THAILAND - The island of Phuket is out of the running to host the 2020 World Expo after the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) conducted a six-month study to find a suitable location for its bid. Phetchaburi and Chanthaburi are also out of the running.
"At this stage, Ayutthaya is ranked number one, followed by Chon Buri and Chiang Mai," co-chief executive of Index Event Agency, which won the management contract for the Thailand Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo, Kriengkrai Kanjanapokin said to local newspaper The Nation. "These three provinces boast good infrastructure, accommodation, local hospitality and potential expansion after the event.”
All sites offer advantages, and disadvantages, such as Ayutthaya is prone to flooding and Chiang Mai would need to invest heavily in new infrastructure. The host bids were evaluated in terms of location, infrastructure, accommodation, facilities, the perception of the locals, and local administrative bodies.
"A good mass-transit infrastructure is critical to support a big event like this because hundreds of thousands of people will come to the site on a daily basis. Ayutthaya has the most potential and its potential could be heightened by the cultural heritage,” says Kanjanapokin.
Thailand is up against Manila, Brisbane, Copenhagen, Dubai, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo, Montreal, San Francisco, Houston and Los Angeles to host the World Expo, which is currently in Shanghai.
Thailand is set to submit its bid on 5 September 2010. The Bureau of International Expositions will select the host city for World Expo 2020 in 2014.
The final decision on who is to host the World Expo 2020 will be made in 2014.
