Thailand’s World Expo 2020 bid rejected

BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand’s bid to host the 2020 World Expo was in tatters as the organizers rejected Thailand’s bid for failing to secure government support.

On August 24, 2010, the Abhisit Vejjajiva government announced Thailand’s bid to host the World Expo 2020, with Ayutthaya selected as the venue. The bid presented by Abhisit’s Democratic Party government has reportedly received luke warm interest from Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai party, thus wasting thousands of man hours and millions of dollars.

Back in February 2013, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra denied that her government had shelved Thailand’s bid to host the World Expo 2020 and said more time was needed to analyze carefully the likely return on investment.

“Thailand will not give up its plan and open the way for Dubai,” she had said.

She insisted the government was moving ahead with its campaign by assigning the Tourism Ministry to continue studying the project.

Suranand Vejjajiva, Secretary-General to the Prime Minister, also said in February 2013 that a review was needed because of the huge cost, estimated at between Bt40 billion and Bt50 billion, to organiZe the event, not including the construction of infrastructure in Ayutthaya and transport links to the world heritage city.

Previously, the study showed the country would break even when 37 million people nationwide visited the international fair and each paid a Bt1,000 (US$33) admission fee.

Yingluck was also worried about how the country would benefit after the fair ended and it had spent so much, Suranand had said.

The decision to enter the running was made before the flood struck in 2011. The objective at the time was to restore foreign confidence.

“Whether Thailand has given up its status for the bidding, I don’t want to say. But we have to study seriously the worthiness of our investment. It takes more time to do so, because the choice of qualified candidates will be announced later. However, when the study is finished, we’ll have to discuss it again to make our decision clear,” he had said.

The Bangkok Post reported that the former President of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) accused the government of ignoring and failing to support Thailand’s bid to host the World Expo in 2020 after the country was removed from the candidate list yesterday.

Akrapol Sorasuchart was speaking as the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), which comprises 163 member countries, started its two-day general assembly in Paris.

Battle lines in the race to host World Expo 2020 has, therefore, narrowed down to four following the disqualification of the Thai city of Ayutthaya by the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE).

Meanwhile, BIE’s General Assembly has approved Dubai’s bid, clearing a hurdle in its bid for Expo 2020. The BIE is hosting a two-day general assembly in Paris this week where the candidate cities are presenting their progress report.

“The Thai city of Ayutthaya has failed to meet the bid criteria and, therefore, is no longer in the race,” said officials in Paris.

Among the rest, Dubai will face competition from Sao Paulo of Brazil, Izmir of Turkey, and the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. With the growing political crisis in Turkey, Dubai is clearly the front-runner for winning the bid which will be decided in November.

The World Expo is the third largest global, non-commercial event in terms of economic and cultural impact, after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games.

The emirate’s bid also has some big name support, including former US President Bill Clinton and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. Dubai estimates the budget for development of infrastructure ranges between $2-$4 billion.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE will be in Paris during the presentation. He is expected to meet with the French President, Francois Hollande, and senior French officials.

The Thailand campaign for World Expo 2020 Ayutthaya kicked off with a bang in August, 2010, but international organizers said it fizzled, with no sign of government support.

The BIE executive committee having unanimously accepted a recommendation from its inquiry mission team to drop Thailand’s bid to host World Expo 2020.

According to the Bangkok Post, the team visited Ayutthaya from January 28 to February 1 this year and gave the government until April 5 to answer its questions about the project’s financial, legislative, organizational, and diplomatic aspects. But the failure of the government to respond had cast doubts on the project’s feasibility.

The team said Ayutthaya had the potential to host the grand event, adding the proposed theme, centered on His Majesty the King’s sufficiency economy philosophy, had merit.

The country’s interest in the philosophy could have been shared with the world, the team said in its report.

The mission also said the theme was timely and significant at a global level. It also took stock of Thailand’s experience in successfully hosting several events.

Akrapol Sorasuchart, former President of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), said, “The loss was our own fault.”

The BIE made an inspection visit to Thailand early this year and found the old capital of Ayutthaya met its key criteria, the former TCEB Chief said.

However, Thailand’s ambitious plan to host the world’s largest fair hit a snag when the Pheu Thai Party-led government failed to confirm its support for the bid, he said.

The BIE secretary had earlier sent a letter to the government via the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Ambassador asking it to confirm its backing for the plan and reply to the bureau before April 5.

The government did not respond, Mr. Akrapol said.

The Prime Minister cannot deny responsibility over the issue, he said.

The loss has damaged the country’s image, and the money spent campaigning for the country has all been wasted, he said.

According to a Government House source, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra seemed uncommitted to the project.

A change in government has also led to a change in ministerial priorities it would appear, wasting millions en route.