There are two swimming pools at the back of the Hua Mak stadium...one is used for events only and has covered stands. But next door is the public one that is open 6:30am til 8:30pm (they start to kick you out at 8pm though). There is a 1-2 hour closure at lunch time. This latter pool is 50 meters long and 8 lanes wide. But mostly in the evenings, it is divided laterally into three sections and instructors give groups training across the pool's center section. But I am sure in the day-time it is easy enough to do uninterupted longitudinal lengths. I am not a swimmer but pass there several times a month to play football with the shirtless, sweating, glistening lads after dark. They are not gay...but sure there are many gay guys in/around the pool. The toilet under the trees next to the swimming pool, but outside, is quite renowned for gazers/wankers.
Under the main stadium used to always be a good place to cruise and grope and smoke but there are a lot more lights there now and I have never tried recently as too many of the straight football players know me and are often in and out of the under-stadium car park retrieving their balls and seemingly oblivious to the very few remaining cruisers. But I sense the area hots up after the footballers finish around 9pm and before the area is closed at 10pm. There is a very tasty BKK Grill steak restaurant, Thai-style in soi 24 at the back of the stadium. Both the cooks are cute and pleasant and maybe innocent...I am tipping them up to encourage their taste buds to try something new.
The swimming pool is certainly always open to the public. (It MAY be closed on Mondays as is the SAT-owned (Sports Authority of Thailand) gym under the stadium...I have never been on a Monday as no gym crowd to mingle with!)...there is a registration office for the pool, but now during school holidays, there are hoards of kids there that certainly don't look the types to endure a long and arduous registration process. So should be easy for anyone to go there.
These pools were not used for SEA games as they were in Korat (2007) and Chiang Mai (1995). This entire sports complex (except for the pools) was built for the 1998 Asian Games and the main stadium was used for the football events and the opening and closing ceremonies..(Manchester United and Real Madrid (including Beckham) have played there recently). But the swimming events for the 1998 Asian Games were all held at the more prestigious pools at Thammasat Rangsit.
I think it's time that adventurous, helpful and discoverous Sectile got used to the klong boat....there is a whole new world just waiting for you to discover. Today there were at least three student-types with smashing faces you just cannot stop looking at and it's very common to see such types on the boats every trip. The conductors/fare collectors are also sometimes cute. The routes are simple...there is only one! For all practical purposes, it starts at Pratunam pier...just walking distance from your favorite Big C (catch the waiting boat on the Big C side of the klong) and sit in the middle of a seat near the back (less congested). Have Bht20 note ready and give to conductor when he comes to you and mouth the word Bankapi, or The Mall Bangkapi, or just hold your hand palm down and just flick the fingers up with the arm stretched out indicating "all the way" (It's too noisy to talk easily). When you get to The Mall Bangkapi about 30 minutes later, it is huge and on the left and 70% of the passengers will get off there. The jetty leads directly into the back of the Mall into the magnificent food court and supermarket...one the very best in Thailand. The toilets at the front next to KFC and Pizza Hut (the end farthest from the klong but adjacent to Lhad Prao Road) are nearly always full with pissers and watchers and nearly all are cute and inquisitive. Never had an encounter there. But on the pool floor, I have had several encounters and been smoked by young lads in the toilet and shower...but to my mind, unnecessarily risky and foolish. To get there, wander up to the top floor by the cinemas and go to the swimming pool/water park area. If you have a Bht100 Mall card, entry is free for 2 people. Many LLTOL's (Lads Looking To Ogle Lads) hang around here...especially in the evening. They mostly go as pairs and change and sit around the pool and then nip back and fourth to the changing room one by one. This time of year there are too many families early on. The shower rooms are active but not as much as Hua Mak pool is likely to be. The swimming pools are more for recreation than serious lengths though. But you can spend a very happy time there in the evenings when nearly always some guy will come and chat.
Now if you just want to go to Hua Mak stadium on the klong boat, then the fair is Bht18, but you have to get off at Ta(pier) Mahard Thai...it is on the right and two stops before The Mall Bangkapi, but 4 stops after The Mall Ramkhamhaeng. I often go there to visit FBT (Football Thailand's) main store to buy anything imagineable in sports wear and equipment.
If you want to go by bus from Silom(Sectile need not listen to this!
), then 115 goes door to door for Bht8.5 or if you use one of the very new bright yellow aircon 115's it will be about Bht15. If you take a taxi and use express way you will still end up stuck in the Ramkhamhaeng traffic snarl so the best way is to continue along Rama 9 Rd and turn left into soi 41 which brings you out at the back of the stadium on Ramkhamhaeng soi 24 and walking distance from Torpedo Sauna.