Thailand appears to be making rapid progress toward joining the Formula 1 calendar by 2028, with fresh concerns emerging about the future of the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
A street race in Bangkok has been under discussion for months, and things escalated after F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali flew directly from the Melbourne season opener to meet Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Williams driver Alex Albon, born in London but racing under the Thai flag, also travelled to Bangkok in April to show support for the project.
"We're making progress," he said at the time. "Even if nothing is finalised yet."
At Monaco last weekend, the Thai PM visited the Williams garage with Albon, even sitting in the cockpit before posing for photos with Domenicali and other key F1 stakeholders.
Shinawatra later described the Monaco visit as a "big step forward" for the Thai Grand Prix plans.
According to the SID news agency, Thai government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub confirmed that Thailand intends to debut its race in 2028.
"A bid and feasibility proposal will be presented to the Thai cabinet for approval next week," the report added.
On the Thai government's official social media, it was noted that PM Shinawatra emphasized Formula 1's "600 million global viewers and potential economic boost through tourism and infrastructure investment."
While the current F1 calendar already stands at a record 24 races, both Liberty Media and the teams agree that expanding to 25 full-time events is not feasible.
As a result, rotation systems are being considered — and existing races are under threat. Among them: the Canadian GP.
In its coverage of Thailand's progress, Le Journal de Montreal reported this week that "negotiations regarding an extension of the agreement between F1 and local (Canadian) promoters are at a standstill."
The newspaper's blunt headline: "The Thai threat is becoming clearer."
