Phuket 2028 : It is not just about an Expo, It’s about Sustainability
For quite some years, the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model has
been key to Thailand’s development strategy. In a nutshell, it espousessustainability in all its forms, strengthening resilience for communities and thegrassroots economy and enhancing the competitiveness of industries in asustainable and holistic manner.
At the APEC Economic Leaders Week last year in Bangkok, the BCG
Economy Model witnessed its crowning moment as it garnered APEC-wide
regional commitment in one of the key outcome documents from APEC Thailand
2022, namely the Bangkok Goals on Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy. Inessence, the groundwork was laid then, for Thailand to witness the transformative
ways in which the country and the region would become greener, more inclusive
and more sustainable. This transformation has already started.
Indeed, the path towards full-fledged sustainability is lengthy. It requires awhole-of-society approach. It is also not a final destination, but an ongoingcommitment to nurture, further innovate and develop our planet and resources. In
any event, 2030 will represent a watershed moment in the pursuit of theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As such, Thailand has incorporated theBCG Economy Model into all roadmaps toward sustainability – national policy
agendas, public-private partnerships and international conferences and events,
including APEC 2022, BIMSTEC 2022-2023, and Phuket Expo 2028 – toreenergize the pathway towards achieving the SDGs.
At the policy level, the key deliverables from APEC Thailand 2022 andlater on BIMSTEC 2022-2023, will reinforce Thailand’s whole-of-society
approach towards sustainability through the BCG Economy Model. This hasbeen supported by clear commitments from the private sector. But realtransformation, requires buy-in from the people and local communities. The bidfor Expo 2028 in Phuket, Thailand, is one such initiative aimed at bringing green
and sustainability concepts closer to the people and their communities. Built on a22.5-hectare area in Phuket, the bio-ecological Expo site will be a prime andtangible example of localizing sustainable development efforts to yield long-term
benefits, for people and community.
Phuket Expo 2028 intends to do all of this through its application of theBCG Economy Model on the 3Ps of people, planet and prosperity, which is notcoincidentally part and parcel of the 5Ps of the SDGs. For example, efforts toadvance on people includes scaling up local sustainability projects anddeveloping health and wellness infrastructures as part of Phuket’s five-year
development plan (2023-2027) aimed at turning Phuket into a global medicalhub, with an eye to medical tourism. Efforts to advance on planet, include
designing the Expo building for post-use plan as a quality medical center and-2-ecological park for the public and ensuring all marinas in Phuket adopt
environmentally-friendly technologies in their business operations to make local
tourism more sustainable, green and resilient. Efforts to advance on prosperity
include work to drive forward a green transformation that will create jobs, bridge
wealth gaps and stimulate the local economy, while promoting living in harmony
with nature in different sectors.
This green expansion and development of Phuket – in preparation for
Phuket Expo 2028 – has drummed up a lot of excitement in the province. But
more importantly, it will allow Phuket to position itself to ultimately serve as ascalable regional best practice in bringing the BCG Economy Model to life. So
whether Phuket wins its bid for Expo 2028 or not, the work is already underway.
Winning the Expo then, will only help to further unleash the full potential of thecity, whose success story will hopefully inspire a much larger audience aroundthe world to follow suit in its quest for sustainability.

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