Chonburi Gov. Wichit Chatpaisit has called on Banglamung District officials to gather local business and community leaders to polish up the province’s bid to host the 2020 World Expo.
Hoping to cement a win over competing Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya, Wichit said a panel of local experts is needed to complete Chonburi’s bid. The Banglamung panel will be able to best describe how the Word Expo can be organized and hosted in the Pattaya area, he said.
Chonburi Gov. Wichit Chatpaisit is pushing harder to promote Banglamung as the host for the 2020 World Expo.
Consultancy AECOM Co. has been hired by the Thai Cabinet to vet the three cities and weigh which city offers the best chance of providing a successful, well-attended expo. Echoing the sentiments of his predecessor Senee Jittakasem, the new governor said Chonburi offers the best transportation links, has the most experience in hosting large numbers of tourists and has a well-known global reputation.
“If the Banglamung District was selected to be the host of World Expo 2020, apart from raising Thailand’s reputation internationally, it would reflect Chonburi’s readiness in transportation, communications and as a tourist destination,” Wichit said.
Thailand will compete against Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Philippines, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the United States to be the host of the expo, which is held every five years. The winner will be announced by year-end.
If awarded to Chonburi, the expo would be staged on 1,200-1,500 rai of land next to Thammasat University. That property currently is home to the Bira International Circuit race track.
Chiang Mai, meanwhile, plans to integrate the World Expo with its famous Chiang Mai Zoo, while Ayutthaya would house the event at the city’s Vocational Training Centre.
