Bangsaen Grand Prix 2026: 20 Years of Street Racing by the Sea
The Bangsaen Grand Prix 2026 was far more than a regular race weekend. From 1 to 5 July 2026, the event in Chon Buri officially celebrated its 20th anniversary. Racing took place on the Bangsaen Street Circuit, directly by the coast, with free admission for spectators at the venue. That remained one of the defining features of the event: after two decades, Bangsaen is not only a motorsport weekend, but a public racing festival shaped by the city, the fans, the teams and Thailand’s motorsport culture.
Sporting-wise, the anniversary weekend was packed with action. Alongside the core Thailand Super Series categories, the programme included TSS Supercar GT3/GTM, GT4/GTC, Super Touring, Super Pickup, TH Super Eco, the Eighty-Six Challenge Thailand, Toyota one-make races and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. The Bangsaen Street Circuit is known as a temporary street circuit of around 3.7 kilometres, with 19 corners, concrete barriers, changing grip levels and almost no room for error. That exact mix defined the 2026 anniversary weekend.
An Anniversary Weekend with Difficult Conditions
The weekend showed very early why Bangsaen is regarded as one of the most demanding street races in Southeast Asia. The circuit is located directly by the coast. Wind can carry sand, moisture and dirt onto the track, while light, grip and surface conditions can change much faster than on a permanent circuit. In 2026, rain and wet sections repeatedly added another layer of difficulty.
Especially on Friday and Saturday, weather windows, delays, wet racing lines and standing water shaped the running. Qualifying sessions and races became not only more demanding from a driving perspective, but also harder to read strategically. Drivers who brought their tyres into the right operating window early gained an advantage. Those who took too much risk quickly found themselves off the ideal line or in trouble.
On Sunday, conditions stabilised at times, but Bangsaen remained Bangsaen: narrow walls, heavy braking zones, a unique pit lane situation and the constant risk of safety cars or interruptions. The special pit lane setup, which had to be reorganised several times between different categories, also made the weekend logistically demanding.
Super Touring: A Margin of Centimetres and a Tough Final Day
Super Touring opened the sporting core of the anniversary with one of the closest races of the weekend. In Race 3, Nabil Azlan won in a Toyota Vios after 26 laps. The gap to second place was only 0.241 seconds. Norrarat Apivart and Ayrton Apivart finished second in a Toyota Yaris Ativ, while Pasarit Promsombat and Nattanid Leelalert took third in a Honda CRZ, just 0.534 seconds behind the winner.
That gave the Super Touring field exactly the kind of racing Bangsaen is known for: no long settling-in phase, but constant pressure, close battles and almost no margin for mistakes. On a street circuit race lasting more than an hour, a podium covered by just over half a second clearly underlined the depth and quality of the field.
Race 4 on Sunday was much more unsettled. The opening phase already brought position changes, retirements and a safety car. In the end, Phiranat Niyomdecha and Chanoknun Niyomdecha won in a Honda CRZ ahead of Chotthanin Charoensukhawatana and Aniwat Lommahapanit, also in a Honda CRZ. Nabil Azlan finished third overall and was also the best driver in the Touring NA classification.
TH Super Eco: Small Cars, Big Racing Intensity
TH Super Eco was one of the positive sporting highlights of the weekend. The races were close, but noticeably clean. On a circuit like Bangsaen, that is not something to take for granted. The cars have less power than the GT categories, but that is exactly what creates long battles, slipstream phases and duels that can last for several corners.
In Race 4, Varunchit Wattanathanakun won in a Toyota Yaris ahead of Xie Boyu Jonathan in a Honda Brio. Xie finished only 1.453 seconds behind and also set the fastest race lap. Brett Dickie completed the podium in third with a Honda Brio Amaze. Sorawich Sommai won the ECO C+ classification.
Race 5 was another close finish. Jirapat Jirapraneet won in a Honda Brio with a margin of only 0.793 seconds over Xie Boyu Jonathan. Aekkawut Chimjiw finished third and also won the ECO C+ classification. The top three were separated by just 1.127 seconds. For TH Super Eco, the anniversary weekend was therefore a strong showcase: affordable entry-level race cars, but demanding races with high competitive density.
Eighty-Six Challenge Thailand: One-Make Racing with Classic Bangsaen Drama
The Eighty-Six Challenge Thailand fitted perfectly into the street circuit format. Equal or very similar cars mean that precision, traction out of slower corners and risk management become especially important on a track like Bangsaen.
