THE THAILAND Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is pressing ahead with plans to host a Formula One race in Bangkok.
This is part of TCEB’s strategy to bring high-profile events into the country, including the World Expo 2020 (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 24).
TCEB president Akapol Sorasuchart said an initial feasibility study for hosting the race in Bangkok had been completed, while preliminary discussions with Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone in June had yielded promising results.
The only stumbling block left is persuading the Thai government to lend its support. “We plan to propose the event as part of our 2012 budget,” Akapol said, but declined to pin down an exact date for the event.
TCEB is considering a street-racing model for the race, running over a period of three days including practice and qualifying runs, around Ratchadamnoen Avenue in Bangkok’s historical quarter.
The MICE bureau is currently seeking a consultancy firm to study the event’s potential benefits, which include increased tourism spend from parking and docking fees for private jets, helicopters and yachts, hotel stays, and ticket and corporate booth sales, on top of invaluable media exposure.
“If the event can be held as planned, we expect a ticket sell for about 100,000 seats and a total of one million spectators during the period,” Akapol said.
Fine, the city was laking a bit of traffic this last decade... after the red shirts in 2010 to block 1/4 of the city, the F1 in 2012! 
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