Bangkok: The Thai Olympic Committee is determined to revive its bid to host the 2030 Youth Olympic Games despite a recent announcement by the Minister of Sports to withdraw from the process. The decision to pull out had not been a cabinet resolution, sparking efforts to reconsider the withdrawal.
According to Thai News Agency, Associate Professor Pimol Srivikrom, President of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, chaired a meeting of the Executive Committee where discussions focused on Thailand's bid to host the Youth Olympic Games 2030. Thailand had reached the final round of selection alongside Chile and Paraguay. However, earlier this month, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Mr. Surasak Panjaroenvorakul, announced the withdrawal of the bid due to budgetary constraints.
The president of the Thai Olympic Committee emphasized that Thailand's position remains stable despite the minister's announcement, as the initial bid had been approved by the Cabinet several years ago. Thus, any withdrawal should also have been formally approved by the Cabinet. The committee has communicated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to request an extension for the submission of documents. The IOC has postponed the selection of the host country indefinitely, but it is expected that a decision will be made before the Youth Olympic Games 2026 in Senegal.