Phuket’s dream to host Expo 2028 crashes in 2nd round of voting
Phuket’s bid to host the Specialised Expo 2028 ended on Wednesday, as Belgrade won the vote among five contender cities.
Five countries were in contention for the opportunity to host the Specialised Expo, a global event that would showcase the success of participating nations and seek solutions to precise challenges of humanity.
More than 150 member countries of the Bureau of International Exposition (BIE) met at the 172nd General Assembly in Paris on Wednesday and cast secret ballots for the contender cities.
The Serbian city of Belgrade pipped the four finalists, namely San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina), Malaga (Spain), Minnesota (US), and Phuket (Thailand).
According to the BIE, a country must receive a two-thirds majority in the first round of voting to be selected as the host nation of the event.
If no contender earns a two-thirds majority in the first round, the candidate who obtains the fewest votes is eliminated. This process continues until there are just two candidates left, the BIE explains on its website.
Phuket passed the first round of voting, gaining 16 votes, far more than Argentina, which received only 8.
Thailand's hopes, however, were dashed in the second round when it received only 15 votes, trailing rivals US (21), Spain (48), and Serbia (69).
In the decisive round, Serbia received 81 votes to Spain's 70, handing Belgrade the right to host the expo.
Serbia has proposed to host the fair in 2027 in Belgrade under the theme “Play for Humanity - Sport and Music for All”. The city plans to build a brand new 52,000-seat sports complex specifically for this event.
The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) said on its Facebook: “TCEB would like to congratulate Serbia for being elected to host the Specialised Expo.”
TCEB, which oversees the bidding process, would like to thank all concerned sectors for their unwavering support, it said.
“In recent times, we have learned a lot of good experience from being one of the candidates to host the event.”
Even if it was not chosen as a host, Phuket is receiving a lot of attention as a destination for the MICE business and wellness, not just tourism, the TCEB said.
Earlier, the TCEB had worked closely with other agencies, like the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Commerce, and Public Health, as well as the Tourism Authority of Thailand in bidding for the rights to host the expo.
