The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) has announced that its International Horticultural Exhibition 2026 will be held in the city of Udon Thani, Thailand.
The final decision was taken at the AIPH General Meeting on 8 March.
The Governor of Udon Thani, Mr Siam Sirimongkol, said of the decision: “As the agricultural business and trading centre of the Greater Mekong Region, Udon Thani is exceptionally proud to bring AIPH’s International Horticultural Expo back to Thailand. The event will be called ‘The Garden of Mekong’ to celebrate the abundance of the Mekong wetland, where people are blessed with biodiversity and harmony. This prestigious global event with the central theme ‘Diversity of Life: People, Water and Plants’ will bring well-deserved attention to our fertile but fragile land on the great international river where our ancestors have learnt co-living for millennia.
“We are aiming to achieve at least 13 out of 17 UN Sustainability Development Goals, with this Expo. Udon Thani will be delighted to welcome our friends of the Mekong, the ASEAN community and people across the globe to visit the Expo.
“The 164.8-hectares expo site encompasses a small lake to showcase the mesmerising Mekong wetland. We hope the world will get to know the diversity along the Mekong and be inspired by our sustainable way of living.”
AIPH secretary general, Tim Briercliffe, said Expo 2026 would introduce Udon Thani and the horticulture of this region to the global stage and “create opportunities to exchange knowledge and technological advancement as well as promoting city greening and the importance of the relationship between people and plants”.
The news of Udon Thani’s bid success followed a site inspection in February and a presentation by the Udon Thani Expo organising team at the AIPH Expo Conference on 7 March.
From 2022 until 2027, there will be AIPH-approved International Horticultural Expos in China, Turkey, Qatar, the Netherlands, South Korea, Thailand, and Japan.
More information: www.aiph.org/expos.
