Thailand expects to start hosting Formula One race from 2028, marking a key milestone for the Southeast Asian nation¡¯s bid to position itself as a venue for world-class events, according to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
The government will study the investment requirement, economic benefits to Thailand and the possibility of holding the competition in a street circuit, Paetongtarn said in a post on X after a meeting with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali in Bangkok on Tuesday.
Thailand had last year pitched Bangkok as a circuit for a street race that will help burnish the nation¡¯s status as a major tourism hub and draw high-spending tourists. Subsequently, F1 executives visited the Thai capital to survey and study the routes for the race.
About a third of the 24 F1 races scheduled for the 2025 season, which began with the season opener in Melbourne last weekend, will be held on a street or hybrid circuit, compared to around 15% a decade prior.
The street circuit races take place either entirely or partially on closed-off public roads that have been transformed briefly into motorsports venuesr. Singapore, for example, hosts its F1 race on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, located on the city¡¯s waterfront.
Paetongtarn¡¯s administration has built on the efforts of her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, in positioning the tourism-reliant nation as an ideal location to host concerts by the world¡¯s top artists and festivals. The country already hosts a MotoGP race.
Winning the right to host an F1 race will not only be an opportunity to develop the city¡¯s infrastructure but also draw a large number of tourists, the prime minister said. The event can create additional jobs and emerge as a new source of income for the services industry among others, she said.
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