Ratchadamnoen Avenue is likely to be the main route for Thailand’s first Formula One race, officials said yesterday.
Officials from the Sports Authority of Thailand, motorsport’s governing body FIA, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Royal Automobile Association of Thailand have met to discuss the possibility of a night Grand Prix on the streets of Bangkok in 2015. The route agreed includes the main Ratchadamnoen Avenue, with the track using Din So Road to the Giant Swing and Wat Suthat Temple and then down to the Grand Palace and the Navy Club, with a run close to the Chao Phraya River. The paddock and grandstands would be located principally in the Sanam Luang park. The plan will be put to the Thai cabinet in the next few weeks. The
Concerned parties will draw a master plan and seek Cabinet approval within six weeks.
Sports Authority of Thailand governor Kanokphand Chulakasem said that contracts have yet to be signed but the plan is for the event for a night race, similar to the event in Singapore.
joeblogsf1 
Joe, do you think the Bangkok night race will be able to steal the limelight from Singapore?
No, not really.
After the formation lap, will the cars be held for 15 minutes at the start lights, just to give the GP that authentic Bangkok traffic feel? 🙂
Given the horrendous traffic in Bangkok every day of the week, I would guess that the whole city would grind totally to a halt, if they ran a GP in the city, with the concomitant road closures and diversions. Not a really good way to get the locals on your side. Even without the GP, the local press is warning of total gridlock in Bangkok by 2014.
Wilson
That was my first thought as well. Still given traffic barely moves in the city as it is, will they notice the difference?
The press also has a tendency to exaggerate things based on fear
Would you care to explain that remark?
Something to add to the already huge traffic problems in Bangkok
Probably its all sewn up then. When things get as far as this stage then usually its all decided who gets what from whom and who is paid what, etc. Sure, they can still turn around and ask for a bit more here and there, but Bernard Ecc is too shrewd an operator for that
So here we go then, Bangcok 2015 we’re on our way.
I am a little bemused by the thought of a GP passing close to a Hindu/Buddhist temple which is still in religious use. (A possible compulsory “electric only” part of the track in future years) However the Giant Swing does lend interesting possibilities, if restored, to a new form of qualifying.
I quote from http://www.sacred-destinations.com
“The minister of rice, accompanied by hundreds of Brahman court astrologers, would lead a parade around the city walls to the temple precinct. Teams of men would ride the swing on arcs as high as 82 feet in the air, trying to grab a bag of silver coins with their teeth.”
An obvious parallel here would be to substitute Bernie for the minister and the pit lane poseurs for the astrologers, then the drivers can compete on the swing for bags containing a grid position. (never mind complaining about the tyres and trying to subvert Mr Pirelli to make tyres suit certain teams better) This could bring a very interesting grid. (If possibly a little related to the uk stock cars system of fastest at the back of the grid) 😉
Hopefully both sides will see the wisdom of paying Bernie Eccestone millions and the benefits F1 will bring to Thailand. Alexander may have despaired of having no more worlds to conquer but Bernie is always looking for his next pigeon, er partner
What is the point of a Grand Prix in Thailand, and especially Bangkok, of all places? It’s not as if they need more tourism exposure.
Actually they do. A lot of trade was scared away by the political upsets in recent years
We were stuck in Thailand when the protesters closed the international airport. The police stood by and let it happen, and we were left to find and fund our own way home. Nothing, not even a GP, will convince me to go back there.
