TCEB chief to step down
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Akapol Sorasuchart has announced his intention to resign as president of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau effective at the end of this month.
He sent his resignation letter to the TCEB’s board last Wednesday without giving a reason. The board is expected to accept the resignation today. During his tenure of two years and five months, his struggle to preserve the agency’s independence in the face of political interference was reported in local media.
Yesterday, Akapol said simply that existing problems had prompted him to resign. He wants the agency to move ahead, he said, especially with its bid to host the World Expo 2020.
The bureau president said he was worried about the bid’s progress, that if nobody was available to work on the project, Thailand would lose opportunities in the international arena. Early next year, officials from the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) will fly to Thailand to check the country’s readiness, especially in terms of planning and infrastructure, to host such a world event. Thailand is one of four nations competing for the right to host the 2020 Expo.
Akapol has been one of the key supporters of the project. His resignation would not have a major impact on the bid, he said, because it has already been put on the national agenda. The official announcement of who has won the bid will take place in June next year. Akapol called on the government and the Foreign Ministry to lobby the 160 members of the BIE.
He said he found it hard to work on the project. During his tenure, the agency was allocated a Bt100-million budget, but this was reduced by Bt20 million during last year’s flood crisis, before being scrapped altogether.
One of the BIE’s criteria is that the event must be accepted by local people. The Bt100-million budget was intended to be used to raise awareness of the project among Thais so that they could get to know about the World Expo and the potential benefits for the country of hosting it.
In addition, Akapol said he was worried about the TCEB’s independence. So far, the agency has been accepted internationally for its role. He disagreed with a proposal to have it overseen by the Tourism and Sports Ministry.
