THE THAILAND Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) kicked off last week its World Expo 2020: Believe in Thailand campaign to raise awareness and support for the country’s bid to host the event (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 20).
TCEB president, Akapol Sorasuchart, said Thailand would be competing against Turkey – the first country to tender the bid – and Russia, which was expected to table its bid before November 2.
The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the umbrella organization supervising international exhibitions, is slated to reveal the bidding result in June 2013.
If awarded host country status, Akapol said Thailand would spend some 31 billion baht on infrastructure and facility development to host the event in Ayuthaya’s Bangsai District, some 30 minutes by car from Bangkok’s city centre.
TCEB has spent about 50 million baht on the World Expo 2020 marketing and publicity campaign to date, after first stating its intention to bid for the event in late-2009.
By Sirima Eamtako
