MotoGP Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso of Italy leads the pack during the Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Cheste near Valencia, Spain, Nov 18, 2018. (ALBERTO SAIZ / AP PHOTO)

BANGKOK - The annual motorsports event MotoGP 2020 scheduled for March 20-22 in Thailand's northeastern province of Buri Ram has been postponed indefinitely due to concerns of the spread of COVID-19, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday.

I already informed Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and we both agree to hold off the event as for now

Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister, Thailand

The announcement came just hours after the MotoGP Class in Doha, the season opener of the world's biggest motorcycle competition, was abandoned due to similar reasons.

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Anutin said that in his capacity as chairman of the organizing committee of the motorcycle event in Thailand, he is concerned that the motorsports event would have drawn a large number of people to an enclosed venue and that some of the teams would have come from high-risk countries, increasing the risk of the virus spreading.

"I already informed Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and we both agree to hold off the event as for now," said Anutin.

World champion Marc Marquez had won the last two editions of the Thai MotoGP when it was still held in October in 2018 and 2019.

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MotoGP is the second world class sporting event cancelled this year in Thailand.

The Thailand LPGA golf tournament was dropped from the schedule last month.