Just prior to Father's Day in Thailand, which coincides with King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 84th birthday, Thailand is planning to reinvigorate its largest and most comprehensive green exhibition, the BOI Fair 2011. The "Going Green for the Future" event will be held Nov. 10-25, 2011, at the Impact Exhibition Center, Muang Thong Thani (which adjoins Bangkok).

According to event organizers, the Board of Investment (BOI) Fair 2011 will feature technology and innovations in every industry sector. The fair also coincides with the Board of Investment's new policy shift toward promoting investment for sustainable development.

"There is a shift occurring in Thailand unlike any other developing country in Asia," said Alan Wong, general manager of Kung Fu Plaza in Las Vegas. "The Thai people know, especially because so much of the economy relies on agriculture, that economic and cultural prosperity hinges on sustainable, eco-friendly solutions."

According to Wong, even in Las Vegas, his restaurant has explored several energy efficient ideas that go beyond most restaurants. Kung Fu Plaza already relies heavily on super heated natural gas to cook food, but Wong has also explored solutions that capture the heat generated by the high-temperature woks to be used for heating water.

"There are so many innovations at our disposal and we continue to keep an eye on these technologies, waiting for them to become affordable as more and more restaurants start to embrace eco-friendly operations," said Wong. "One day, not too far into the future, I see establishments like ours not only conserving energy, but also producing it as we reclaim natural gas or even become powered by our solar power grids."

Wong sees the fair as an awakening for his parents' home country, and hopes to see his own home country (United States) become more concerned about the environment. In Thailand, which his father frequently visits, companies don't fight against environmental change as much as they try to prove their industrial sector's determination and readiness to protect it.

Even the event itself is being handled by organizers who want to make the BOI Fair 2011 the first low-carbon fair in Thailand's history. Organizers are not alone. Even exhibitors and visitors have been asked to reduce energy consumption or deploy alternative energy sources to cut down on the quantity of greenhouse gases such events produce.

Ecological Fair In Thailand Inspires Family-Owned Thai Restaurant In Las Vegas.

"Some aspects of the fair in Thailand are very inspired," said Wong. "For instance, all of the pavilions that will be built on the shore of Muang Thong Thani Lake will be eco-friendly and energy efficient, constructed from natural or recycled and recyclable materials."

In addition, fair organizers are powering the event with solar and wind power. The roof of the organizers' building is already being covered with solar cells to supply some of the power. Portable wind turbines will also be set along the shore of the lake to provide power to the event's lighting system in the evening. There are only 84 pavilions, in honor of the King's upcoming birthday.

"We saw so much success during World Environment Day in Thailand and even here in Las Vegas that it may have helped to inspire this year's BOI fair participants," said Wong. "Yes, this fair is in Thailand. But the progress there affects us here because it is so very important to protect the specialty ingredients that can only be grown in Thailand. What happens a world away really does affect what we serve right here in Las Vegas."

For more information about BOI Fair 2011, visit the special website recently launched by organizers. The site is written in Thai, but has a special mirror site in English. For more information about Kung Fu Plaza, visit the oldest and most authentic Thai restaurant in Las Vegas. It was opened in 1973, after the Wong family immigrated from Thailand.