PHUKET: The Governor of Phuket, Narong Woonciew, led the Thailand delegation in Paris on Friday (June 16) as final efforts to promote the province as the preferred candidate to host the Specialised Expo 2028 get underway.
Governor Narong and his team of officials unveiled a campaign entitled “Touching the Sense of Harmony” as they leveraged Phuket’s UNESCO status as a creative city of gastronomy and offered up a range of unqiue dishes to the province in an attempt to wow representatives from countries involved in the voting process.
Held in the French capital at the prestigious Fluctuart venue, a sleek, mulitlevel, floating art gallery with fantastic views of the River Seine, Governor Narong declared his personal pride and that of the people of Phuket in being able to welcome all the distinguished guests to the Phuket hosted recpetion.
“It is an honour to be able to present the potential of Phuket as a viable candidate city to host the Specialised Expo 2028,” Governor Narong said, adding that Phuket is very much regarded as a world-class tourist destination with over 120 flights arriving on the island from 63 cities each day.
“Phuket has become a second home for many people around the world, such is its allure and popularity,” Governor Narong added.
“Phuket very much has its own unqiue identity, a fact recognised by UNESCO who awarded it status as a creative city of gastronomy. That is why we have prepared a range of special dishes for you all to savour today,” he explained.
“With the full anticipated support from central government, we hope that if we are given the opportunity to host this event, we will ensure it is an absolute success,” Governor Narong said.
“We want to be able to connect all citizens of the world and use the opportunity of hosting the Expo 2028 to build long-term relationships and cooperation towards the development and sharing of stability and prosperity together without leaving anyone behind – this is in line with the concept presented by our slogan “Thailand, Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity,” Governor Narong explained.
“Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to request everyone’s support to vote for Thailand. I have been continuously pushing this bid over the years and, as I will retire in the next few months, it would be a privilege to be able to secure the hosting rights,” Governor Narong said.
“Your vote and voice is extremely important and can have a significantly positive impact on Phuket and the residents who live there. Your one voice will be the voice of change. It is a voice that creates opportunities for developing countries. It is a voice that will create new opportunities, create new paradigms and create a sustainable future for the next generation,” Governor Narong concluded.
The final decision takes place on Wednesday (June 21) with Phuket up against four other cities to host the event: Minnesota, in the United States; Belgrade, in Serbia; Malaga, in Spain; and San Carlos de Bariloche, in Argentina.
It was confirmed on Friday that the Phuket Tourism Business Association, Phuket Chamber of Commerce, the Phuket Provincial Federation of Industries and selected private sector entities have collaborated to organise a special event at the Limelight Avenue shopping mall in Phuket Town on Wednesday between 2:30pm and 7:30pm where the final voting ceremony will be beamed live from Paris onto large LED screens at the specially constructed venue.
