Queen Sirikit’s 60th Anniversary Stadium (also known as Khlong 6 Stadium or Chaloem Phra Kiat Stadium) is part of the Department of Physical Education complex in Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani, north of Bangkok.
Football History
It was opened in 1992, marking the birthday of Queen Sirikit, going on to mainly stage football matches as well as athletics events. Bangkok Glass (later BG Pathum United), took over Krung Thep Bank FC in 2009 and played their home games at the stadium.
They moved to their new stadium a year later. Another club, Rangsit United FC, spent the 2019 season at the stadium before they changed their name to Inter Bangkok and moved south to the 72nd Anniversary Stadium in Minburi
The iCon RSU FC won promotion to Thai League 3 for the 2023-24 season. They announced ticket prices and that their fixtures would be played at the Queen Sirikit. However, it was being refurbished at the start of the season, so they headed elsewhere.
My visit
Sunday 19th January 2025
Grabbing the Opportunity of a Day Out
My wife Taew and I had been to Pattaya to catch up with friends and enjoy an extremely sociable few hours. We stayed over in a hotel, and 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 with neither of us feeling in top form.
When we got back to the capital, we jumped in a taxi towards our condo. I was dropped off on the way so I could catch a train and bus to go and watch some football. The T3 Central clash between AUU Inter Bangkok and Chamchuri United was to be my match.
Central Bangkok's A Long Way
A smooth ride on the Pink Line of the Skytrain was followed by finding the right bus stop at Lak Si, once I'd refuelled. The service was one I'd used several times in the past to go to games at BG Pathum United. The bus conductor couldn’t understand which stop I required. A kind student assisted me by translating, so that I could sit back and enjoy the ride.
I quickly remembered just how far Thanyaburi is from central Bangkok. We continued past BG Stadium and under the motorway that goes 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, even if more by luck than judgment.
While Google Maps is a great tool, it is poor at showing boundaries to properties. I made the silly mistake of assuming that all the land with various sports fields belonged to the university. I quickly discovered I was wrong. Everything on the left side of the approach road into the campus belonged to the Department of Physical Education.
An Incredible Sports Complex
They owned an incredible site. Once through its gates, I came across two hockey pitches, one with a majestic main stand and then two athletic tracks. One had an artificial surface for football inside it, while next to it was 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. Without doubt, the standout feature was the four magnificent floodlight pylons, which towered over like relics from 1960s Eastern Europe.
Thailand Baseball Stadium
After photographing the best features, I was in for an additional treat, finding an open-sided baseball park and the national stadium, which I didn’t know existed. It was still impressive, though clearly in need of some maintenance and care. I wanted to visit to watch a game under the lights.
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| Thailand Baseball Stadium |
It was a bit of a trek back to the only open gate of
the complex. The security guard looked perplexed at the direction I had
come from. It had been well worth the detour, another reminder of how many surprises Thailand offers if you make the effort.
