MotoGP in Buriram: Why Motorcycle Racing Has Found Such a Huge Audience in Thailand

Thailand’s motorsport arrival started in the northeast with the opening of a dedicated circuit in Buriram in 2014. Just four years later, the circuit hosted Thailand’s first top-class motorcycle Grand Prix in an event category previously not hosted in Thailand.

It also produced one of the fastest-growing fan bases for any event in the MotoGP calendar in terms of attendance, media coverage, and ongoing local investment. Behind this growth are factors such as the circuit itself, a local rider, and a sports betting market that has grown in parallel to the racing.

Building a World-Class Circuit in Northeastern Thailand

Construction of the Chang International Circuit began in March 2013 under the direction of Newin Chidchob, a local businessman and politician who also owns the Buriram United football club. The 4.554-kilometer layout, designed by German architect Hermann Tilke, opened in October 2014 with twelve turns and a main straight of roughly one kilometer.

Betting operators such as Melbet expanded their Thai-language coverage soon after Dorna Sports confirmed in 2017 that MotoGP would race at the circuit from 2018, a sign of how quickly the event attracted a wagering audience alongside its trackside following.

The facility carries FIA Grade 1 certification, placing it among a small number of Asian venues rated for the highest tier of international motorsport, and it has hosted the series’ official pre-season test in most years since.

The circuit has a capacity of 100,000 in total, half in the grandstands and the other half in the open berms. This is vastly greater than the capacity of any sporting facility in Thailand at the time. Prior to Buriram, there was no facility in Thailand that had been rated for a world championship motorsport event.

The development of a motorsport circuit through this province has affected everything from hotels to transport and hospitality. This is an early example of motorsport tourism developing in an area that previously had very little in the way of sports facilities.

The circuit cost approximately two billion Thai baht, and since then the province has made a significant profit from attendance during the racing event.

Local Riders and a Rapidly Growing Fan Base

But whilst attendance can illustrate the passion people have for motorsport in Thailand, a local rider has also played a role in this. Somkiat Chantra, born in Chonburi in 1998, made history as the first Thai rider to compete full-time in the MotoGP class, joining the Idemitsu Honda LCR team for the 2025 season.

Prior to this, he had competed in Moto2 for the past six years. In 2023, he achieved another milestone for Thai motorsport by finishing third in the Moto2 race at Buriram. This was the first podium finish by a Thai rider at a race held in Thailand.

Since the inception of the race, the size of the event has increased steadily. The following examples illustrate this:

• 2018: The first Thailand Grand Prix attracted over 220,000 spectators over a three-day event and was later voted the best event of the MotoGP season by the paddock.
• 2022: During the pandemic period, the event returned to Buriram and reinstated the Buriram event as the most attended event in Asia.
• 2025: The Thailand Grand Prix will become the opening event of the MotoGP season for the first time. The circuit will also hold the opening event again in 2026.
• 2025 weekend attendance: Nearly 225,000 will pass through the circuit over a four-day weekend. Nearly 100,000 will attend on the day of the race. These figures are provided by the circuit organizers.

Sportsbooks have adjusted their marketing to match this audience, and promotions built around Melbet ลงทะเบียน now run alongside race-week content aimed at Thai bettors following the Grand Prix weekend.

A Winner’s Record That Keeps Fans Coming Back

Results at Buriram have varied enough from year to year to keep the racing itself part of the draw, rather than the spectacle alone.

Thailand is one of eight Asian countries to have hosted a premier-class Grand Prix, alongside Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, China, Qatar, Turkey, and India, yet Buriram has recorded the region’s largest crowds since joining the calendar.

No manufacturer has dominated the circuit outright. Ducati remains the only factory on the current calendar yet to win a premier-class race at Buriram, despite three podium finishes there since 2018.

A Fixture on the Global Calendar

In November 2025, Dorna Sports confirmed an extension of its agreement with Chang International Circuit to at least 2031. This ensures Buriram will remain on the calendar for many years past its first decade. According to the Sports Authority of Thailand, the Buriram motorcycle event generates approximately 7,000 jobs in the surrounding area.

This number demonstrates the broader effect the event has throughout the region beyond the circuit. Motorcycle racing in Thailand is no longer a foreign import.

Instead, it has established itself as a regular event in motorsport across Southeast Asia. Now, the northern province uses the event to anchor its annual racing program.