Race 3 was won by Vongsapat Ketsiri in a Toyota GR86 Cup Car with a clear margin. Clayton John Nelmes finished second, followed by Pancha Waiprip in third. In Race 4, Clayton John Nelmes turned the picture around and took victory. Pancha Waiprip finished only 0.885 seconds behind, while Vongsapat Ketsiri completed the podium with a gap of 1.747 seconds.
That gave the series two different winners over two days and two different race profiles: one controlled win and one tight finish. Race 4 in particular showed how little margin is needed on the Bangsaen Street Circuit to turn a one-make race into a real street-course battle.
Thailand Super Pickup: Tradition, Proximity and Hard Racing
The pickup categories are a central part of national motorsport in Thailand. For European viewers, this type of racing may initially appear unusual. For Bangsaen, however, it is part of the event’s identity. The vehicles are large, robust, spectacular to drive and create a very distinctive image in the narrow sections of the circuit.
In Thailand Super Pickup Class C, Supamongkol Detpetch won Race 4 in an Isuzu All New ahead of Jakkapan Wannarat and Sunan Ngiemphakwaen. Race 5 then went to Jakkapan Wannarat. Tassanai Jaimun finished second, followed by Alexander Van Mourik.
In Thailand Super Pickup Class A-B, Supatas Boonruang won Race 4 in a Toyota Revo. Overall second and winner of the Pickup A classification was Sandy Stuvik in a Ford Ranger. Third place went to Tanawat Suwannarat in an Isuzu All New. The fastest lap was set by Kantadhee Kusiri, who finished eighth overall. This category also showed that Bangsaen does not only reward outright pace. Traffic, incidents and the rhythm of the race can play a major role in the final result.
Toyota One-Make Racing: A Broad Base for the Anniversary Programme
The Toyota one-make races added further national racing platforms to the weekend. In the Toyota Hilux Revo OMR, Chokchai Jarunongkran won Race 1 ahead of Jakkapan Wannarat and Chalermpon Phonlookin. Jakkapan set the fastest lap but had to settle for second place in the final classification.
In the Toyota Yaris OMR, Smith Tsoi won Race 1 ahead of Aleeanz Voltz and Siripakorn Yeabyon. The race featured a large field and several retirements or non-classified cars.
In the combined Toyota Corolla and Yaris Lady OMR race, Kentaro Chiba won in a Corolla Altis ahead of Bhuripat Vejvongsatechavat and Srithana Mitaree. The best driver in the Yaris Ativ/Lady classification was Pitcha Miya Thongchua, ahead of Sutasinee Sirirak and Kamonsikarn Thanasinchai.
These races were not the international centrepiece of the weekend, but they were important for the overall structure of the event. Bangsaen does not live only from GT3 cars. It also lives from the fact that national series, junior drivers, amateur racers and one-make categories are all part of the same city and motorsport festival.
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia: Marcus Amand Dominates the Bangsaen Weekend
The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia brought international one-make racing quality to the coast. Rounds 7 and 8 of the season were held at Bangsaen. For the Porsche junior drivers and established Cup racers, the anniversary weekend was a major challenge because the circuit allows almost no mistakes and the conditions, especially on Saturday, were difficult.
In Round 7, Marcus Amand won for BWT Shanghai Yonda. Dylan Pereira finished second, with Marvin Klein in third. Marco Giltrap and Naquib Azlan completed the top five. Round 8 brought another win for Marcus Amand. Marco Giltrap finished second, Dylan Pereira third.
Amand was therefore one of the defining drivers of the anniversary weekend. Two wins on a street circuit like Bangsaen are highly significant because they require more than pure pace. They demand discipline, tyre management, clean starts and consistent error avoidance.
TSS Supercar GT4/GTC: Porsche Against Toyota, Two Different Winners
The GT4/GTC category delivered strong racing on both race days. In Race 3, Dechathorn P. and Kantadhee K. won in a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. Siu Yin Wong and Mitchell C. finished second in a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO II, with Ananthorn T. and Supakit J. in third.
In the GTC classification, Nattavude Ch. and Na Dol V. won Race 3 in a Toyota GR Supra GTC. The GT4 Am classification was won by Grant S. and Suttipong S.
Race 4 then went to Ananthorn T. and Supakit J. in the Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO II. Dechathorn P. and Kantadhee K. finished second, while Kmik K. and Thanapattra S. took third in a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. Todd Kingsford won the GT4 Am classification, while Manat K. and Nattapong H. took victory in GTC.
