Would you pay THB25K to watch Liverpool v United in a friendly?

[webfact]

 

by Michael Bridge

English Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool will be meeting in an exhibition match in Bangkok in July.

Fresh Air Festival said it had signed a deal to bring the duo to play at the Rajamangala National Stadium on Tuesday, July 12. 

A match between Liverpool and United is being billed as the 'Red War' by the Thai media and fans. 

The July event is dubbed 'THE MATCH Bangkok Century Cup 2022'. (Really!!!)

The organisers said the clubs had promised to come with their full squads. 

It said the match would help boost the country's flagging economy and create a positive image of Thailand which wants to become a hub for sports tourism.

Liverpool and Manchester United, widely known as Man U in this part of the world, are the most popular football teams among Thai fans.

Liverpool are managed by Juergen Klopp, while United are under interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
Liverpool are currently second in the Premier League, and Man U around 6th.

Surely the star attraction must be Cristiano Ronaldo, however, there are rumors he may be leaving Man U in the summer.

 

Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe

Obviously Thai fans love Liverpool, as many of their parents were supporting the reds back in the 60’s when they were at the top. 

But it is insane to think that the organisers really believe that fans will pay up to THB25,000 for a ticket to watch these pampered millionaires prance around the Rajamangala National Stadium in the sweltering heat of the summer.

The cheapest seat is THB5,000 which is £114.00, and fans are restricted to buying a maximum of just four tickets.

Back in the UK, ww.safefootballtickets.com offer seats for category A fixtures at Anfield (Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspurs, Everton, Arsenal) for £44 to £52.

Seems the Thai organisers are comparing this friendly to a title match against Man City!!!

They would be better off all playing for free and getting fans to donate for looking after Ukraine refuges in Thailand. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-03-21

 

- Aetna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[nikmar]

absolute rip off. 

[DezLez]

I would not pay 25Baht to watch a bunch of overpaid Prima Donnas prancing around on a football pitch especially in the height of summer in BKK.

[NE1]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

It said the match would help boost the country's flagging economy

It will be boosting somebody's flagging bank account , It will not be helping anybody apart from the people of Fresh Air Festival.

[DezLez]

I wonder what so called  COVID restrictions/regulations they will have in farce force to attend the game live.  Any guesses?

[Lucky Bones]

I would hazard a guess that most tickets will be of a  Corporate nature. This will ensure a TAT barrage of success stories.

Somchai, Lek and the 3 kids wont be rocking up upon the sidecar.

Lucky Bones also a non-starter.

Truly delusional.

[edwinchester]

No

 

[itsari]

NEVER

[Ralf001]

I'd have to be paid 25k just to even consider the possibility of watching such a rediculous game.

[theoldgit]

Troll post reported, and removed.

[whiteman]

Not on your Nelly  total money grab Thailand the Hub of money grabs.

[JeffersLos]

Yes.

 

Being there to see Liverpool smash them 7-0 will be worth double that. 

[Jerno]

F no.

[KhunLA]

You could give me free tickets, and I doubt I would attend any sporting event.

[Pravda]

Njet!

[IgboChief]

I would not want to watch this trash, if they paid me 25k THB.

[SAFETY FIRST]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

fans will pay up to THB25,000 for a ticket

To watch the actors on the football field, NO. 

 

If it was an NRL game I'd think about it. 

[tonray]

GF and her brother are thinking about the 5000 baht seats...lifelong LP fans...see it as a once in a lifetime opportunity to see their favored sons. Me, I couldn't be bothered to stay in the same room when she puts it on the TV

[SoilSpoil]

Went there many years ago to see Liverpool against Thailand, and it was impossible to get a taxi back in the pouring rain. We had to walk for miles, all the way to Srinakarin to get a cab. Never again, not free, not for 5k.

[RmcaIssan]

To keys words ..

EXHIBITION .. not competitive and certainly no serious tackles

JULY ...who will still be with United and Liverpool after season ends. Highly likely Ronaldo and Pogba won't be there and Salah !!

Coporate paid farce with masks on !!!

 

 

 

 

[RichardColeman]

3 minutes ago, tonray said:

GF and her brother are thinking about the 5000 baht seats...lifelong LP fans...see it as a once in a lifetime opportunity to see their favored sons.

Be money well wasted when they trot out a youth and reserve team.

 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

A match between Liverpool and United is being billed as the 'Red War' by the Thai media and fans. 

Maybe the media should have more knowledge of the game and know only one team cam play in red.

[realfunster]

A rambling OP but yes, even THB 5,000 is over the top for a friendly match.

 

When I checked the PR on this, I saw an interesting snippet :

The organiser said it would renovate the entire stadium, from the stands and the tunnel to the dressing rooms, akin to stadiums in the UK.

 

I have no idea of the costs of such renovations but I assume that does not come cheap and I guess they will be using the pre-paid ticket fees received for this purpose ?

 

I hope they have a healthy cash reserve in case the event is cancelled for some reason, like for example, unfavourable circumstances regarding a certain virus or LFC/MUFC not being satisfied with the promised stadium upgrades (likely included in the contracts)...

 

Otherwise, you might find it quite difficult to get your ticket refunded...we have already seen Thai insurance companies promise the world and then fail to meet their customer commitments over the last 6 months.

 

 

 

[sungod]

34 minutes ago, IgboChief said:

I would not want to watch this trash, if they paid me 25k THB.

I think you are lying now......... ????

[NE1]

Would you pay THB25K to watch Liverpool v United in a friendly?

Isn't the headline misleading ?

 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The cheapest seat is THB5,000 which is £114.00, and fans are restricted to buying a maximum of just four tickets.

You can buy a single ticket for 5,000 baht , how does that equate to 25,000 baht ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2022 by NE1

[sungod]

1 hour ago, DezLez said:

I would not pay 25Baht to watch a bunch of overpaid Prima Donnas prancing around on a football pitch especially in the height of summer in BKK.

Why,do you think it will be a little too hot for you petal?

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Sporting events and new stadiums are always touted as "boosts to the economy" in the States. They rarely are. The lion's share of the take is needed to pay the team owners, players, venue promoters. The take from overpriced food and drinks goes to the conglomerates handling those accounts. The contribution to the local economy ends up being a handful of temporary, minimum wage jobs. The stadium ends up sitting there the majority of the time there isn't a game on. The many other events they plan for it usually don't materialize. The team then begs for more money or a better stadium, they don't get it, so the team then moves and leaves the stadium abandoned, and the community high and dry.

[mtls2005]

Would be interested in the financial schemes necessary to bring this "Century Cup" to the aging Rajamangala National Stadium.

 

"Century Cup"? So a once every hundred years sort of thing?

 

Organizer Fresh Air Festival is rumored to have had to pay 400 million baht.

 

And they have asked to "government" for financial "help".

 

Is that the appearance fee Liverpool and Man U negotiated and share?

 

25,000 per seat may be what is required to come close to recouping the outlay?

 

 

We didn’t ask govt for THB400m for Man Utd-Liverpool match: Fresh Air Festival

 

Event organiser Fresh Air Festival insisted it had not asked the government for 400 million baht in financial support for a much anticipated match between Manchester United and Liverpool in Bangkok.

 

Vinij said he did ask the government for support but he did not mention how much or what he wanted.

 

The CEO said he made the request for unspecified support in November 2021 and he had almost forgotten about it now as he had not received any reply.

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40012714

 

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Nice to see the working man's game being marketed as affordable to the masses.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Liverpool are currently second in the Premier League, and Man U around 6th.

Around 6th?

 

They are either 6th or they aren’t. 

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

Around 6th?

 

They are either 6th or they aren’t. 

They are....