By Luke Pawley
Leicester City owners King Power have agreed to fund a new training centre for The Football Association of Thailand.
King Power will cover 100 per cent of the building costs, estimated at between £7.6 million and £10.2 million, and will recruit staff from England to oversee the design processes.
The training centre will be built on a 192,000 square-metre site in the Mua Lek District of Thailand’s Saraburi province, which currently houses the country’s national sports training centre.
A satellite image of the National Sports Training Centre in Thailand, where the new football centre is set to be built. Source: Google MapsNegotiations for the deal took place between Gen. Dr Somyot Phumpanmuang, President of The Football Association of Thailand, and Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, the Chief Executive of King Power and chairman of Leicester City Football Club.
The plans are part of the country’s 20-year football development ‘master plan’ and will be used to develop staff members as well as footballers at all levels.
A statement on the FA Thailand website reads: “This training centre will be used for many purposes. (It will be used) for the development of the whole Thai football system, from the grassroots level. (It will be used by) youths, trainers, referees, physical therapists, physicians and sports scientists.
“It can also be used as a place for footballers, futsal and beach football players of all Thai national teams. Among the modern facilities will be a variety of football fields in order to prepare the team as much as possible.
“Aside from being a football practise centre, in the future it will be a destination of the national youth football championship and the Museum of Football History.”
The move is the latest in a series of investments into Thai football by King Power, including the International Academy scheme which sees Thai footballers travel to England for a two-year football and education scholarship at Leicester City FC.
