The concept for the circuit was initiated by Newin Chidchob, a Thai politician and businessman who also chaired the Buriram United Football Club. His aim was to develop Buriram as a sports hub. Construction began in 2013 with the design handled by Hermann Tilke, a German engineer known for creating modern Formula 1 circuits. The track was completed in 2014, covering an area of approximately 1,200 acres.
The debut event at the Chang International Circuit was the Japanese Super GT race in October 2014, which attracted significant attention. The circuit quickly became a key venue for international racing, hosting the World Superbike Championship (WSBK) since 2015, marking Thailand's first entry into this motorcycle racing series. The MotoGP Thai Grand Prix debuted at the circuit in 2018, further cementing its reputation as a world-class racing facility. The circuit's facilities, including grandstands and paddock areas, have a capacity of 50,000 spectators.
On March 22, 2015, the first Thailand round of the World Superbike Championship was held, with Jonathan Rea winning both Superbike races and Ratthapark Wilairot winning the World Supersport race. In 2016, Jonathan Rea won Race 1, Tom Sykes won Race 2, and Jules Cluzel won the World Supersport race. By 2017, Rea secured a hat-trick of Race 1 wins and also won Race 2; Federico Caricasulo won the World Supersport round, with local rider Decha Kraisart finishing second. The pit entrance was relocated in 2017 from after the final corner to just before it.
In September 2017, Dorna Sports confirmed the circuit would host MotoGP for the PTT Thailand Grand Prix. Originally a three-year commitment from 2018 to 2020, the contract was extended in February 2021 until at least 2026, and as of November 2025, was extended further until at least 2031. The inaugural Thai GP in 2018 drew 220,000 fans over three days and was voted The Best GP of 2018 by the MotoGP Paddock. The 2020 and 2021 Thai MotoGP races were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the race returned in 2022.
The Chang International Circuit features a 4.554 km (2.829 miles) Grand Prix layout with 12 turns, running in a clockwise direction. The layout includes 5 left-handers and 7 right-handers. It is notable for its fast straights and challenging corners, with a long main straight followed by a tight right-hand hairpin, creating a prime overtaking opportunity. The circuit's relatively flat terrain keeps elevation changes minimal, and the track surface offers good levels of grip. The circuit was designed from the outset with night racing in mind and features floodlighting to FIA standards. Two large ponds inside the perimeter are designed to help air circulate and lessen the effects of Thailand's humidity.
2018: Marc Márquez (Honda)
2019: Marc Márquez (Honda) – secured his eighth world title.
2020 & 2021: Races cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022: Miguel Oliveira (KTM) – claimed victory in wet conditions.
2023: Jorge Martín (Ducati)
On December 5, 2019, Amber Garcia Torres, an Underbone 150 class rider for UMA Racing Yamaha Philippines, died following a crash on the third lap of an Asia Road Racing Championship event while fighting for the race lead.
This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.
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