Lady Gaga, Formula One: can Thailand steal Singapore’s spotlight to rev up tourism?

Thailand is making its play to become Southeast Asia’s ultimate entertainment hub, angling to bring megastar concerts, Formula One races and MotoGP events to its shores in a bid to revive its struggling tourism sector.

Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong revealed on Tuesday that discussions were under way to host such events, responding to news that chart-topping US singer Lady Gaga had confirmed four exclusive performances at Singapore’s National Stadium in May.

“We too have a task force responsible for bringing international events to Thailand,” Sorawong said, adding that the Tourism Authority of Thailand planned to present a formal plan to the cabinet next month.

“There is a chance that these world-class artists will hold a concert in Thailand, as talks are already under way with their agencies,” he said, according to local newspaper The Nation.

Singapore continues to dominate the regional events stage. Lady Gaga’s concerts in the city state will be her only Asian stop on this year’s tour and last year, Singapore scored another major coup by securing Taylor Swift for six shows, reportedly striking a US$2 million to US$3 million deal with the pop superstar.