芭提雅转型商务会奖目的地：TCEB与EECO签署战略合作并加速酒店供给扩张

Pattaya is converting decades of leisure fame into business events credentials. As Chonburi province welcomes a wave of new openings, local associations and government agencies are taking notice, while a landmark agreement with the Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand (EECO) positions business events as a strategic engine for industrial investment.

The city demonstrated its large-scale capabilities by hosting the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s flagship business exchange, Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2026 at the Nong Nooch Pattaya International Convention and Exhibition Center. It also highlighted local attractions including Alexa Beach Club Pattaya, Dam Pattaya restaurant, White Lotus Retreat Cafe & Restaurant, and Columbia Pictures Aquaverse.

The Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA) also routed its Destination Update through Sriracha and Pattaya to reset member perceptions.

“Everyone thinks they already know Sriracha and Pattaya, but many new meeting rooms have been built. There are also many plantations, farms and community spots we have never visited,” said TICA president Prachoom Tantiprasertsuk.

She highlighted Chonburi’s accessibility and market diversity as structural advantages, noting that India has overtaken China as Pattaya’s top business events source market, while long-stay European travellers drive high-season leisure.

Data from Horwath HTL reinforces this momentum, showing that outside Bangkok, hotel development from 2024 to 2026 is heavily concentrated in Pattaya and Phuket – the country’s two top-performing secondary markets.

Recent additions include Meliá Pattaya Hotel; Pattaya Marriott Resort and Spa at Jomtien Beach; The Standard, Pattaya Na Jomtien; and Garner Hotel Pattaya Central, which marked the South-east Asian debut of IHG’s Garner brand. These are complemented by new attractions such as the digitally immersive Pado Media Art Space, and The View Ferris Wheel Pattaya.

Looking ahead, the hotel pipeline remains robust. Upcoming openings include Grande Centre Point Voyage Pattaya this month, Hilton Garden Inn Pattaya City in early 2027, Kimpton Pattaya in 2028, and Moxy Pattaya The Aquatique in early 2033.

Earlier in May 2026, Onyx Hospitality Group also entered a joint venture with Japan’s JR Kyushu Business Development (Thailand) to develop Shama North Pattaya.

Located in a key tourism and economic hub within the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), the property will blend residential-style accommodation with hotel amenities to target the region’s expanding corporate extended-stay and short-term travel market.

“Shama North Pattaya represents another important strategic property in strengthening and completing Onyx Hospitality Group’s presence in Pattaya… alongside our key brands Amari and Ozo, helping to create a more integrated and cohesive hospitality cluster in the area,” said Yuthachai Charanachitta, CEO of Onyx Hospitality Group.

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is pairing this new inventory with upgraded service standards.

Under the theme Pattaya Being Fun: Elevating MICE venues through high-touch experiences, TCEB’s MICE Capabilities Development Department ran a workshop series embedding high-touch authenticity into the Thailand MICE Venue Standard, and Sustainable Event Management Standard.

Hosted at Centre Point Prime Hotel Pattaya, the event featured site visits to Cape Dara Resort and Holiday Inn & Suites Siracha Laemchabang, alongside immersive sessions with five local communities, including the Ban Amphur waste-to-value initiative and Ban Chak Ngaew Chinese community.

The two-day initiative injected 1 million baht (US$30,600) directly into the local economy, with a structured business-matching pipeline expected to generate at least 20 million baht for Chonburi over three years.

On June 23, 2026, TCEB and the EECO signed a strategic partnership to align business events with the EEC’s target sectors: digital, electric vehicles, medical sciences, bio-circular-green industries, and high-value services.

“The MICE industry plays a crucial role in creating a platform to connect and attract investment, networks, innovation and further collaboration, linking the world to the EEC,” said TCEB president Supawan Teerarat.

She revealed plans to launch a Factory Visit Routing connecting conferences with local industrial sites. This execution rests on three core pillars: Empower Eastern Exhibition (promoting targeted tradeshows), EEC MICE Product Premium (upgrading community goods), and EEC MICE Cluster Destination (building partner networks).

“Investment decisions are rarely made in boardrooms alone. Investors need to experience a place firsthand. They need to see the infrastructure, meet the talent, understand the ecosystem and connect with potential partners,” added Chuta Tharachai, executive director of EECO’s Corporate Communications Division.