Thailand ‘concludes negotiations’ for new MotoGP contract

Thailand’s MotoGP rider, Somkiat Chantra, may be moving to WorldSBK for 2026, but the country has ‘successfully concluded’ a new five-year deal to host the grand prix world championship.

That’s according to a report in The Nation, which says the new agreement, running from 2027 to 2031, will soon be submitted to the Thai Cabinet for approval.

Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT} Governor Kongsak Yodmani said the new deal includes ‘a slight increase’ in the licensing fee, but ‘emphasised that Thailand’s rate remains competitive compared with other host nations’.

Previous speculation suggested that the Buriram MotoGP round was under threat due to Thailand's F1 ambitions.

After initially hosting WorldSBK, Buriram’s Chang International Circuit held the first Thai MotoGP in 2018.

Aside from covid cancellations in 2020-2021, the track has remained on the grand prix calendar ever since, moving to the coveted role of season-opener for 2025 and 2026.

This year’s event pulled in a weekend crowd of 224,634, including 99,778 on Sunday.

Buriram will host the final 2026 MotoGP pre-season test from February 21-22, the same weekend as Chantra’s Honda WorldSBK debut at Phillip Island.

Marc Marquez will then kick off his title defence in the opening round of the season from February 27 to March 1.

If Thailand's new deal is confirmed, the circuit could host the first-ever 850cc Grand Prix, at the start of the 2027 season.