A newly built comprehensive gymnasium in Songkhla Province, Thailand, costing 30 million baht (about 3.86 million ringgit), has attracted heated discussion among Thai netizens due to its running track with 90-degree corners. Some netizens even joked that this is intended to limit runners' speed.
According to the Bangkok Post, after the Padang Besar Town Municipality in Sadao District, Thailand, posted photos of the newly built comprehensive gymnasium on Facebook, they sparked public attention and debate.
As seen in the photos, the overall design of the gymnasium's running track is square-shaped, with 90-degree corners at the turns. This design does not comply with standard track specifications and also presents safety risks.
In response, Dech-it Khaothong, former Songkhla MP of the Democratic Party, said that the town indeed needed a public sports venue, as they previously had to borrow facilities from private institutions, which caused difficulties in organizing events.
He continued, saying that the running track was never intended for athletics to begin with, but simply as a walking path for exercise.
"This project has not been officially handed over yet, so there is still room for modifications."
He added that the running track is just an auxiliary facility, while the football field complies entirely with international standards.
However, the public is still questioning whether this counts as a planning error and pointed out that repairing it in the future would only cost more public funds.
However, in the comments section of the Bangkok Post's Facebook page, some netizens poked fun, asking if these sharp corners are meant to encourage runners to slow down — just like speed warnings for cars. One even joked that the designer is truly creative.
Other netizens joked that with this 90-degree right-angled track, Thailand is one step ahead in the international sports community!
