What Is Chang International Circuit?
Chang International Circuit, officially the Buriram International Circuit, is Thailand's only FIA Grade 1 racetrack. It sits in Buriram, in the Isan region of the northeast, and it opened in October 2014. Hermann Tilke designed it, and it was built at a cost of roughly 2 billion baht.
Grade 1 is the top FIA rating, the standard a circuit needs to host the highest levels of car racing. No other Thai venue holds it. That single fact is why every serious international series that visits Thailand ends up here.
The Track Layout
The Grand Prix layout at Chang International Circuit runs 4.554 km with 12 turns. The signature feature is the long main straight, close to a kilometer, that dumps into a heavy braking zone at Turn 3. That combination is what makes the overtaking here so good.
The rest of the lap mixes quick direction changes with slower technical corners. It rewards a car that can put power down out of second-gear corners and still hold top speed down the straight.
Car Racing at Chang International Circuit
Chang International Circuit is the home of top-level car racing in Thailand. Porsche Carrera Cup Asia has raced here, which makes it the one Thai venue where you can watch a full grid of 911 GT3 Cup cars in anger. GT World Challenge Asia, Super GT, the Asian Le Mans Series (the 4 Hours of Buriram), the World Touring Car Championship, and TCR have all run here too.
Domestic racing fills the rest of the calendar. Thailand Super Series and local touring car and one-make grids use the circuit through the year, so there is almost always something running.
Has Porsche Raced at Buriram?
Yes. Porsche Carrera Cup Asia has brought its 911 GT3 Cup grid to Chang International Circuit, and Porsche machinery also shows up in GT World Challenge Asia and Asian Le Mans entries. For a Porsche fan in Thailand, this is the track where you see the racing versions of the cars in our 911 GT3 Cup guide doing what they were built for.
MotoGP and the Bike Weekends
The venue is best known internationally as the home of the Thailand Grand Prix, the MotoGP round that debuted in 2018 and drew crowds over 100,000. World Superbike and the Asia Road Racing Championship also visit. The bikes are not our beat, but they are the reason the grandstands, paddock, and hotel infrastructure here are as good as they are.
Track Days and Driving Experiences
Chang International Circuit runs public track days, corporate driving experiences, and race schools between the headline events. If you want to drive a proper FIA Grade 1 circuit in Thailand, this is the only place you can. Our Thailand track day guide covers what a track day costs and what to bring, and Thailand Circuit near Bangkok is the easier option if Buriram is too far.
Facilities and Race Weekends
The complex has a full grandstand seating thousands, an international-standard paddock, and pit garages that have been upgraded repeatedly to meet world championship requirements. Buriram grew up around the circuit: hotels, restaurants, and transport all expanded to serve race weekends. On a big weekend the whole town turns into a motorsport town.
Where Is Chang International Circuit and How Do You Get There?
Chang International Circuit is in Buriram province, about 4 to 5 hours from Bangkok by car via the northeast motorway, or roughly 1 hour by domestic flight to Buriram Airport. Shuttles run from Buriram city center during major race weekends. Many visitors pair a race trip with the Phanom Rung temple nearby, which makes the drive worth it.
Is Chang International Circuit Worth Visiting?
Yes, Chang International Circuit is worth the trip for anyone serious about motorsport in Thailand. It is the only venue in the country running world championship car racing, the facilities are genuinely international, and the long straight into Turn 3 produces real overtaking rather than processional laps. Go for a Carrera Cup Asia or GT World Challenge weekend if you want cars, and book accommodation early, because Buriram fills up fast.
