Officials in Phuket are accelerating efforts to secure the hosting of the 2028 Specialised Expo on the island. Acknowledging that more needs to be done in terms of improving the island’s infrastructure, the president of the Phuket Tourist Associations says businesses on the island fully support the Expo bid.
Apart from Phuket, there are four other contenders to host the Specialised Expo event – the US, Argentina, Serbia and Spain.
According to a Bangkok Post report, Thanet Tantipiriyakit says big corporations are being encouraged to invest more in the island’s infrastructure, pointing out that the island still only has one main road running from Sarasin Bridge to the entire rest of the island.
The TAT says…
“Thailand’s bid to host the Specialised Expo under the name of the Expo 2028 Phuket Thailand under the theme of “Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity”, where health and wealth are in balance, all lives can thrive and prosper, and the environment and nature are restored. Everyone, big or small, can play a role and make a difference.”
If Phuket is successful in its bid to host the 2028 Specialised Expo, the event is expected to be a massive boost for the island, creating new jobs and generating over 49 billion baht for the local economy. It’s expected to take place between March 20 and June 17, 2028, and attract nearly 5 million visitors. The government has approved a budget of 4.18 billion baht to support the island’s bid to host the event.
However, Bhumikitti Ruktaengam from the Phuket Tourist Association points out that the successful bidder will be chosen for its ability to show that the event will benefit the community in the long run – not just Phuket itself, but Thailand as a whole. He says the Bureau International des Expositions will make its decision based on long-term planning for after the event.
Bhumikitti says that were Phuket to be chosen, this would put necessary pressure on local authorities in order to have them deal with the island’s ongoing problems.
Meanwhile, Thai Airways has suggested including the Phuket Expo logo and details of the island’s bid as part of its inflight entertainment. The carrier has also proposed increasing the number of flights to Phuket through cooperation with 28 partner airlines in the Star Alliance group.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