It was notable that both Toyota and Porsche took overall wins. That gave the category a strong sporting balance. Race 4 also showed how tough Bangsaen can be: the car carrying number 39 set the fastest lap, but was not classified after 27 laps.
TSS Supercar GT3/GTM: The Sporting Highlight of the Weekend
The GT3/GTM races formed the sporting highlight of the anniversary weekend. Race 3 took place after difficult weather conditions on a drying track. Voravud Bhirombhakdi and Carlo van Dam won in the Ferrari 296 GT3 for Singha Motorsport Team Thailand. Henk Kiks and Alessandro Ghiretti finished second in the Porsche 911 GT3-R, while Piti Bhirombhakdi and Kantasak Kusiri took third in the Honda NSX EVO II. The fastest lap went to Henk Kiks and Alessandro Ghiretti.
Race 4 on Sunday became a fitting finale for the anniversary weekend. Piti Bhirombhakdi and Kantasak Kusiri won in the Honda NSX EVO II ahead of Henk Kiks and Alessandro Ghiretti in the Porsche 911 GT3-R. Iaro R. and Sandy Stuvik completed the overall podium in the Audi R8 LMS EVO II and also set the fastest lap of the race.
The duel between the Honda NSX and the Porsche showed exactly why street racing is so fascinating. At Bangsaen, it is not enough to set the fastest individual lap. What matters is when to attack, how cleanly a team moves through traffic, how stable the pit stop is and how little the walls, heat, strategy and pressure disturb the rhythm.
For Henk Kiks and Alessandro Ghiretti, the weekend was strong despite two second places. In Race 3, they made a clear statement with the fastest lap. In Race 4, they remained in the fight for victory until the decisive phase. Piti Bhirombhakdi and Kantasak Kusiri, however, delivered the more complete overall package in the finale.
In the GTM classifications, Saravut S. and Afiq I. in the Ferrari 296 Challenge were twice the benchmark in GTM Pro. Jia Alex Li and Sye Wai Simon Chan won the GTM Am classification in both races in the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup Evo.
Overview of Key Race Winners
| Series | Race | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Super Touring | Race 3 | Nabil Azlan |
| Super Touring | Race 4 | Phiranat Niyomdecha / Chanoknun Niyomdecha |
| TH Super Eco | Race 4 | Varunchit Wattanathanakun |
| TH Super Eco | Race 5 | Jirapat Jirapraneet |
| Eighty-Six Challenge Thailand | Race 3 | Vongsapat Ketsiri |
| Eighty-Six Challenge Thailand | Race 4 | Clayton John Nelmes |
| Thailand Super Pickup Class C | Race 4 | Supamongkol Detpetch |
| Thailand Super Pickup Class C | Race 5 | Jakkapan Wannarat |
| Thailand Super Pickup Class A-B | Race 4 | Supatas Boonruang |
| Toyota Hilux Revo OMR | Race 1 | Chokchai Jarunongkran |
| Toyota Yaris OMR | Race 1 | Smith Tsoi |
| Toyota Corolla + Yaris Lady OMR | Race 1 | Kentaro Chiba |
| Porsche Carrera Cup Asia | Round 7 | Marcus Amand |
| Porsche Carrera Cup Asia | Round 8 | Marcus Amand |
| TSS Supercar GT4/GTC | Race 3 | Dechathorn P. / Kantadhee K. |
| TSS Supercar GT4/GTC | Race 4 | Ananthorn T. / Supakit J. |
| TSS Supercar GT3/GTM | Race 3 | Voravud Bhirombhakdi / Carlo van Dam |
| TSS Supercar GT3/GTM | Race 4 | Piti Bhirombhakdi / Kantasak Kusiri |
Conclusion: An Anniversary That Confirmed the Character of Bangsaen
The 20th anniversary of the Bangsaen Grand Prix was a strong sporting and atmospheric statement. The weekend brought together national Thai racing series, international GT fields, one-make championships, pickup racing and junior categories into one compact motorsport festival. That exact mix is what defines Bangsaen.
The circuit demands respect. It is narrow, fast, uneven, weather-sensitive and strategically complex. Winning here requires more than speed alone. It requires patience, courage, control and a team that works under pressure with pit stops, setup decisions and responses to race interruptions.
In its anniversary year, Bangsaen told a fitting story. The Grand Prix is not just a race by the sea. It is a mature motorsport venue with international relevance, local identity and a special closeness to the fans. After 20 years, the event did not feel like a look back. It felt like another step forward.