The Government of Thailand is set to welcome the prestigious Formula E electric-car racing championship in the coming year. This revelation was made by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on his X account yesterday, following an engaging conversation with a senior executive of Formula E.

 

Formula E, also known as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, has earned global recognition for organising thrilling electric vehicle races since its inception in Beijing in 2014. The championship later received the status of an FIA world championship.

 

The prime minister disclosed that Thailand has been progressively embracing electric vehicles (EVs) with a significant 40% of all car orders since last year being for EVs.

“Therefore, I think it is good to bring the Formula E racing competition to Thailand to stimulate the economy and development of the country’s infrastructure while reinforcing the policy of reducing carbon emissions.”

According to PM Srettha, executives of Formula E will be scouting locations in Chiang Mai next week to ascertain the feasibility of holding the championship in Thailand. He believes that hosting such a global event will boost Thailand’s reputation as a regional tourism hotspot.

 

Joining the Bangkok-born prime minister for the discussions was Paetongtarn Shinawatra, head of the ruling Pheu Thai Party and deputy chair of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee.

 

Electric-car racing

 

In a separate conversation, the prime minister revealed that a dozen French enterprises have expressed interest in expanding their businesses in Thailand, targeting industries such as hospitality, fashion, and automobiles.

 

After a meeting with French business leaders in Paris, he shared that Accor, a French multinational hospitality company, is eager to collaborate with the Thai government on tourism initiatives and invest in local funds like the pension fund to grow their business. The company also plans to construct hotels in Thailand’s three southern border provinces.

 

PM Srettha also met executives from Michelin, the French tyre manufacturer that uses Thai rubber. Michelin (Thailand), established in 1987, operates five factories in the country, employs over 8,000 workers, and has invested over 40 billion baht (US$ 1.13 billion). The company consumes over 700 billion tonnes of natural rubber annually for tyre production.

 

The 62 year old Thai PM revealed that Michelin plans to increase its production capacity and investment in Thailand over the next three years. The company has also expressed intentions to transition to clean energy soon, a move that the government fully supports, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Apart from its tyre manufacturing business, Michelin is also renowned for its Michelin Guide, which reviews and rates global dining establishments. The company sees Thailand’s potential in the food industry and is ready to assist in promoting this sector to attract tourists, Srettha added.

 

by Mitch Connor 

Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-03-11

 

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Why are they scouting locations in Chiang Mai when Buriram has an FIA grade 1 track ready to go ?

Instead more tourists would come and see Thais competing with their pick with their flat bed full of Burmese😊!

The chances they will find a feasible place to race on there are slim at best. 99% of the roads here are so bad that they would need to repave the whole stretch. A costly venture for the government if they can find a company that does a decent job doing that can make a racetrack that does not become damaged before any race would occur. This OP sounds like a free trip to the people in that industry rather than a serious consideration to put Thailand on their list of places to actually race. 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The prime minister disclosed that Thailand has been progressively embracing electric vehicles (EVs) with a significant 40% of all car orders since last year being for EVs.

Really ?

3 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Why are they scouting locations in Chiang Mai when Buriram has an FIA grade 1 track ready to go ?

Moto GP riders claim the Buriram track is far too easy and not really a competitive race track....just in reading.

2 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

Moto GP riders claim the Buriram track is far too easy and not really a competitive race track....just in reading.

 

And it is the FIA approved track in Thailand to my knowledge.

 

Unless they are thinking if running a street circuit then Baen Saeng is the logical choice.

8 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

And it is the FIA approved track in Thailand to my knowledge.

 

I think Formula E races on temporary street courses exclusively.

 

I think 2026 might be the earliest a race could be held here.

 

 

3 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

 

I think Formula E races on temporary street courses exclusively.

 

 

 

 

 

Majority are race tracks, not street circuits.

 

https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/calendar

 

3 hours ago, RandiRona said:

Instead more tourists would come and see Thais competing with their pick with their flat bed full of Burmese😊!

They can sure move, one undertook me at quite a speed yesterday!

7 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

 

I think Formula E races on temporary street courses exclusively.

I think 2026 might be the earliest a race could be held here.

 

Will never happen.

Just can't trust the general public to stay off the track.

They are way to selfish for that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, quake said:

 

Will never happen.

Just can't trust the general public to stay off the track.

They are way to selfish for that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

so... the amount of car races you have attended in Thailand is... Zero ?

1 minute ago, Ralf001 said:

 

so... the amount of car races you have attended in Thailand is... Zero ?

 

Your right but a big event like they are talking.

