Save our Ice Arena Phuket

Welcome to Ice Arena Phuket’s Go Get Funding page.

Ice Arena Phuket is hoping on your support to raise 2 Million Thai Baht to keep our community ice skating rink open during these hard times. We are a private organisation whom built this project as a community project for local children and adults to be able to ice skate and participate in team events. We have received an official letter that our landlords will start legal proceedings if we do not come up with the funds before the end of the month.

Unfortunately with this virus lockdown being extended month on month, we had to keep our ice making machine running on the basis that the following month, we could open and continue business. This was not the case as the full lockdown took effect meaning that we could no longer open our doors to the public. Due to these unheard of circumstances, we are now unable to afford to cover the past electricity bills for maintaining the ice.

As a last resort, we ask you kindly for your community spirit and any donations that will assist Ice Arena Phuket to stay open. If you would like to know the full story, please read below which explains in detail how this situation occurred.

For more information about Ice Arena Phuket and what we do for the community, please feel free to visit our Facebook page ICE ARENA PHUKET and ICE ARENA PHUKET Instagram

If you are not able to donate, please SHARE! With your help, Ice Arena Phuket will continue supporting our fantastic community.

ABOUT ICE ARENA PHUKET

Ice Arena Phuket is the first community Ice Skating Rink to be built in Phuket, Thailand. It was built with the blood, sweat and tears of 4 expats whom had a dream to bring Ice Skating to Phuket and it’s surrounding communities.

Ice Arena Phuket is unique as it is one of a very few ice rinks which operates in a tropical environment. We have had the pleasure to bring ice to all people both young and old that would under normal circumstance, never have the chance to be on ice.

Here in Thailand, tourist business will work with the many tourist agencies to bring their tourist to a venue. Normally the business will pay the tourist company 50% or more of the revenue generated by the tourist they send however, WE DO NOT QUALIFY as Ice Arena Phuket is a community hub, our prices reflect this in that we are the cheapest entertainment venue on the island. With prices as little as 250THB per session, local tour companies see no value to work with us as we are considered too cheap and don’t pay commissions.

We believe we offer a fair price so that even the not so well off thai families can attend. Our prices allow a family of 4 to skate which would be for 1 member of a family at most other entertainment venues. We also offer same price for all unlike other entertainment venues that charge 500% / 1,000% more for foreigners than the thai price. We are one of a few businesses that so not operate a dual pricing system.

Ice Arena Phuket has been in operation since May 2017 and has had many amazing community events for both foreigners and Thais alike. We strive not only to bring Phuket communities together but also international communities through our Ice hockey and figure skating tournaments, Christmas and Easter ice shows, Saturday evening Kids discos, Red Cross Blood donor, ring and buy sales, Birthday parties and free space for social gatherings plus many more events to bring us all together.

How did we get into this situation?

When the Covid 19 world pandemic started, Ice Arena Phuket was informed by the local thai government following the world wide situation, that Ice Arena Phuket will have to temporarily shutdown and adhere to the social distancing policies put in place to protect the community. Like most business’s, we had no idea that these Covid 19 polices would be so damaging, restrictive and would go on for months without end.

If we are to shut down our ice rink and ice machine, it would be a disaster, As we would have to :

• Remove and replace 120 cubic meters of water at considerable expense.
• Cool down the ice arena environment of 700 SQM to -1 degrees to refreeze the ice using more electricity. This will take over 1 week as the ice must be frozen layer by layer and monitored 24 hours per day.
• It would be almost impossible to reinstall all dasher boards / barriers surrounding the ice rink if it was to melt completely.
• Difficult to restart the ice machine, clean the pipes and loose 1 week for ice preparation.

Why do we need your help?

Ice Arena Phuket employs and supports over 20 Thai staff. They are like family to us and with the support of the Thai local government, we have been able to keep their jobs with the hope that we can continue business once this situation is over. We have tried most every avenue to help us survive.

Our landlords offered us a 50% discount on the rent which is still a substantial amount based on 1,200 SQM. Money paid out with no chance to make any revenue during this down time. Consequently we are losing hundred and thousands in rent to keep our doors open.

Our local Phuket Electrical Authority (PEA) offered Ice Arena Phuket a 3% discount on our electricity bills. we are sure you can appreciate running an ice rink is not cheap. Normally the bills are covered from our monthly generated revenue however, as we couldn’t legally be open and generate revenue these last months, these bills have began to mount up.

The Thai banks we approached are not interested in helping Ice Arena Phuket or in fact any/many community based projects as they only look for profit.

The Local Municipality, Local Mayor are unable to assist us at this time.

As we have exhausted most every avenue for assistance we turn to our beloved community and people who are keen to help a ICE ARENA PHUKET say alive.

If you are not able to donate, please SHARE! With your help, Ice Arena Phuket will continue supporting our fantastic community.

Thank you and kind regards

ICE ARENA PHUKET