Cocktail’s highly-anticipated farewell concert will proceed as planned, after thorough checks showed no major structural damage to the Rajamangala Stadium concert venue.
In an update on 29 March, the Gene Lab band adds that it would allow full refunds for those who do not feel comfortable attending the concert, which takes place on 30 and 31 March.
The confirmation follows hours of uncertainty surrounding the fate of the concert – the band’s last hurrah before they disband this year – after a series of deadly tremors from a nearby earthquake struck Bangkok.
Detailing the levels of inspection required, Cocktail says the first inspection took place in the immediate aftermath of the tremors, with teams checking the structure of the concert setup.
Work was suspended to allow for inspections to take place, and there were no damage found as at 11pm Bangkok time on 28 March.
The next step was to inspect the structural integrity of Rajamangala Stadium. For this, Cocktail worked with the Sports Authority of Thailand (which operates the stadium) to carry out inspections, which were completed at 11.30am on 29 March, with no damage found.
“After inspections by 3 teams of engineers, it was concluded that [the venue] is safe to support the audience at the concert at full capacity. Therefore, the team will continue to perform their duties as usual,” says Cocktail.
In confirming that it could proceed with the concert, the band said it also took into account “feedback and comfort level of the fans who are attending”, noting that there could be some who might be uncomfortable to come.
“The team…(looked) at the information of those who bought tickets…such as how many were from Bangkok or other provinces, how much they had to travel and what the opportunity cost was, and whether there were any (future) risks. We also considered the safety of public utilities, nearby accomodation and public transportation, which…may be fully operational by 30 March,” the band adds.
The statement drew praise from fans, who said it was “admirable” that the band had considered many aspects before coming to a confirmation.
