Phuket has attracted over a million public votes of support in its bid to win the right to host Specialised Expo 2028, deputy government spokeswoman Tipanan Sirichana said on Monday.
If Thailand wins the right to hold the three-month-long expo -- under the theme "Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity" -- at least seven million foreign visitors are expected to attend, she said.
It would also bring at least 50 billion baht in income to the country, Ms Tipanan said.
If Phuket is chosen for the expo, it will also establish Thailand as a global destination for wellness travel, which is one of the policies of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, she added.
Thailand is competing against the United States, Argentina, Serbia, and Spain for the right to host the event.
Given that Thailand is ranked fifth on the list of countries with the highest Health Security Index, she said the expo would also exhibit the quality of the country's healthcare services to the world.
"Since the island was chosen as a place to pilot the government's sandbox project in 2021, Phuket gained many positive reviews from many platforms for its readiness for tourism and was named in third place of Travel + Leisure's 2022 Best Islands in Southeast Asia list for its easy access," she said.
Ms Tipanan's comments come after over a million people supported the bid via a website that's still open to the public at https://support.expo2028thailand.com/th.
The announcement about which country will host the event is expected in June, Ms Tipanan said.
Meanwhile, Surat Thani's Koh Samui on Sunday welcomed its first charter flight from China after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The flight was direct from Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province. It will resume being a weekly service to the island.