Bangkok Post: The world windows to Thailand

CITY LIFE

Work will get under way this month on Thailand's national futsal stadium as the country gears up to host the indoor football World Cup in November.

An artist’s impression shows the planned indoor stadium in Bangkok’s Nong Chok district that will host the 2012 Futsal World Cup in November.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra yesterday signed a contract with EMC Plc to build the 1.2 billion baht stadium in the capital's Nong Chok district.

City Hall selected EMC for the job last year, but the company could not start working because it could not acquire construction materials from companies which were closed during the flooding of Central Plains provinces last autumn.

The contract-signing ceremony has finally kick-started the work and deputy Public Works Department chief Thawisak Loetpraphan said the stadium's foundation pile will be laid later this month.

The ceremony came one day before a visit by Fifa officials to Thailand. They are scheduled to inspect all the preparations for the event between today and Wednesday.

MR Sukhumbhand had been worried the new stadium may not be finished in time for the scheduled five-a-side tournament, set for Nov 2-18.

Nakhon Ratchasima will also host World Cup games, but Bangkok does not yet have a suitable stadium.

Such indoor venues as the Nimibutr Gymnasium in Pathumwan's National Stadium and Hua Mak Indoor Stadium are capable of staging futsal matches but can only seat between 5,000 and 6,000 spectators. The dedicated futsal stadium in Nong Chok will have a capacity of 12,500 and parking for 800 cars.

Located on 10 rai of land near Mahanakorn University of Technology, the stadium is divided into five storeys and stands at a height of 25m. People can choose seats from the second to the fifth floors. The third floor will be designed as a more luxurious spectator area reserved for corporate bookings and VIPs.

City Hall has asked the King Mongkut's University of Technology to advise on landscaping the area surrounding the stadium.

The 132m x 116m stadium will be built amid a shady atmosphere of trees, not far from a large pond, according to the construction design.

City officials believe the new futsal stadium will be the pride of Thailand, which is honoured to hold the seventh Futsal World Cup.

Kasem Chanawong, who serves on the board of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), said Fifa praised the stadium model as "one of the most beautiful stadiums in Asia".

"We also want it to be a memorial and a heritage for our children in the future," added FAT president Worawi Makudi.

The city has stepped up efforts to solve any problems that may hinder the construction of the new stadium.

According to its plan, after the laying of the foundation piles, other work focusing on the foundations of the building is expected to be finished in March. The steel structure will be completed in June and then the roofing will likely be done in August.

Mr Thawisak believed the overall look of the new stadium will emerge in October although he could not assure it would be 100% completed at that time.

THE HOSTS

The Fifa Futsal World Cup has been held every four years since 1989.

The indoor game has so far been held in the following countries:

- The Netherlands (1989) - champion: Brazil

- Hong Kong (1992) - champion: Brazil

- Spain (1996) - champion: Brazil

- Guatemala (2000) - champion: Spain

- China (2004) - champion: Spain

- Brazil (2008) - champion: Brazil

- Thailand (2012)