Off topic, but I’ve just noticed “joeblogsf1” on my toolbar now! 🙂
I’m also very sceptical about this but to answer one comment above, Thailand’s entry into the modern world of ‘tiger’ economies was late and they’ve always resented being called a ‘tiger-cub’ economy. Then, in the crash of 1997, which they started, more face was lost. In Asia generally ‘face-saving’ is all important. Having a F1 GP in a country with no motor-racing heritage is ‘face-making’ on the world stage. A Bangkok GP will do no more for the Thai people than it has for the people of Korea, India, Bahrain etc…
That apart, if the government wants the publicity it will find the money… and the usual hierarchy will corruptly take their cuts… and normal service will be maintained…
The need or otherwise for more tourists is always debated but year on year for the past 5-6 years the Thai Tourist Authority has claimed steadily increasing numbers of tourists such that the old Bangkok Airport was reopened last year to relieve the load on the New airport… and also, the past 10-15 years have seen constantly increased commercial activity from non-Thai companies building substantial factories there.
The political situation in Thailand, which hasn’t changed much in 20-30 years (perhaps even 50+ years) seems to have had little effect on trade and many would claim that the present situation is the most stable it has been for several yeras. However nobody can predict Thailand’s future… except to say political, judicial and military corruption will remain, educational standards will still be amongst the worst in the world, and the Thai people will retain their subservient position as factory & farm fodder…
But that’s just my opinion…
A GP may be good for Thailand, but I cannot see the sense in a street race around Ratchadamoen area. I live in the city and the city is grid locked every day. Trying to take a stretch of arterial road in central bangkok for 2 hours of maintenance paralyses the city. Moreover Bangkok does not have a good public transport system that will carry people in and out of the proposed area. I cannot see how all this is going to happen, without creating negative publicity about the traffic & transportation problem it is bound to create.
They will have to move the gridlock elsewhere.
If the authorities find the solution that has taken 2 decades of discussion and head scratching , because F1 has a date with the city, the people of Bangkok will embrace the event. good for the sport.
Considering the abject lack of spectators in Malaysia etc .. isn’t it just a bit silly … not to mention another impending financial disaster to place yet another F1 race in yet another ‘ emerging ‘ Asian country ? Then to place one in a country who’s political stability is at best at this point … extremely questionable … not to mention their finances being rather the same . Well … one does have to question the wisdom of Ecclestone .. the FIA etc … as well as wonder at what point our favorite sport will finally implode upon itself in its accelerating attempts to ‘ expand ‘ into markets that in fact have no interest in the sport .
In other words …. this decision is insane on the best of days
BTW Joe … as to your response to CNSZU … if the grandstands are empty ( as they were in Malaysia and no doubt will be in China etc as well ) there is no additional tourist trade 😉
Not true. Malaysia had 88,000 on race day and last year china had a huge crowd thanks to lowering prices.
Empty? My colleague went to the Malaysian GP and took pictures of the crowd. The grandstand looks crowded to me.
Anyone watching the television coverage of the Malaysian race saw the vast number of empty grandstand seats (and well-spaced fans on hillsides). But if the promoter and FOM said there were 88,000 people, then surely it must be true. (The emperor’s clothes look just fine, sir.)
If you were not there you would not have a clue. There were 88,000
88,000 on Sunday is a good crowd. However, I feel that the crowd numbers for Friday and Saturday are slightly better indicators of the general population’s acceptance of motorsports (F1 and other support series combined) as an entertainment option. What did the crowds look like on Friday and Saturday?
I did not look at the numbers.
Grandstands looked more than ‘spacious’
From the LA Times (2011):
“Reporting from Bangkok, Thailand, and New Delhi — A U.S. citizen Thursday received a 30-month prison sentence in Thailand for insulting the king, the latest punishment handed down under a law critics see as archaic, prompting the U.S. government to denounce the ruling as excessive and a violation of free speech.”
Makes me want to go.
Perhaps visitors to foreign countries should have more respect for the local laws and customs instead of trying to export the western view of everything to all and sundry
Terry, I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t have respect for other laws and customs and I’m not suggesting the exportation of western views. What I am suggesting is that Thailand has an issue with free speech. Read this
then tell me this is only a western issue.
Thailand does not allow free speech with regards to the King and his immediate family… but that is their law and custom…
You can’t have it both ways…
There are such issues in Singapore too. China has issues. Bahrain has issues. Korea has issues. No country is perfect. F-1 still does business with these countries.
