Phuket is set to build an exhibition hall to help the resort city become a regional Mice hub on a par with Singapore.
The province, a popular tourism destination in southern Thailand, attracts over 14 million visitors a year, some 800,000 of whom came for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) last year. The figure is projected to increase by a large margin this year.
Chalermlak Kepsap, mayor of Patong and chairwoman of a committee to promote the Mice industry in Phuket, said that despite various venues to support participants coming for Mice events, the city still needs a large facility with a high capacity to house at least 10,000 participants for events.
She said the committee's study found that some areas in Patong could be developed for a Mice centre that features not only exhibition halls, but also hotels and condominiums.
Construction must comply with the city's planning rules, and the site must be at least 200 metres away from the seashore.
Two companies are vying to build the facility in Patong, Ms Chalermlak said, but she did not disclose names.
One 12.5-billion-baht proposal would see a centre with capacity for 25,000 people, featuring a five-star hotel with 2,500 rooms on 20 rai. The other envisions a hall on 14 rai to accommodate 15,000 visitors, but the investment budget has yet to be disclosed.
Thapana Bunyapravit, president of the Thai Association for Town Planning, said building a state-of-the-art exhibition hall is vital to Phuket, as the investment should rev up the local economy.
Mr Thapana said Mice visitors are big spenders with an average stay of 4.5 days, which could boost hotel occupation rates in the low season significantly.
Patong municipality would also earn local development tax revenue of 500 million baht or higher once the centre is in service, up from 300 million.
