Mayor of Khong district in Nakhon Ratchasima province says he is hurt and regrets the decision to propose moving the 2029 International Horticultural Expo from Khong district to Pak Chong, saying the event had long been a hope for local residents and an opportunity to develop their hometown.
Paisal Kiatichaipattana, mayor of Muang Khong Municipality, expressed his feelings in a Facebook post after the executive committee for the Nakhon Ratchasima Horticultural Expo 2029 decided at a meeting at the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry to propose relocating the event to Pak Chong.
“As someone from Khong district, I honestly feel deeply hurt and saddened,” he said, stressing that Khong was not simply a location marked on a map, but an area where residents had waited, prepared and placed their hopes in hosting the event.
Since Khong was selected as the proposed venue, residents had hoped that the expo would bring development to the area, particularly in infrastructure, the economy, tourism and job creation, as well as new opportunities for local people, he said.
“We waited, we prepared, we supported and we placed our hopes in the words ‘the horticultural expo in Khong district’,” Paisal said.
He said the proposed relocation had left local people wondering what would happen to the dreams they had held for years.
“I understand that decisions at the national level involve many considerations and factors, but as a local resident, I want the voices of people in Khong district to be listened to seriously,” he said.
For people who do not live there, Khong might be just the name of a district, but for local residents, it is their home, community and the hope of the entire district, he said.
Paisal said he believed all sides should be given an opportunity to present information, facts and the views of local residents before a final decision was made.
“We are not asking for too much. We simply want what was once selected and what we placed our hopes in for our home to be considered fairly,” he said.
He said his first reaction to the proposed relocation was not anger, but disappointment, sadness and a sense of being let down.
Paisal acknowledged that Pak Chong was more ready and had greater potential in several respects, but said this did not mean Khong lacked potential or could not host the event if it were given serious support and an opportunity.
“I do not want this issue to become a conflict among people in Nakhon Ratchasima. I simply want the voices of Khong residents to be heard and the hopes that have been created to be treated fairly,” he said.
“True development should not shine light only on areas that are already bright. It should also extend opportunities to areas that are still waiting for hope,” he said.
