Post: Fake flowers shock expo visitors

[Mr Lucky]

Bangkok Post: Fake flowers shock expo visitors

Thailand continues to bungle its handling of what could have been a prestigious international event. Could we expect any less?

[Mr Lucky]

For professional reasons, I've been following this whole flower show since Thailand started losing its bid for the event two years ago.

It was originally to be the International Horticultural Exhibition 2006, a bi-annual event held at various cities around the world. It is a huge deal for any city - a plant olympics. Thailand was named to be the 2006 venue back in 1990.

However, when the Thaksin government demanded that Chiang Mai be used as the venue, the World Horticultural Association (WHA), noted that no venue construction had commenced with less than two years before the show, and they decided to hedge their bets.

They split this year's exhibition between Genoa, Italy, Shenyang China and Chiang Mai. The Thais responded to this with a typical schoolyard tantrum. They got pissed and threatened to pull out entirely, saying, "We're going to have our own show and you're not invited! "

When that didn't faze anyone, they changed their tune and appealed for funding from the organizers. But by then, the WHA had already shifted committments towards the Chinese show and now the Chiang Mai expo is just a blip on the radar, international in name only. Two years ago they were looking forward to 5 million international visitors. They'll be lucky if they see 1% of that.

I like Thailand and the Thais. A lot. In my work and daily life, I try to do what I can to help this country enter the First World with its culture intact. But sometimes I have to ask myself, why bother? Thailand is like the son of rich parents, who keeps wrapping Ferraris around trees.