Just can't trust the Thais on the roads. can we

 

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Really ?

Probably includes hybrids in the 40%.
BEV = 100% battery
PHEV = Plug in Hybrid
HEV = non-plug in Hybrids. (i.e. Petrol or Diesel powered "self-charging" hybrids. - How the marketers got away with that bull<deleted> nobody knows.)

 

All end in EV.

How is a Formula E street circuit selected?

Unlike other circuit-based championships, the vast majority of tracks visited by Formula E are entirely temporary rather than permanent race tracks, built in the heart of some of the world’s leading cities and constructed and homologated on the eve of the event thanks to a close collaboration between the FIA, Formula E, the National Sporting Authority (ASN) and the local promoter.

 

https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/483933/how-formula-e-designs-and-builds-fia-world-championship-street-circuits

 

 

That said, I think this is a pipe-dream.

 

The PM is desperate for some sort of validation of his globe-hoping. Once Thais smell the coffee - outgoing brown envelopes versus incoming ones, this one will fade away.

 

 

18 minutes ago, quake said:

 

Your right but a big event like they are talking.

Just can't trust the Thais on the roads. can we

 

 

Yeah... maybe better to not comment on a subject you are so clearly clueless about.

Just now, Ralf001 said:

 

Yeah... maybe better to not comment on a subject you are so clearly clueless about.

 

Sure

You go do one .

Just an enlarged Scalextric set 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Joining the Bangkok-born prime minister for the discussions was Paetongtarn Shinawatra, head of the ruling Pheu Thai Party and deputy chair of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee.

 

can someone explain the meaning of: deputy chair of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee. 

 

i believe, paetongtarn shinawatra role is more like being the puppet of khun toni,

who seems to be seriously unhealthy, otherwise khun toni would lead the meeting ... 

 

 

Just now, motdaeng said:

can someone explain the meaning of: deputy chair of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee. 

 

Roughly translates to 'a job for the brother in law'.

So this is his way of combating the smoke in Thailand ,by having Formula-e races in Thailand ...

 

 

regard Worgeordie

6 minutes ago, motdaeng said:

can someone explain the meaning of: deputy chair of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee. 

 

Domestically-produced elephant pants seem to be the primary goal.

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/tag/national-soft-power-strategy-committee/

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Majority are race tracks, not street circuits.

 

https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/calendar

 

majority maybe but not all.

Circuit de Monaco is a 3.337 km (2.074 mi) street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the Principality of Monaco.

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

 

And it is the FIA approved track in Thailand to my knowledge.

 

Unless they are thinking if running a street circuit then Baen Saeng is the logical choice.

Barcelona, Red Bull Ring, Silverstone and Circuit of the Americas are the only 4 common circuits used by both F1 and Moto GP so your intimation that a Moto GP track can also be used for F1 or any form thereof is not entirely accurate. The Buriram track is not suitable. It's hardly suitable for Moto GP. Very boring track. 

@ChrisY1 states: "Moto GP riders claim the Buriram track is far too easy and not really a competitive race track...."

This is the reality of the Buriram track.

Can't afford real cars so they go for racing milk floats

Thailand to host prestigious Formula E electric-car championship

Another BS headline.

From the artice:

"The Government of Thailand is set to welcome the prestigious Formula E electric-car racing championship in the coming year."  

This does not mean it's a done deal.

".....executives of Formula E will be scouting locations in Chiang Mai next week to ascertain the feasibility of holding the championship in Thailand."

This certainly means it's not a done deal.

Thailand to host prestigious Formula E electric-car championship

This means it is a done deal.

Apart from this Formula E is rubbish. Sound is a definite part of motor sports. 

 

April Fool's Day has come early this year.

33 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Barcelona, Red Bull Ring, Silverstone and Circuit of the Americas are the only 4 common circuits used by both F1 and Moto GP so your intimation that a Moto GP track can also be used for F1 or any form thereof is not entirely accurate. The Buriram track is not suitable. It's hardly suitable for Moto GP. Very boring track. 

@ChrisY1 states: "Moto GP riders claim the Buriram track is far too easy and not really a competitive race track...."

This is the reality of the Buriram track.

 

It was designed to hold F1 events that why it is FIA grade 1.

33 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Can't afford real cars so they go for racing milk floats

 

And they are even more boring than real F1 cars !

14 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

 

It was designed to hold F1 events that why it is FIA grade 1.

It's hardly good enough for bikes so having F1 or any variants would be hopeless. It's the worst track on the Moto GP circuit.