Surface Grass Capacity 20,141 | Construction cost US$65 (estimated) Opened 2 July 2007 | |
Former names 333rd Nakhon Ratchasima Anniversary Stadium Location Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand | ||
His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary, 5 December 2007 Sports Complex (Thai: สนามกีฬาเฉลิมพระเกียรติ 80 พรรษา 5 ธันวา 2550) is a multi-use sports facility in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, that was built for the 2007 Southeast Asian Games which coincided with the 80th birthday of King Bhumbol Adulyadej, hence the name of the venue.
Completed on 2 July 2007 at a cost of US$65 million, the complex includes tennis courts, swimming pools, an indoor arena, a velodrome, a gym, a football training pitch complete with floodlights and a small stand, an office block, ticket sales booths, large parking areas, a large lake (an architectural feature not designed for sporting purposes) and, the centre piece, the 5th December Stadium. The athletes' village is not actually on the site, but is a kilometre further along Highway 304 by which the complex is situated.
The complex was purpose-built for the 24th Southeast Asian Games and was also used for the ASEAN Para Games which was held shortly after the SEA Games finished. Unlike many such developments, the complex has not become a "White Elephant" in the time since the SEA Games. Many schools tournaments have been held there as has an international tennis tournament, a "masters" (older athletes) athletics tournament, and a friendly-cum-warm-up match played between the Thai national team and Nakhon Ratchasima XI. The 5 December Stadium is also the home ground of Nakhon Ratchasima FC who moved there from the Central stadium, Nakhon Ratchasima in June 2008