BOI greenlights Tomorrowland Thailand, Asia debut set for Chonburi in 2026
BOI approved incentives for VR One World (Thailand) to stage Tomorrowland Thailand in Chonburi in Dec 2026, projecting 21bn baht in impact over 5 years
The Board of Investment (BOI) has approved investment promotion for VR One World (Thailand) to support the staging of the world-renowned Tomorrowland festival in Thailand, with total economic impact projected at 21 billion baht over five years.
Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary-General of the BOI, said a project review working group—acting under delegated authority from the BOI board—approved incentives for VR One World (Thailand), a Thai–Belgian joint venture, in the business of organising international music, sports and festival events.
The project will bring a global electronic dance music (EDM) festival to Thailand for the first time under the name “Tomorrowland Thailand”. The inaugural event is scheduled for December 2026 at Wisdom Valley, Chonburi, running for three days and able to accommodate up to 50,000 attendees per day. Organisers expect more than 60% of attendees to come from overseas and estimate the event will generate a combined economic value of no less than 21 billion baht over five years of hosting.
The project is a joint venture between TL International, a Belgian company affiliated with the Tomorrowland Group, which holds the rights to the Tomorrowland festival and has more than 20 years of experience organising EDM festivals in multiple countries, and One Asia Ventures, a Thai company with more than 10 years of experience in international EDM events, including the Siam Songkran Music Festival, as well as other international festivals.
The partnership aims to stage “Tomorrowland Thailand” to attract tourists from around the world, stimulate the economy and elevate Thailand’s tourism image. Thailand will be the first country in Asia selected to host the global festival. The project will also include “Tomorrowland Academy”, designed to transfer knowledge and international event standards to Thai personnel, helping raise the capabilities of Thai workers and businesses in tourism services and music-festival production.
Narit said BOI has promoted the business of organising international music, sports and festival events since 2024 to raise Thailand’s standing as a destination for world-class events and a regional tourism hub. He said BOI has removed obstacles to staging large-scale events, including issues related to visas and work permits for foreign artists and crews, and tax burdens on event equipment that may be imported temporarily and re-exported, to make it easier for global organisers to hold events in Thailand—whether concerts, sports events or international festivals.
He said this support helps attract foreign tourists, strengthens Thailand’s image among high-spending younger audiences, and generates revenue for related businesses such as hotels, restaurants, local products and services. It also helps create new experiences for Thais and upgrades skills in Thailand’s event industry.
BOI has set criteria for investment promotion under this event-organisation category, requiring large-scale events with investment or operating costs of at least 100 million baht per event. Incentives include import-duty exemptions for machinery and equipment used in staging events, as well as facilitation for visas and work permits for foreign artists and personnel via a One Stop Service centre operated by BOI in cooperation with immigration and the Labour Ministry at One Bangkok.
