The Board of Investment (BOI) has requested Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to schedule a new date for the annual BOI Fair

The Board of Investment (BOI) has requested Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to schedule a new date for the annual BOI Fair, which needs to be postponed because of the current flood crisis.

After a meeting with the committee responsible for the arrangement of the BOI Fair 2011, BOI Secretary-General Atchaka Sribunruang stated that since the flood problem had prompted a need to reschedule the fair, the committee resolved to seek Prime Minister Yingluck’s decision as to when the event would be held. However, the Secretary-General insisted that it should not be later than January next year as huge losses would be incurred.

So far, the setting up of 84 display pavilions within the BOI Fair has progressed by 80 percent while the value of investment has reached 1.5-1.7 billion THB.

Moreover, since the new date has not been set, it becomes difficult to reserve the current venue, which is IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, for the fair as the exhibition center is usually fully booked all year round. At the same time, a change of venue cannot be made, considering the level of preparedness at present.

Ms Atchaka also revealed that a number of participating investors, such as Honda and Cannon, had turned their attention to the rehabilitation of their factories, which had been devastated by floods.