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Published on December 12, 2007

The expo is also known as the event where all of the major automobile companies participate, in order to shower consumers with attractive promotions so they can record impressive sales figures before the end of the year.

Thailand is a small developing country, and although there are efforts to make it an auto-production centre - the "Detroit of Asia" - we don't have our own auto brand like other auto-producing nations.

One thing that always surprises those in the automobile industry is that despite it being only a small country, Thailand has two very big auto shows each year. As well as the expo, the Bangkok International Motor Show is held usually in late March or early April.

And although motor shows in Thailand may be a little different from those held abroad, the main reason is pretty much the same: to introduce new models and technological innovations to the motoring public.

In the past, when the world was not as "connected" as it is these days, motor shows, no matter where they were held, were very interesting and attracted great attention. People were curious about new models and the concepts and prototypes being revealed. Auto companies kept these vehicles under close wraps before the shows, in order to rev up the public's curiosity.

These days, the excitement of motor shows has faded, due partly to the fact that the auto companies scramble for publicity in introducing their exhibits before they start. Two weeks beforehand, PR officials begin churning out information on their exhibits to the media, while the public can access the same information on makers' websites.

The availability of this information has taken the magic out of motor shows. People in Thailand can learn at the same time as those in Germany about the exhibits and highlights at the Frankfurt Motor Show via print media, television, radio and the Internet. You don't need to travel to motor shows to know what's going on.

The integration of auto brands has also taken a lot of excitement out of motor shows.

In the past, there was fierce competition among manufacturers to steal the limelight and attract visitors' attention. But today, auto groups have been formed. Ford, for instance, also includes Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover and Mazda, and the brands within the same group don't compete against each other like they did in the past. Roles are designated for each brand within a group. For example, see Ford for alternative fuels, Land Rover for four-wheel drive, Mazda for pickups etc. The same also goes for other groups, such as General Motors and Volkswagen.

When purchasing floor space for their exhibits, the groups also use their size and muscle in negotiations with organisers, in order to ensure that the layout of each brand is not overshadowed by competitors.

For the shows in Thailand, the highlight seems to have become the large number of sales that are achieved each year through special promotions offered by the makers. But the auto companies say the same promotions are also offered at any showroom in the country anyway.

When the success of the shows depends on sales, companies are tempted to cut their budgets for show exhibits in order to use that money to offer further discounts to customers.

The final effect could be seen at this year's Thailand International Motor Expo at Muang Thong Thani. There were only a handful of booths that remained big and exciting. The majority looked just like parking lots filled with cars for sale.

For all of these reasons, today's motor shows have turned into boring events.

By Pattanadesh Asasappakij

The Nation

 E-mail your motoring questions to Pattanadesh@nationgroup.com.

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