Queen Sirikit's 60th Anniversary Stadium (Bangkok)

Queen Sirikit's 60th Anniversary Stadium, also sometimes referred to as Khlong 6 Stadium, or Chaloem Phra Kiat Stadium, is part of the Department of Physical Education complex in Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani province, just north of the capital.

It was opened in 1992 to mark the birthday of Queen Sirikit, with it going on to predominantly stage football matches over the years as well as athletics events. Bangkok Glass, later to become BG Pathum United took over Krung Thep Bank FC in 2009 and played their home games at the venue. 

A year later they moved to their new stadium, nine km towards Rangsit, where Leo Stadium, as was known at the time, was inaugurated. Rangsit United spent the 2019 season at the stadium before they changed their name to Inter Bangkok and moved to the 72nd Anniversary Stadium in Minburi

The iCon RSU, won promotion to Thai League 3 for the 2023-24 season, announcing ticket prices and that fixtures would be played at the Queen Sirikit. However, a refurbishment coincided with the start of the season, meaning they headed elsewhere never to return and were relegated at the end of the season.

My visit

Sunday 19th January 2025

The previous day my wife Taew and I headed to Pattaya to catch up with friends and enjoy an extremely sociable few hours. Waking after a solid sleep, we quickly got to the bus station for services returning to Suvarnabhumi. The packed bus had made good time, which was ideal as neither of us was in top form. 

On arrival back in the capital I was dropped off on the way back to Minburi so I could catch a train and bus to the T3 Central clash between AUU Inter Bangkok and Chamchuri United. A kind student helped when the bus conductor couldn’t understand which stop I required before I sat back and enjoyed the ride.

Thanyaburi is a long way from central Bangkok as I soon remembered. We continued past BG Stadium and under the motorway to Ayutthaya and the city before I bailed out on the main road rather than remaining on to the terminus at RMUTT University. It turned out to be an inspired choice, more by luck than judgment. 

While Google Maps is a great tool, it is wholly inept at showing boundaries to properties or complexes. Presuming all the land with various sports fields belonged to the university was inaccurate as I quickly discovered. Everything on the left of the approach road to the educational establishment belonged to the Department of Physical Education.

And what a site it was. Once through the gates, I saw two hockey pitches, one with a majestic main stand, two athletic tracks, one with an artificial surface for football inside it, as well as the Institute for Sports Science, and a gym. A croquet tournament was being played on two lawns just south of the Queen Sirikit Stadium. 

The main arena had a magnificent main stand with smaller open spectator accommodation opposite. A large scoreboard stood at the far end, but without doubt, the standout feature was the four magnificent floodlight pylons, like relics from 1960s Eastern Europe.

Once I had taken my snaps I was in for an additional treat as I found an open-sided baseball park and then the national stadium, which I didn’t previously know existed. What a small stadium it was, and while needing some maintenance and loving care, surely somewhere to be visited to watch a game under the lights. 

Thailand Baseball Stadium

It was a bit of a trek back to the only open gate of the complex, and the security guard looked perplexed at the direction I had come from, but it had been well worth the detour.