The Ministry of Public Health has defended spending 900 million baht on setting up the Thailand Pavilion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, saying the exhibition has received much praise and criticism has been treated as constructive feedback.
Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, on Monday led a press conference to clarify public speculation over the worthiness of the 900-million-baht budget the ministry used to create the Thailand Pavilion exhibition at the World Expo in Osaka, running from April 13 until Oct 13.
According to him, the cabinet this year assigned the Public Health Ministry to oversee the organisation of the Thailand Pavilion, with a budget of 900 million baht.
The Thai exhibition is featured under the Expo's central theme: "Designing Future Society for Our Lives", highlighting key health and well-being issues, including child vaccination, hygiene, nutrition, physical activity, and longevity.
He said the ministry strictly adhered to budget spending regulations, and all documents pertaining to the project's expenses are available on the ministry's website for public review.
The exhibition was aimed at showcasing Thailand's strengths in health promotion to a global audience while supporting broader economic goals, such as Thai traditional massage, which is expected to generate hundreds of billions of baht through business matching, Dr Opas said.
The Thai Pavilion attracted an average of 10,000 visitors per day, he said, adding that academics had been assigned to assess its worth.
"As can be seen on social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook, many liked the exhibition and expressed their appreciation towards it, while others criticised it," he said.
Some of the harshest words against the ministry's work came from Unchalin Punnipa, president of TQM Alpha Plc and visitor to the fair, who on Facebook expressed doubts over whether the spending of more than 900 million baht had ever been examined carefully.
He said all his friends and acquaintances who visited the World Expo share the same view that the Thai Pavilion was more like a school exhibition than a world-class exhibit.