Thailand's potential PM Pita Limjaroenrat (right) appealed to Taylor Swift to perform in the country, after she cancelled her previous gig there in 2014. - PHOTOS: AFP, Reuters
BANGKOK (The Nation Thailand): Pita Limjaroenrat’s promise to sing a duet with Taylor Swift if her blockbuster Eras Tour adds dates in Thailand has yet to get a response from the American superstar, but his Twitter invite swiftly grabbed attention, gaining over 16 million views in less than 48 hours.
Pita tweeted: “Hey Taylor! Big fan of yours. Btw, Thailand is back on track to be fully democratic after you had to cancel last time due to the coup. Do come and I’ll be singing Lavender Haze with you!”
Pita, who is single, was responding to a tweet by Swift saying that she was adding more dates in Europe to her wildly successful tour.
In 2014, Swift cancelled a sold-out concert in Bangkok after a military coup. She has yet to return to Thailand.
The May 14 election saw Pita’s Move Forward Party win the most seats in the House of Representatives, while support for military-backed parties all but collapsed.
A joint session of the House and Senate will vote next week on Pita’s bid to become Thailand’s 30th prime minister.
Earlier this year, Swift announced the international leg of her Eras Tour, which pays tribute to all of her studio albums. With 131 concerts across five continents, it is Swift's most expansive tour to date.
It commenced on March 17 in Glendale, Arizona, and is set to conclude on Aug 17 next year in London, England.
Within South-East Asia, Swift is currently only set to play in Singapore, where she has six shows planned for next March.
Pita was not the only national leader to ask Swift for a date in their country.
Her concerts are boosting local economies and tourism.
On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also tweeted to Swift: “It’s me, hi. I know places in Canada would love to have you. So, don’t make it another cruel summer. We hope to see you soon.”
Chilean president Gabriel Boric last month posted a video in which he reached out to Swift.
“I wrote to her not too long ago, let’s see if she responds, so that one day she can include us in her Latin America tour,” he says in the clip, translated to English.
“One day, she’ll listen to the Chilean Swifties and I have no doubt she’ll come to Chile. Hopefully sometime within the next three years.”
QuestionPro has estimated that Swift’s concerts in the United States alone have generated more than US$5bil (RM23bil) in economic activity.
Hotel reservations surge in every city she performs in as fans from around the world fly in to see her perform live. - The Nation Thailand/ANN
