TCEB is forging ahead to position Thailand as the MICE hub of ASEAN by certifying six new areas as "MICE Cities." This expansion brings the total number of MICE Cities across the country to 16, facilitating a wider distribution of events across all regions of Thailand.

Dr. Supawan Teerarat, Director of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB, revealed that the evaluation process for the 2026 MICE Cities involved rigorous assessment by a committee of public and private sector experts. The evaluation was based on standards comprising eight categories and 32 indicators, including accessibility to the city and venues, event support, supplementary activities beyond the meeting itself, accommodation and facilities, venue standards, city image and reputation, safety, and risk management. This year, TCEB and the committee announced the certification of six new MICE Cities:

1. Krabi (Andaman Seaside MICE), 2. Chiang Rai (Creative and Cultural MICE City), and 3. Nakhon Si Thammarat. (a hub for cultural and religious MICE) 4. Rayong (an industrial MICE hub supporting the Eastern Economic Corridor, or EEC) 5. Ubon Ratchathani (a southern Isan MICE gateway to the Mekong sub-region) and 6. Hua Hin-Cha-am (a MICE destination combining the strengths of seaside resorts and event venues from both areas to seamlessly host large-scale events). Additionally, the committee approved the renewal of MICE City status for three existing cities—Surat Thani, Phitsanulok, and Udon Thani—following their scheduled evaluation.

Dr. Supawan stated that upgrading to a "MICE City" status goes beyond mere certification; it involves leveraging the MICE industry to drive local economies based on each city's unique strengths—or "Destination DNA"—to enhance competitiveness. With the certification of these six new areas, the total number of MICE Cities in Thailand has reached 16. The 10 existing MICE Cities are: 1. Bangkok (the country's primary hub) 2. Chiang Mai (the Northern hub) ...and host of the MICE City Summit 2027) 3. Khon Kaen (Key hub of the Northeast) 4. Phuket (World-class tourism and incentive travel hub in the South) 5. Pattaya (Chonburi) (Major MICE city in the Eastern Economic Corridor - EEC) 6. Nakhon Ratchasima (Economic-driving MICE city connecting the Northeast) 7. Udon Thani (MICE city linking to the Indochina region) 8. Songkhla (Model city for sustainable MICE) 9. Surat Thani (High-potential island tourism MICE city with recently renewed certification) 10. Phitsanulok (MICE and tourism hub connecting the lower North)

Following the certification of these six areas, TCEB has prepared city development plans in collaboration with each province, utilizing three key mechanisms to drive economic growth: Infrastructure & Connectivity Enhancement: Driven by the "EEC MICE Sandbox" model and the creation of an "Area-based MICE Development Playbook" to scale up results to MICE cities nationwide.

Highlighting Local Identity (City-as-content & Destination DNA): Designing MICE events to align with each city's unique strengths while promoting sustainable event management standards (Thailand Sustainable Event Management Standard: TSEMs). Workforce and Local Supply Chain Development (Local Ecosystem): Building local MICE entrepreneur networks and linking to tax incentives—specifically a tax deduction of up to 200%—to encourage organizations... Increasing the Selection of MICE Cities for Meetings and Seminars

In 2027, TCEB plans to evaluate the renewal of four key MICE cities—Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Khon Kaen. Concurrently, the agency is developing city-specific evaluation criteria (categorized by type) to accommodate the unique characteristics of each area and to reinforce Thailand’s readiness to become the "MICE Hub of ASEAN."

TCEB’s MICE City initiative has been underway since the 2019 fiscal year, operating under the agency’s fourth strategic pillar: enhancing the competitiveness of the MICE industry. This initiative aligns with the 20-Year National Strategy on competitiveness enhancement; the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2023–2027), which aims to position Thailand as a high-quality and sustainable tourism destination; and the 3rd National Tourism Development Plan (2023–2027), which prioritizes business tourism. The ultimate goal is to elevate cities with high potential into "Preferred MICE Destinations."

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