Bangkok Land eyes major new 45,000-seat stadium in Muang Thong Thani
SET-listed Bangkok Land is planning a new 45,000-seat stadium costing up to 10 billion baht on a scale similar to Rajamangala National Stadium, located at the Thunder Dome site and the adjacent football stadium in Muang Thong Thani, viewing a five-year development plan.
Paul Kanjanapas, chief executive of Bangkok Land, said the company envisions transforming Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi province into a top entertainment event hub with new facilities.
He said the company leased the plot that encompasses Thunder Dome and Thunder Dome Stadium to the Sports Authority of Thailand since the 1998 Asian Games for a 30-year term.
The contract expires in three years, returning possession of the land to Bangkok Land.
The planned stadium would be the largest venue in Muang Thong Thani, competing with the open-air Rajamangala Stadium, the largest venue in Thailand with a capacity of more than 50,000 seats.
The Lake Muang Thong Thani monorail station is located directly in front of the planned project.
“Together with other assets and facilities, such as Impact Arena with a 12,000-seat capacity, Impact Challenger with a 25,000-seat capacity, the expressway, the newly opened Pink Line monorail, as well as 5,000 hotel rooms slated to open over the next eight years, Muang Thong Thani will become a top entertainment event hub,” said Mr Paul.
According to Bangkok Land, the monorail, which opened two new stations in Muang Thong Thani in May, is expected to increase visitor numbers by more than 20%.
During Thaifex–Anuga Asia 2025, there were roughly 16,000 daily commuters via the monorail, helping reduce car usage by 4,000 vehicles.
The company’s subsidiary Impact Exhibition Management targets 9 billion baht in revenue by 2030, more than double the 4 billion estimated for this year.
Mr Paul said the growth would be driven by Impact Real Estate Investment Trust and increasing revenues from new hotels, events and restaurant outlets.
Impact recently signed a joint venture with Live Nation, involving a 20-year lease of Impact Arena valued at 4.6 billion baht.
The company expects to begin upgrading Impact Arena next year with a budget of UScopy0 million (322 million baht), the largest revamp since it opened.
The enhancements include new VIP rooms, lighting systems, and event set-up services that help organisers prepare and dismantle events more quickly, enabling the venue to host more shows.
Impact wants to increase the revenue share from hosting its own events from 5-8% to 30-50%.
Two more hotels under Hilton’s management are slated for completion by 2028 near Muang Thong Lake, adding 1,000 rooms to the nearly 1,000 rooms already available at two existing properties under the Ibis and Novotel brands.
He said Accor reported Impact’s Ibis and Novotel hotels were its best-performing properties in Thailand during the first half of the year, thanks to consistent meetings, events and concerts.
For the second half of this year, Impact secured more than 300 events, a similar level year-on-year. Highlights include Summer Sonic Bangkok 2025, an Otop exhibition, a Mariah Carey concert and a Motor Expo.
The company also plans to launch a rebranded culinary school called Impact Culinova later this year, aiming to expand short courses and food consultancy services provided by professional chefs.
In the long run, Impact envisions a new shopping mall and retail programme near the lake area, with interest from overseas investors from Hong Kong, as well as its own branded water park with immersive experiences to encourage meeting visitors to extend their stay.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/property/3083018/bangkok-land-eyes-major-new-stadium
