Chang International Circuit - Buriram United International Circuit
Buriram International Circuit or Chang International Circuit is a racing circuit located in Buritam province, Thailand or about 400 km from the capital city of Bangkok. This circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke who started construction in March 2013 and cost 2 billion Baht (around Rp. 750 billion). The Chang International Circuit opened on October 4 2014 and has a track length of 4,554 meters with 12 corners.
Chang International Circuit Facility :
The building which is the main building of the Chang international circuit is divided into three floors with the ground floor containing 30 paddocks for the competing teams. On the 2nd floor of the building there are a number of VIP rooms and 4 media center rooms which are of course comfortable for journalists with smooth internet connections and several television screens that display the situation on the track. On the 2nd floor there is access to the grand stand area which is divided into 22 areas for watching the race.
The Chang International Circuit has a spectator capacity of 50,000 people, apart from that this circuit has also received high certification from the FIA (grade 1) and FIM (grade A). This of course means you can get permission to hold world-class racing events such as Formula One and MotoGP.
In September 2017, Dorna Sports announced that MotoGP would be held by the Chang International Circuit with a three-year agreement. This agreement starts from 2018 to 2020 for a racing event called the PTT Thailand Grand Prix.
How To Get There :
- The Chang International Circuit is located in the Buriram district, about 400 km northeast of the Thai capital, Bangkok.
- There is a small airport in Buriram (BFV) that has daily flights with Nok Air and AirAsia to Bangkok's old airport, Don Mueang. Otherwise, the circuit can be reached in approximately 5 hours by car from Bangkok.
- Chang International Circuit is only 10km from Buriram city. The best way to get there is to take a local taxi or Grab.
Owner of Chang International Circuit
The owner of the Chang International Circuit which owns the modern building is Newin Chdchob, a man from Buriram Thailand. Newin owns the 220 hectare circuit site owned by his family, he also owns a beer and mineral drinks factory under the Chang brand.
Apart from the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) racing event, there are also racing events such as the drag race which has 2 race tracks. The Chang International Circuit also has a Go-kart racing track with CIK standards and 1 football stadium.
However, in everyday life, the Chang International Circuit is managed by a young Managing Director named Tanaisiri Chanvitagarom. Newin revealed the obstacles he experienced in managing the Chang International Circuit, namely that Thai workers did not speak English well enough. This is what made Newin contract with a western CoC (race leader) and his team to help him organize a big event.
Even though it looks modern, the Chang International Circuit does not have a tower like other circuits, which have been replaced by CCTV. So everyone uses CCTV technology to help take care of security both outside and inside the circuit.
The Chang International Circuit is characterized by the final corner to the finish which has been criticized by many motorbike racers because it has a broken turn to the right. Newin Chdchob is a motorbike touring enthusiast who has successfully made Thailand famous in the world with his Chang International Circuit.