By Gwen O’Toole

The Royal Phuket Marina, the city’s first dedicated exhibition and convention centre, has officially opened in a ceremony attended by the Governor of Phuket, Preecha Ryanchun.

 Royal Phuket Marina is now open for events

The 2,500-square-metre waterfront complex will be known as the RPM International Exhibition & Conference Centre and is three times larger than any other existing venue in the region.

The Phuket International Marine Expo, or PIMEX, held last week was the first major exhibition to be held at the new facility.

In his opening address, Governor Ruanchun called Phuket a “premier tourist destination” and said he is confident the opening will give the island the benefit of becoming a “leading international venue for conventions, expos and large scale private events”.

Despite the recent political tourmoil in Bangkok, Phuket has been largely unaffected and visitors exceeded a record five million last year, up 11.25 per cent from 2006. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is expecting further growth as the number of flights to the island reaches 120 per day, creating more attention as a convention and exhibition destination.

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