Bangkok: A sleepy Thai town with dreams of reinventing itself as a global sports hub faces its first test this week when it hosts the country’s first MotoGP.
Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to flock to Buriram, the main settlement of a steamy rice-farming area playing the unlikely host to the Thailand Grand Prix.
Organising a MotoGP, the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, is already a victory - but there is speculation that Formula One could be next in the sights of Buriram, whose racetrack is F1-certified.
With a population of just 30,000, Buriram has boomed in recent years on the back of multi-million-dollar investment in sports infrastructure.
In 2011 came the ‘Thunder Castle’, a 32,600-capacity stadium for Thai Premier League football champions Buriram United.
Three years later followed the $60 million (Dh220 million), Hermann Tilke-designed Chang International Circuit, which will now host one of the biggest sports events in Thai history.
Buriram got the nod for MotoGP after Bangkok scrapped moves towards a suggested Formula One night race on the streets of the Thai capital.
The MotoGP, which starts with practice sessions on Friday and culminates on Sunday, represents a step into the international limelight for the rural backwater.
Some riders have already grumbled about the track being less exciting than others and about the addition of an extra leg, extending the season to 19 races.
Humidity and possible heavy rains, which are common in the Southeast Asian country at this time of year, could be a worry as well.
The season, now in its 15th race, is reaching its endgame with Marc Marquez closing in on a fifth MotoGP world title, with a 72-point lead in the standings.
“Thailand promises to be unpredictable,” Jamie Klein, UK editor of Motorsport.com, said.
“Nobody can be totally sure what to expect, which opens up the possibility of a surprise winner or an upset.”
Marquez said he felt confident but he admitted that the weather may be a factor.
“The test has been good, we were very, very fast but now they told me that it’s rainy season and everything can happen,” he said.
