Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is set to cast Thailand as the hub of the Greater Mekong Subregion's (GMS) Mice destinations by promoting two big events next year.
The East-West Economic Corridor International Conference is scheduled for the first quarter next year, while GMS Tourism Corridor in March expects to draw some 500 participants.
Nichapa Yoswee, senior vice-president for business at TCEB, said over the past two years, Thailand has successfully arranged several Mice (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) events in provinces linking GMS countries, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and China.
The events from the past two years could generate more than 307 million baht in business transactions.
They include the International Conference on the Luangprabang-Indochina-Mawlamyine Economic Corridor, which took place in Tak province with 400 Mice registrants. The event last year generated 226 million baht in the tourism, logistics, health and wellness and education sectors for three countries: Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.
Another event was the Cambodia-Vietnam-Thailand Economic Corridor Cooperation Conference, which took place in Rayong province earlier this year and drew about 200 participants.
At the event three countries signed a memorandum of understanding to open a sea transport route within 2020 from Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam to Sihanoukville in Cambodia and Thailand's Trat province.
Other events include the Greater Mekong Region Logistics Forum held in Khon Kaen and the GMS-Thailand E-Commerce Economic Corridor in Chiang Rai, both held this year.
Some 69.5 million baht in income was realised from the event in Chiang Rai, said Ms Nichapa.
TCEB plans to expand to other parts of the country, starting with the Northeast in 2020 and the South in 2021, she said.
TCEB assigned the Domestic Mice Department (DMICE) as a co-host and formed business networks for operators from Thailand and GMS countries.
Salanroj Sutaschuto, director of DMICE, said the company has spent a budget of about 18 million baht to support the Mice events hosted in the GMS region since last year.
Next year, another 9 million baht will be used to expedite six projects.
In addition to the GMS region, DMICE plans to expand Mice projects to second-tier provinces to distribute income to the provinces and prepare them for big international events in the future.