Thailand’s business events agency is to make a new push to regain the country’s status as a major corporate meetings and trade show destination.
Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has appointed a new president Akapol Sorasuchart and chairman Anusak Inthraphuvasak to lead the two-phase plan, the first of which will last three years and the second for four years.
One part of the plan already in place is “Maximise Thailand”, which allows business people attending major conferences or trade exhibitions to benefit from a range of special privileges.
Business travellers attending trade shows as buyers or exhibitors, for example, can take advantage of the “Extra Night, Extra Smile” programme and extend a three-night stay at selected hotels to four nights at no extra cost. Participants can also use the fast-track clearance systems at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
TCEB estimates that, by the end of the year, Thailand will have hosted 500 overseas business events, bringing in more than 600,000 business visitors earning the country more than US$1.5bn. The Kingdom is also positioning itself as a gateway destination for business travellers to neighbouring Asean nations, especially Vietnam.
TCEB hopes that to see the number of business events visitors grow to 785,000 next year.
Akapol also said that Thailand needed to develop stronger facilities to compete with more established regional rivals
“If we want to compete with Hongkong and Singapore in the future, we must have infrastructure to support big events for more than 100,000 visitors. Convenient transport and hotels are needed as well.”
Kenny Coyle
