BANGKOK, 14 July 2011 – The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) will seek cooperation from the new government in pushing forward the Thai Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) industry ahead of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) establishment.
TCEB President Akapol Sorasuchart stated that a meeting had been held with government agencies, entrepreneurs and related sides in a bid to come up with suggestions for the incoming government regarding how it could prepare the Thai MICE industry for the establishment of the AEC in 2015.
As a result, TCEB plans to propose that MICE businesses be included in the category of highly sensitive products and services. The government will also be asked to make sure that all related rules and regulations are in favor of Thai entrepreneurs and that there is a measure filtering foreigners coming to work in Thailand in order to prevent negative impacts on Thai labor, whose skills will also need to be upgraded to be on par with the international standard.
Mr Akapol indicated a high possibility for the MICE revenue to grow to 100 billion THB within five years from now with the number of participants amounting to 1 million. For 2011, the MICE industry is expected to generate 57 billion THB for the country with an expansion rate of 15 percent.
Moreover, the TCEB President was confident that Thailand would have the advantage in the MICE business over other ASEAN nations after the AEC came into being as the country was located in the center of the region and boasted high-quality services and cost-worthiness.
