Thailand eyeing AFF final switch to 50,000-seat Rajamangala in Bangkok
The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) wants to switch Thailand’s home leg of the AFF Championship final against Vietnam to the 50,000-seater Rajamangala National Stadium so more Thai fans can attend.
The match on Monday (January 16) was originally due at the 25,000-seat Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani, but SAT says Rajamangala is now 90% ready to host the final if the AFF organising committee agrees.
The first leg of the final will kick off in Hanoi on Friday after Mano Polking’s Thailand crushed Malaysia 3-0 to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the semi-final on Tuesday.
“We estimate a large number of Thai fans will be interested in attending the final match, so it’s only fair to switch the venue to a bigger stadium, like the 50,000-seat Rajamangala in Bang Kapi, Bangkok,” said SAT governor Kongsak Yodmanee as he led an inspection of the stadium on Wednesday.
Rajamangala Stadium played host to K-pop’s “Golden Disc Awards” on Sunday with around 35,000 music fans in attendance. Stadium rules dictate there should be a gap of at least 15 days between major events at Rajamangala to allow the grass to rehabilitate.
“The SAT will make an exception for the AFF final despite having only five days left [before the match],” said Kongsak. “We have brought in grass experts to speed up the rehabilitation and get the pitch ready for the match in time. The stadium is currently about 90% ready.”
Kongsak said the AFF committee would consider factors including the stadium’s readiness, transport, and costs in judging whether to make the switch.
“SAT’s job is to get the stadium 100% ready as soon as possible,” he said.
Vietnam booked their place in the final with a 2-0 win against Indonesia on Monday at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi.
