styles, which all sold out rapidly. Pan-Asian company Midas Promotions has also successfully promoted concerts for major acts like LANY and Maroon 5.
Major media firm Tero Entertainment’s continued success in bringing top-tier international talent to Thailand highlights the country’s growing reputation as a key stop in Asia. It is promoting Green Day at Impact Arena in February 2025 and was behind the Bruno Mars show at Rajamangala National Stadium earlier this year.
Sarun Pinyarat, CEO of Fungjai, has been instrumental in fostering Thailand’s grassroots music scene and promoting local talent. His Maho Rasop Festival has grown to over 5,000 capacity with headliners like AIR, Interpol, Slowdive, and IDLES.
“The current problem is oversaturation.”
He says, “The current problem is oversaturation. Many new players have popped up post-Covid. Labels are promoting their own shows, and large international IP such as Rolling Loud, Summer Sonic, and EDC chose Bangkok/Thailand as their destination. Yet we are in a recession period, where concert- goers have the same or even less money to spend on live shows. Sponsorship is increasingly difficult to secure.”
Promoters say the rise of Asian pop and niche genres is driven by growing fanbases in Thailand. K-pop, in particular, continues to dominate the region, with acts such as BLACKPINK and Stray Kids consistently selling out arenas and stadiums. But T-pop is also becoming popular, says Pinyarat.
“We are also seeing a blend of mass-appeal artists mixing with indie artists on billings, which is a good way of promoting diversity,” he adds.
His advice for artists looking to break in Thailand is, “Hire a publicist, choose the right promoter, ask around the industry if they are legit. [Showcase festivals] AXEAN and Bangkok Music City are also good entry points for Thailand and South East Asia.”
Arena Market: Thailand
The booming Asian market for international touring is exemplified in Thailand, where the industry is looking extremely dynamic. Proof of this is the opening of Bangkok’s UOB LIVE, a 6,000-capacity venue managed by ASM Global and located on the sixth floor of the capital’s EmSphere shopping mall.
The venue marked its February debut with an intimate gig by Ed Sheeran, following his + – = ÷ x (Mathematics) Tour stop at the 51,552-capacity Rajamangala National Stadium (where Coldplay and Bruno Mars performed in between). And now the venue is intent on “reshaping the [country’s] live entertainment landscape” through its “plug-and-play” concept.
“Plug-and-play venues are a relatively new concept for Thailand,” explains Craig Grossarth, general manager of UOB LIVE. “The venue comes with a world-class sound system, an amazing lighting system, retractable seats, crowd barriers, and our own stage. A promoter can effectively come in and use our own equipment and produce an event without having to bring in much of their own.” Given that the UOB LIVE is on the sixth floor of a shopping centre, Grossarth also emphasises the importance of “massive freight elevators” to circumvent the challenge of loading equipment all the way to the venue.
Meanwhile, the IMPACT Arena continues to be the key stop for acts looking for a larger venue. The 11,000-capacity arena part of a complex that includes a convention centre and several exhibition halls – features an indoor floor space of over 140,000m2 and saw sold-out tour stops by Westlife and 50 Cent last year, with Dua Lipa on its schedule for November.