BANGKOK - The Tourism Authority of Thailand is drawing up plans to market and promote Thailand for the Miss Universe Pageant, which the government has unofficially said it will host next June.
A report in The Nation quoted the TAT as saying that the New York-based Miss Universe Organisation, which organises the annual pageant, recently gave informal approval for Thailand to host next yearís event.
Thailand outbid China and Chile. The government will pay US$6.5 million (Bt270 million) to the Miss Universe Organisation, lower than China’s offer of US$7 million but more than Chile’s US$6 million.
We won because a Thai government body was the one who proposed the bid, unlike in the two (other) countries' cases, which were proposed by private companies. Our proposal stood out as it is represented by a government tourism body,TAT governor Juthamas Siriwan was quoted saying.
Next year’s event marks the second time that Thailand will host the international show. The first was in 1992.
The authority has not yet decided where the contest will take place, but it expects 10,000 visitors to descend on Bangkok for the beauty contest alone.
Besides engaging all of its 17 overseas offices to step up marketing Thailand, the TAT is planning to hold a Thailand and Indo-China travel mart.