A series of football fields in the slums of Khlong Toei district have earn themselves a spot in Time Magazine’s list of “25 Best Inventions of 2016”, which highlights the year’s best innovations from around the world. But what makes these four football fields so special? The fact that, rather than being a normal rectangular shape, they are “L” and “Z” shaped to fit into the confined spaces of a chaotic slum area.

A collaborative idea between Thai property developer AP and advertising firm CJ Worx, “The Unusual Football Pitch” project began as an initiative to turn abandoned urban spaces into areas that can benefit the local community, as part of the AP Think Space concept.

The teams found unused, trashed spaces in the densely populated Khlong Toei neighborhood, one of the city’s most crowded slum areas, and transformed them by clearing out the rubbish, laying out proper concrete and painting over it with dark red and grey markings to create usable football fields.

Since their completion, the football fields have welcomed plenty of local children, teenagers and adults to take on friendly matches until late hours of the night. Many of them have stated that the unorthodox shape of the fields helps to put a new perspective on the game.

The innovative idea soon swept across global media thanks to its innovative solution to urban space limitations. Pattaraphurit Rungjaturapat, Deputy Chief Corporate Image Officer of AP (Thailand), stated that Time Magazine’s acknowledgement has been beyond the team’s wildest imagination.

The “25 Best Inventions of 2016” is an annual roundup by Time Magazine that highlights some of the world’s best innovations that year. Other inventions in this year’s roundup include Apple’s wireless earpods, Nike’s self-tying trainers and Ikea’s all-purpose shelter.  

AP (Thailand) Public Company Ltd. is one of the country’s leading property development companies overseeing a variety of condominium brands including Rhythm, Aspire and The Address alongside single house and townhome projects. They plan to create more unusual football fields around Bangkok in the near future. 

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