Asian Games the next bid

Thailand is confident it can successfully bid to host the 19th Asian Games in 2023 following on the heels of Vietnam that won the bid for the 18th games in 2019.

The next games will be held 19 September to 4 October 2014 in Incheon, South Korea.
Minister of Tourism and Sports, Somsak Pureesrisak said: “The bid plan is inline with efforts to build tourism and link it to sports events that build enormous awareness through TV media.”

Initially, Pattaya or Chaing Mai will  be considered as possible host cities. Thailand has hosted a record four Asian Games with the most recent in 1998.
The last Games were held in Guangzhou, China from 12 to 27 November 2010.
The Asian Games are held every four years, but a decision has been made to host the event just one year ahead of the Olympic Games.  This will mean that the 18th Asian Games will be moved to 2019 instead of 2018 to accommodate the change in policy ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games.
The ministry has identified sports as a major strategy to build awareness and has already positioned Thailand to host a F1 Grand Prix race in 2015.
There are still questions on finding a suitable location for the race after local communities objected to the race being held on city streets in the historical district of Rattanakosin close to the Grand Palace.
The proposed route was a 5.995 km lap that would start and finish at the Royal Thai Naval Dockyard, and would include several of the city’s historic landmarks, including the Grand Palace, the Victory Monument and the Temple of Dawn.
However, the plan fell foul of a law that prohibits car racing in inner Bangkok.
The minister is now looking for suitable race circuits in Phuket, Khon Kaen and Nakhon Ratchasima, but Bangkok has not been struck off the potential host list as there is considerable support for a circuit that would be custom-built at Chaeng Wattana, in the northern suburbs of the capital.
The project is far from done and dusted, although the Ministry of Tourism and Sports has in its hands a MoU, but it will still need the approval and confirmation of F1 organisers on various factors including the circuit, host city and other essential logistics.