A bad futsal stadium job

COMMENTARY

Published: 23 Nov 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

The troubled Bangkok Futsal Arena was renamed "Bangkok Arena Nong Chok" earlier this week.

The change of name was an apparent tactic by City Hall to obliterate the bitter memory of the 2012 Futsal World Cup from the 1.3-billion-baht arena.

But Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra and his city administration team should know that making people forget about Fifa's rejection of the arena will take more than simply deleting the word "futsal" from the stadium's official identity.

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lungstib
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Discussion 11 : 24 Nov 2012 at 10.3411
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Whats that saying about Prior Planning Preventing P--- Poor Performance. Fitting.
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nitnoi
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Discussion 10 : 24 Nov 2012 at 04.5710
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47 people disliked my comment. These people wanted me to criticize the project. It was already too late.Now Bangkok got stuck with this arena. Do you want them to tear it down? you have to learn to make the best out of the bad situation. That is the reason that changing the name might be a good idea.
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genii
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Discussion 9 : 23 Nov 2012 at 18.339
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So how much more money would the tournament have brought if the arena had been ready??????????
What was the purpose of the building, to make more money or to show off. Did the tournament generate enough to pay for the new building. Was the taxpayers money spent wisely here. Is anyone responsible. Maybe it is going to be just another dead elephant.
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bangkokbob
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Discussion 8 : 23 Nov 2012 at 17.228
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This column really doesn't clear up the controversy at all. Both the BMA (like all Thai government) and FIFA are known for corruption. So I don't knoe who is telling the truth, even though the columnist has made up her mind without presenting any evidence to back up her case.

All governments, including in the U.S. and China, end up getting ripped off when they invest in these sport complexes so they can win a bid to host some event. And I can't think of a bigger waste than 'futsal' which isn't even a real game, like football. How stupid. Open it up to the public as a place to play. Give it to the people.
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banmebkk
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Discussion 7 : 23 Nov 2012 at 15.477
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I doubt the city could even have generated more than 1 billion by hosting the Futsal Cup in Thailand in the first place. If they could, there is nothing wrong with building a stadium, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

PTP members want to build a F1 track, watch out for that.
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Eric
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Discussion 6 : 23 Nov 2012 at 10.586
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Dis#3, so right. What was Ahbisit thinking when he approve the expensive project.
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majority
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Discussion 5 : 23 Nov 2012 at 10.465
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The Bangkok City Hall has been notorious for scandals and incompetence since late 2004.
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mogy71
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Discussion 4 : 23 Nov 2012 at 09.444
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It's true that for some it'll remain a reminder of a failure but they'll be in the minority. The problem here is short term memory as it won't take long for the majority to forget. I'd even bet that the majority of people living out of sight of the stadium are not even aware of its existence.
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drsmith
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Discussion 3 : 23 Nov 2012 at 09.093
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City Hall should think about not wasting tax payers money in the near future. The idea that Bangkok needed a 1.5 billion baht stadium for 1 FIFA tournament when half the country is starving and uneducated is a complete waste of money and clearly shows incompetence at the highest level. This facility will never be utilized to a full potential to make the money back.
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rebel4ever
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Discussion 2 : 23 Nov 2012 at 08.342
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It's a lot of space though for stocking pledged rice...
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