Thaksin okays B38m for stadium upgrade

PHUKET CITY: The race is on to repair Surakul Stadium in time for a key inspection in June by officials from Fifa, international soccer’s ruling body, who will decide whether Phuket’s most important sporting event yet can go ahead. Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura told the Gazette yesterday that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has approved the budget of 38 million required to complete the project. But many improvements need to be made in a very short time if Phuket is to stage matches in the Women’s Under-19 World Cup in November. Work is expected to start just as soon as final contracts are signed. The governor said that the improvements included new seating (the stadium currently has bare concrete terraces), new lighting and spotlights, a better sound system, an electronic scoreboard, a media center and facilities for live telecasts around the world. The pitch will also have to be relaid. The Under-19 Women’s World Cup has the potential to bring millions of baht to Phuket at the start of the next high season, as well as global publicity for the island’s attractions.