Udon Thani is being primed to be a MICE and ecotourism destination.
Thailand’s Udon Thani International Horticultural Expo 2026 has opened at Nong Dae Wetland in the country’s northeast, running for 134 days until 14 March 2027.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul chaired the official opening on 2 November, describing it as the first international horticultural exhibition designed on a natural wetland.
Recognised by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) as a Category B expo that meets global standards, the event features 32 international gardens from 17 countries and international organisations, alongside at least 16 Thai gardens. The 165-hectare site, with 48.5 hectares of exhibition space, is themed “Diversity of Life: Connecting People, Water and Plants for Sustainable Living”.
At Vietnam’s both, the lotus-centred Vietnam–Thailand Friendship Garden marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Organisers are targeting more than 3.6 million visitors, around THB20 billion (US$596 million) in economic value and more than 81,000 jobs.
For Udon Thani, the expo is a bid to move onto the business events map. The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Thailand’s national bidder for the expo, aims to establish the city as the MICE City of Northeastern Thailand, with business forums, conventions, trade shows and business matching planned throughout the run. TCEB is targeting corporate groups from Thailand, ASEAN and Southern China.
After the expo closes, the agriculture ministry plans to retain Nong Dae as a permanent public park and venue for international events. It was reported that there are plans to include an international exhibition and convention centre and an ecotourism destination for the Mekong subregion.