The ubiquity of TikTok and music streaming platforms, the rise of boys’ love series and the return of T-Pop teen groups have all been a great boon to the recognition of Thai music in the global scene. Not only have a variety of Thai songs and artists taken Southeast Asia by storm, but the catchy tunes of our most talented artists have also caught the ear of music aficionados in East Asia and Latin America. The escalating popularity of Thai music has led to a number of Thai music festivals in many countries as well as appearances by our very own artists in several international music festivals.
Singapore is one of those countries where Thai tunes are on the rise. Next year, on January 3, the city will play host to 555 Thai Music Festival, the first of its kind featuring all Thai crooners. Organized by A-ONE Production House, the festival will include musical performances by Violette Wautier, 4EVE, ATLAS, Oat Pramote, URBOYTJ, POTATO, PP KRIT, and Billkin. XY DUO, DJ PIXZY x MC SOSMILE, and DJ FAAHSAI x MC MASTERMIND will also heat up the night with their sizzling beats. The event has garnered feedback so far, with early-bird phase one tickets selling out in three minutes.
Recently, we had a chance to talk to Toby Ong, the CEO of A-ONE Production House about their motivation and the working process behind the music festival.
How popular is Thai music in Singapore and how did Singaporeans get into it?
Toby Ong: I feel that the popularity of Thai music is on the increase in Singapore as the youth is slowly becoming more aware of T-Pop culture. Many Singaporeans travel to Thailand for holiday and they would hear Thai music on their trips. Also, they are introduced to T-Pop culture through Thai movies and series.
What was the main reason behind your decision to stage a music festival headlining only Thai artists?
Toby Ong: We learned that many Singaporeans now know more about Thai music but no one had done a Thai music festival before. So we want to be the first to offer a new experience to Singaporean music lovers.
Why was this music festival named “555”?
Toby Ong: The whole point of why we named it “555” is [inspired by] the way Thais pronounce it as “hahaha” and I think many Singaporeans are familiar with this meaning. It represents Thailand, which may be the only country that uses a number to symbolize laughter. Also, it connects with the theme of the event, which is to bring laughter and happiness through music.
How do you think the line-up represents the Thai music scene?
Toby Ong: This is the first-ever Thai music festival in Singapore and we wanted to bring in many artists to the event. What we tried to do is to offer a wide range of selected artists. [The line-up] is a mixture of modern T-Pop, like 4EVE, PP Krit, and Billkin, and classic artists like Potato and Oat Pramote. We want it to be wide-ranging for different age groups.
How did you work with Thai media company Workpoint Entertainment on the artist selection?
Toby Ong: We gave them a list of the artists we had in mind and then we selected based on our suggestion together with their advice. I believe that all these selected artists are able to promote Thai music.
We’re pretty sure the festival will appeal, not just to Singaporeans, but also to Thai music lovers flying from Thailand to Singapore. Will this be a great opportunity to make Thais think of Singapore as a new music hub?
Toby Ong: Yes, that is one of our goals as well. Bringing Thai artists to Singapore is to show our support to the Thai music scene. We want to be the pioneer company and the first-ever ASEAN country to do it on a big scale and to show other organizers how much confidence we have in Thai music. Singapore may be a small country but we are capable of pioneering things and I think other bigger ASEAN countries will start to follow. Also, I anticipate that more Thais or Thai companies will come to A-ONE for more events in Singapore. Singapore is very close to Thailand but people hardly put on concerts for Thai artists. So we want to be the go-to company and organizer that people look for—when talking about Thai concerts, you can think of A-ONE Production House.
This music festival is also supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand. How do you feel about that?
Toby Ong: I feel very happy that they are supporting the event because it shows that they have confidence in us despite the fact that it is the first of its kind. So I’m really thankful.
Other than music, what can event-goers expect from this music festival?
Toby Ong: They can savor Thai fare from six well-known food stalls in Singapore that are run by Thai people. The Thai embassy is also supporting us by providing a lot of Thai games and tuk-tuk vehicles. So, the event-goers can immerse themselves in a Thai atmosphere through Thai food, Thai games, and Thai music. As an organizer, I want them to experience something refreshing and different from typical festivals.
What’s your plan after this music festival?
Toby Ong: Right now, we are in talks to organize a Songkran festival in Singapore. We’re planning to do it next year after the actual Songkran event in Thailand. So right after the celebration in Thailand, people can fly to Singapore to continue their Songkran party.
The 555 Thai Music Festival will take place on January 3, 2024 at Resorts World Sentosa Convention Centre in Singapore. Tickets are available only on KLOOK. Check out details of each phase of early-bird tickets and other information on the music festival at https://www.555festival.com and https://web.facebook.com/555festival.