Mack Brooks, with its international experience and proven track record to deliver rail exhibitions across the world, ensures that Exporail South East Asia will receive the support and investment needed to meet the needs of the industry. The exhibition will act as a focus point for the local Thai industry and the South East Asian rail sector to meet, learn, network, discuss and discover the best products systems and services the international rail market has to offer. This will open up new possibilities for Thai and Southeast Asian businesses in related fields, and responds to the government's policy for infrastructure and AEC network which will commence by the end of this year.
Michael Wilton, Exhibition Director, Mack Brooks Exhibitions said, "Exporail will enable the organisations responsible for delivering the massive rail projects in Thailand and SE Asia, access to the best products available in the rail market. Suppliers from across the world will display their products, systems and services at an event that is trusted and has the track record throughout the world to deliver what is needed."
He also added that Exporail Southeast Asia - Thailand 2016 is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. Formerly, such exhibition is regularly held in the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Russia, and India, and are proven to be very successful. The company decided to organize this exhibition in Southeast Asia due to the demand and requests of Railway suppliers. Additionally, they see the potential in the economic and industrial readiness of this country. Thailand also acts as a cross roads for Southeast Asia rail network and is very well-connected to other Southeast Asian countries. Railway infrastructure development will help prepare the country for future growth after the AEC and future expansion of ASEAN markets.
'From the past 50 years, Thai government has been focusing mainly on road system, which then brings about various problems, such as traffic congestion, low efficiency, pollution, high rate of accidents. Consequently, this has driven the government to divert the development of an infrastructure from 78% of road structure into railways and water channel, which will save energy up to 3.5-5.0 times and 7.0 times respectively. This is because rail system accounts for only 2% of the current 200 km. The government has planned to develop 6 routes of two-tracked rail system totaling 887 km., which might take 5-6 years. To reduce cost and increase efficiency of Thai logistic, rail system is necessary. The proportion of rail system in developed countries accounted for approximately 15-20%. On behalf of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, we believe Exporail South East Asia 2016 will be a great platform for Thailand to escalate the rail system and to promote Thailand to be accepted as the centre of rail transportation in Southeast Asia according to the infrastructure plan of the Ministry of Transport', said Dr. Pichet Kunadhamraks, Head of Rail Development, Ministry of Transport.
In addition, Mrs. Jaruwan Suwannasat, Director of Exhibitions and Events Department said that 'Last year MICE industry generated more than 80,800 million baths to Thai economic system and bring more than 900,000 visitors for MICE business, in which around 150,000 people are for the international exhibition. It helped generate approximately 13,000 million baht revenue. TCEB is delighted to be partner of the Exporail South East Asia-Thailand 2016 which will exhibit rail equipment and system for the first time in Southeast Asia to emphasise on the potential of Thailand as the hub for international exhibition in ASEAN.'
This mega exhibition responds to the government's policy to strengthen the country's infrastructure tangibly. It will open up new possibilities for Thai and Southeast Asian businesses in related fields, offering them a chance to network with global leading railway companies to improve the quality of Thailand's railway transportation.