BOI still counts on 5mn visitors at fair
The Board of Investment is maintaining its target of 5 million visitors to the BOI Fair 2011, an event meant to showcase the potential of local firms and foreign companies operating in Thailand and their strengths even after the great floods.
“We are trying not to change the target. We’ll do anything to achieve the target,” BOI secretary-general Atchaka Sriboonruang said. She acknowledged that the number of visitors to indoor exhibition halls might drop slightly because of the floods, but outdoor pavilions, which are the highlight of the event, should do magic.
“All these exhibitors are spending a huge sum for an exhibition of only 16 days,” she said. “We hope this fair will tell Thais and the world that manufacturers here are the world’s leaders in terms of innovation. This should inspire others to follow suit, to lift the industrial sector to another level.”
The fair, running from January 520, will house 84 pavilions and 3,200 booths. On the 300,000squaremetre area in Impact Muang Thong Thani, it will also feature seminars and activities. The event was postponed from November.
Yesterday, executives of six companies – PTT Group, Toyota, Sony Group, Shellhut, Siam Kubota and Aeroklas – joined a BOI conference to demonstrate their readiness for the event.
Ninnart Chaithirapinyo, vice chairman of Toyota Motor Thailand, said the company would help advertise the event, with a tag in all its commercials. He said the event would be an indicator of investor confidence in Thailand and the country’s economic recovery effort.
“Thailand’s image to the world has been severely shattered by the floods. Many tourists disappeared. This event, like the birthday celebration of His Majesty the King, will improve the country’s image tremendously,” he said.
Under the “Going Green for the Future” concept, the fair will feature a number of highlights, some never shown in Thailand before. For example, Aeroklas will present the world’s first vertical wind turbines, Toyota will showcase its “Partner Robot” and Sony will show a 19-metrelong LED (light-emitting diode) display screen, among other innovative products.
“We want to show that we’re moving into the future through the synergy of human ability and technology,” Ninnart said.