Lets stop this thread now. Every country in the world can be accused of this or that. F1 does what it thinks is right. It is a matter of opinion whether these calls are right or not.
Thailand GP – fair enough, should be interesting. Another street circuit – damn shame.
Great to have a new venue, but I hope it’s a bit better organised than the Race of Champions last year. Whilst the racing was good, there were no transport links an very little publicity.
Assuming all goes well, given Russia comes in 2014, along with NJ other rumours in South America, what makes way? Korea or another European race?
Dare I say it, it comes in 2016 and Melbourne says bye bye?
I doubt Melbourne will go.
Bernie is pushing for a 22 race calendar in 2014. But with Mexico joining in that will make it 22. But when really Argentina is not stateable to hold a Grand Prix in Mar Del Plata. If government says yes to a Grand Prix of Bangkok which is more then likely it will be a 23 race calendar for 2015. It wa suppose to be November 2014.
The teams will not do 22. It is too much for the team members and it makes no sense to have overlapping crews.
It will be interesting year to see if Mexico makes the cut to get on the 2014 Calendar which I am sure they will likely to hold one. Will Argentina stage a grand prix when Thailand gets their F1 debut in 2015
All the more reason for the Yoovidhya family to ensure that there are no more little dramas within their team for the foreseeable future.
Why is it when a new GP location is being planned out, all the haters come out of the closet with every insecure stab at potential host.
Joe, based on your description, I’m guessing the circuit will probably look something like this:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5867051
Or possibly this:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5867053
Or … actually, I should stop before I spend all day coming up with layouts.
I would guess the second is closer because the Navy Club was mentioned. I don’t know the full story yet.
Always an interesting blog Joe, but I would take exception to the comment about Thailand not having any motor racing heritage. Prince Bira (whose name graces the circuit just outside of Pattaya) was an Anglophile from the Thai royal family and spent the late 3o’s dabbling in motor racing in Europe and the UK. He spent the war in England and got back into the sport post war. I believe that his sole victory in pre modern GP was the Morrocan GP of 48.
There is a fairly well organized motor racing fraternity here in Thailand but I seriously doubt that it will happen. 25 years of gut experience here says otherwise.
Quite right. But, to be quite correct, one should say that Bira was Siamese by birth, he lived all his life between 12 and about 50 in England. After that he lived in various places, including Thailand and I believe Switzerland and he died in the UK. However in terms of nationality he was Siamese/Thai.
I have loved the Prince Bira story since I read Prince Chula’s 1937 biography back in the 60’s (it’s still on my shelf) and I intended no disrespect to him nor to the lovers of motor-racing in Thailand… but the country does not have a motor racing heritage… but good luck to them any way…
Neither does Bahrain…
Would be a good spectacle, for a support race have Thai Taxi drivers doing a few laps.
But do wonder about tickets and filling the seats.
They had Race of Champions in Bangkok at end of last year and the stadium was empty, they were giving away free tickets at door.
Do wonder about the future of the traditional race tracks in the traditional countries and the long term fans.
But mind you maybe the powers to be are only interested in short term money.
The local government has to figure out how to fill the grandstands. That is not F1’s problem. That is the same everywhere.
A Bangkok street race is a brilliant idea on paper. But is F1 on a wider scale (ie publicly) prepared for the scale of backhanders and politics needed to make this actually happen – this is Thailand we’re talking about. I know the city well and the circuit sounds interesting, but this isn’t Singapore where one group of people decide what happens next, in BKK’s case there is long running political turmoil which very much involves the business community in both good and bad ways – if there are bunch of people who give Ecclestone his match I’d put my money on the Thais!
another street circuit, how utterly boring! just what we don’t need. and at night, to make it even less interesting.
You should go and see one live!
I’d agree with Joe on that point living in Singapore!