The Democrats on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to explain why the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) rejected Thailand’s bid to host the World Expo 2020, after the failure was blamed on a lack of government support.
The campaign for World Expo 2020 Ayutthaya kicked off with a bang in August, 2010, but international organisers said the bid fizzled out, with no sign of government support.
Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said the BIE dropped the ancient Thai capital Ayutthaya from its list of potential hosts, despite the fact that the country had gone through the agency’s final bidding and selection process.
Ms Yingluck had earlier confirmed with the BIE executive committee that Thailand had the capacity to organise the world’s largest fair.
But the BIE executive committee on Tuesday unanimously accepted a recommendation from its inquiry mission team to drop Thailand as a contender to host the six-month extravaganza.
The team visited Ayutthaya from Jan 28 to Feb 1 this year and gave the government until April 5 to answer its questions about the project's financial, legislative, organisational and diplomatic aspects. But a lack of any response from government cast doubts on the project's feasibility.
Mr Chavanond claimed the government had spent more than 400 million baht of state cash on a feasibility study and public relations for the project.
Thailand had the potential to be selected as a winning candidate, he said, therefore it was unreasonable for the country to have been forced to drop out of the tender bid process.
He called on Ms Yingluck to clarify the issue to the public.
PM's Office Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan, who oversees the issue, told the Bangkok Post on Tuesday that he had not officially acknowledged the rejection.
Akrapol Sorasuchart, former president of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), said Thailand had been forced to drop out of the tender bid process by the government's inaction. He said the prime minister must take responsibility for the failed bid.
''It would have been better if the BIE had disqualified our country or other countries had outdone us. But we lost because of our own fault,'' Mr Akrapol said.
On Aug 24, 2010, the Abhisit Vejjajiva government announced Thailand's bid to host the World Expo 2020, with Ayutthaya selected as the venue.