Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Sarkar Raj' will kick off the 9th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards starting from June 6 in Bangkok.

The annoucement was made here Wednesday.

'I am delighted that my film 'Sarkar Raj' is being premiered at the prestigious IIFA awards and am eagerly looking forward to this splendid event,' Amitabh, the IIFA brand ambassador, told media.

Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, the film also stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Ra. The three day event will end on June 8 with handing out of the awards.

The event is expected to draw Bollywood fans to Bangkok from around the region and to generate more business between India and Thailand. The two countries have signed a trade agreement.

The IIFA Weekend Bangkok is being sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Dusit Thani Hotel group, Siam Niramit Co, Indorama Group and the Bangkok Post newspaper.