Falling short of BIE criteria, kingdom may lose World Expo bid

The problem is that Thailand cannot promise to the BIE’s bid committee that it would clarify visa regulations and cut customs duties for participants entering the country, and also to provide free support to participating underdeveloped nations. When China was the host in 2010, it expressed a clear promise to support all underdeveloped delegates at the event.

Thongchai Sridama, the TCEB’s acting president, said those barriers were out of the agency’s control. It cannot make any specific commitments on those issues to the committee. In fact, solutions must be made by the Cabinet.

From November 21-22, Tourism Minister Chumphol Silapa-archa will spearhead the bid team, including the TCEB and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, to Paris, where the BIE is based, to present such details to ensure its qualification. It is part of his tour in Europe.

Several years ago, Thailand offered

itself as the host for World Expo 2020 by choosing Ayutthaya as its venue. But now the country is competing head-on with strong candidates like cash-rich Dubai and Brazil, which is considered an |experienced lobbyist capable of winning the right to host the 2014 Fifa World Cup.

At the presentation in Paris, the TCEB will try to make the case that Thailand is a qualified contender by showing the flood-prevention measures at the venue and also infrastructure to connect conveniently between the old city of Ayutthaya and other places, especially downtown Bangkok.

Venue facilitation is a key factor in the competition, so the government should move ahead even faster to construct the extension |of mass transit to the venue from the line that will terminate at Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus.

"If the government gets the green light for the project’s construction and proceeds with it very rapidly, I believe it can be finished in time,’’ Thongchai said.

However, construction of the eight-lane highway under the Highways Department is expected to keep on track for completion in time.

Thongchai said he was not worried about this situation. Even if the country loses out, the more than Bt100 million spent on the bidding campaign in the past few years could help promote the nation instead.

The TCEB will have to present all details of the country’s potential as a candidate with the bidding committee at the final round next June. The winner will be announced officially the following November. During this period, the government will cooperate seriously with the Foreign Ministry to lobby 160 member states to vote for Ayutthaya.

Yesterday, the TCEB outlined its plan to strengthen Thailand as an exhibition centre ahead of the implementation of the Asean Economic Community in 2015. The bureau will promote a strong network of exhibition-business operators across the region, thanks to the strategic geographical location of the nation.

The agency hopes the move will help boost the Thai exhibition business by 30 per cent to Bt30 billion in 2015 and attract 300,000 visitors to the nation.