Courtesy: Bangkok Post


Futsal stadium finally nears kick-off time

Embarrassment turns to joy as the vaunted football arena nears completion

22 Jun 2013

Seven months ago, the Bangkok Futsal Arena became a nightmare and an extreme embarrassment for City Hall when construction could not be completed in time to host last year's Fifa Futsal World Cup.

City Hall's despair over the facility has come full circle and now it is set to become the centre of celebrations from next month.

Months before the world cup kick-off, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced that its 1.3-billion-baht pride and joy would be finished in time to host the first match.

City administrators did everything possible to ensure that the stadium would be ready in time.

To show the state of progress, a friendly match between a City Hall team, led by Sukhumbhand Paribatra, and a team comprising Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and journalists was held in October.

As the world cup drew agonisingly close, city officials ordered the construction company, EMC, to work non-stop to finish the flooring just hours before a Fifa team was due to inspect the facility.

It was all in vain. The Fifa team ruled against use of the stadium as a venue, citing safety concerns.

But this serious setback for the BMA, along with accusations of irregularities in the 1.2-billion-baht project, looks to be fading as the stadium is now 92% complete and the landscaping of the arena's compound is 65% finished.

After his latest inspection of the project, Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand said he was glad the futsal arena would be finished by next month, more than two months before the extended construction contract expires on Oct 4.

The controversial stadium sits on 15 rai of land in Bangkok's eastern Nong Chok district.

Prasan Phithakworarat, deputy director of the BMA's Public Works Department, said the core parts of the stadium, such as the pitch, bleachers and VIP rooms have been finished.

Workers are now putting the final touches to the external part of the stadium and doing the landscaping.

Mr Prasarn said he was confident the five-storey stadium, which has been renamed Bangkok Arena Nong Chok, will be completed at the end of next month.

The arena, which will be the largest futsal stadium in Thailand, can accommodate up to 12,500 spectators and has parking for 800 vehicles. King Mongkut's University of Technology (Thonburi) has been asked to give advice on the landscaping of the stadium.

When completed, the stadium will be 132 metres by 116 metres and will sit amid a shady atmosphere of trees and near the calmness of a large pond.

"The stadium will also be used for concerts and other entertainment activities," Mr Prasarn said.

MR Sukhumbhand said City Hall would manage the stadium in the initial stages.

"However, in the near future, the stadium management will be outsourced to a company," he said.

"City Hall also has a plan to build the second phase of the stadium which includes an underground car park and a sports training centre," MR Sukhumbhand said.

Although things now seem to be going well with the futsal stadium, the BMA hasn't yet escaped from its chequered history as the Pheu Thai Party has lodged complaints with the National Anti-Corruption Commission over the project.

Pheu Thai MP for Bangkok Jirayu Huangsap lodged a petition with the NACC on Nov 14 to look into the delay, saying it might involve irregularities.

While the NACC set up a panel to deal with the petition, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) also asked City Hall to clarify the matter.

BMA spokesman Wasan Meewong said so far there had been no updates on progress into the investigations.

"I think this issue is just about some politicians trying to use a political ploy without caring about the facts," Mr Wasan said.

The DSI and NACC were asked to take action only to catch the attention of the media. But "when the facts emerged, they have become quiet", he said.






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