Phuket readies for World Expo inspection visit

Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pinsuwan chaired a meeting to deliver the message yesterday (Mar 17).

At the meeting Vice Governor Amnuay handed down the official guidelines for raising awareness among the public and implementing BIE readiness protocols under “Awareness & BIE Process”, “Document & Receptions” requirements, and the scheduled BIE Board readiness visits.

Local administrations were ordered to clean up and landscape their areas ahead of the inspection visits and to coordinate their public awareness campaigns within the guidelines.

He also ordered for arrangements to be made to provide appropriate accommodation to the visiting BIE Board members, and to coordinate the provision of helicopters to be used for surveying the area by air.

“We ask all departments to integrate information with each other in order to operate smoothly in terms of public relations. Please put the format of the banners and public relations media that are in the same direction. Then there will be public relations media to be published in order to create unity in creating awareness of participation together among people from all sectors in Phuket,” Vice Governor Amnuay said.

Five countries have submitted competing candidatures to hold a Specialised Expo in either 2027 or 2028: the United States of America (in Minnesota), Thailand (in Phuket), Serbia (in Belgrade), Spain (in Malaga), and Argentina (in San Carlos de Bariloche).

The United States’ candidature is for a Specialised Expo in Minnesota between May 15 and Augt 15, 2027 under the theme “Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Wellness and Well-Being for All”.

Thailand’s candidature is for a Specialised Expo in Phuket between Mar 20 and June 17, 2028 under the theme “Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity”.

Serbia’s candidature is for a Specialised Expo in Belgrade between May 15 and Aug 15, 2027 under the theme “Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All”.

Spain’s candidature is for a Specialised Expo in Malaga between June 5 and Sept 5, 2027 under the theme “The Urban Era: towards the Sustainable City”.

Argentina’s candidature is for a Specialised Expo in San Carlos de Bariloche between Feb 1 and April 30, 2027 under the theme “Nature + Technology = sustainable energy. A viable future for humanity”.

“The BIE welcomes these five candidatures to organise Specialised Expo 2027/28. The strong interest in organising Specialised Expos and the nature of the proposed themes attest to a strong appetite for global cooperation to address these shared challenges. We look forward to learning more about each project as the candidature process moves into the next stage,” said BIE Secretary General Dimitri Kerkentzes in confirming the five candidatures.

The project examination phase for Specialised Expo 2027/28 will take place over the next year and a half. 

Each candidate will submit a detailed candidature dossier, and the BIE will then organise Enquiry Missions, assessing the feasibility and viability of each candidature project, he said.

The host country of Specialised Expo 2027/28 will then be elected by BIE Member States, gathered in a General Assembly set to take place in June 2023, on the principle of one country, one vote.

All candidature projects will be presented for the very first time to BIE Member States during the 170th General Assembly of the BIE due to take place in June 2022, and at all subsequent General Assemblies until the final vote, he added.

Phuket bidding to host the World Specialised Expo 2028 has the potential to change the face of the island’s tourism industry, says Rangsiman Kingkaew, Vice President of Strategic Tourism at the Phuket Tourist Association.

If successful, the event is hoped to attract at least 4.9 million visitors, generate B40 billion for the economy and provide about 100,000 jobs during the runup and duration of the expo.

The most recent Specialised Expo, Expo 2017 Astana, took place in the Kazakhstan capital Nur-Sultan under the theme “Future Energy”, and welcomed almost 4 million visitors.

At the meeting yesterday it was finally confirmed that the expo site will be on 141 rai of state land at the northern tip of the island, which in separate government reports has identified as the site where Phuket’s B4.1bn “International Medical Center” will be built.

On Mar 1, the Cabinet approved a budget of B1.411bn for agencies to start to develop the “international medical center” to be built.

"Future of life", get serious, Thais don't ever look to the future. They can't even plan street improvements, water projects, or sewage facilities. And "Sharing Prosperity". Another concept mostly unknown to Thais. More like "Taking All We Can Get in the Here and Now". This Expo will not happen, as Phuket won't even be able to pick up their trash, another ...

I assume that all the BIE members will be fully compliant with "Sandbox" or "Test and Go" conditions??    LoL

..and wai for receiving goodies. What a audacity.

Thai theme "Future of life". ''Living in Harmony", really? Future in country with all these army coups and constant new Constitutions, not worth the paper written on.  "Sharing prosperity". really? In a country were people are dogmatic kept at their çlass position. Where High class swimming in millions and the lower class receive pension of 500THB and wai for good...

Local municipalities should be ordered to clean up their areas always and keep them that way, not just when they need smoke and mirrors to try to make an impression to some visitors they think will bring in lots of money.

One wonders how much will be spent on 'feasibility studies ' to chase this pipedream. More pie in the sky numbers- 40 billion is just hilarious.