Chang International Circuit

Chang International Circuit (officially the Buriram International Circuit) is Thailand’s premier motor-racing track, on the southern edge of Buriram town beside the Chang Arena football stadium. Designed by Hermann Tilke and opened in October 2014, the 4.554km, 12-turn layout holds FIA Grade 1 and FIM Grade A certification — the top international grades for car and motorcycle racing, and the first circuit in Thailand to hold both.

Its headline event is the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix, run here since 2018 and contracted to stay through at least 2031. The circuit has also hosted the Asia Road Racing Championship, Super GT, World Superbike and the World Touring Car Championship over the years. Grandstands and berm areas together hold around 100,000 spectators for a full MotoGP weekend — a scale that transforms the whole area; outside event days the venue is comparatively quiet, given over to testing and local track days.

Insider Tip: Buriram’s accommodation fills up fast on Grand Prix weekend, and prices climb with it — book rooms as soon as MotoGP dates are confirmed for the year rather than waiting until closer to the race.

Watch out: MotoGP tickets sell out well ahead of race weekend most years. If you’re planning a trip specifically around the Grand Prix, buy through the official channel (bric.co.th or the MotoGP ticketing partner) rather than relying on being able to walk up.

Construction broke ground in March 2013 and the circuit opened 18 months later, at a reported cost of around 2 billion baht — a fast build by international standards. It was built by Buriram United International Circuit Co., the company of politician and Buriram United FC chairman Newin Chidchob, as part of the same push that turned Buriram United into a top-division football club; Chang Beer holds the circuit’s naming-rights sponsorship, hence the “Chang” name alongside the official Buriram International Circuit title. A shorter secondary layout, the 3.126km “D” circuit with 8 turns, runs alongside the full 4.554km course and is used for smaller domestic events and testing that don’t need the full grade-1 configuration.

The circuit forms one corner of Buriram’s sports complex, alongside the Chang Arena Stadium football ground and the Buri Ram Castle shopping mall, so the three are easy to combine into a single day out even outside race weekends. The circuit is a short drive from Buriram town centre; for schedules and tickets see the operator at bric.co.th.