Muangkan United

Muangkan United FC was a football club based in the historical tourist city of Kanchanaburi in the west of Thailand. 'The Bats' were formed in 2009 and enjoyed a steady existence before not meeting licensing requirements in 2022.

United were originally admitted to third-tier Regional League football in 2010, moving into Kleab Bua Stadium, with the first two seasons in existence ending in mid-table finishes. After yet another average 2014 season, the club dropped out of league football for the 2015 season.

A return in 2016 to the Western Region saw a tenth-place ending, before Thai league football was restructured for the 2017 season, with Muangkan being placed in the fourth-tier Thai League 4 Western Region. The team finished in second place as Nattapol Onjoy scored the goals.

This took the side into the Champions League play-offs, where Muang Loei United were defeated, before a second spot in Group B resulted in promotion to Thai League 3 Lower, where Muangkan finished in eighth place in 2018.

This was backed up with tenth in 2019 under the stewardship of head coach Prasert Changmool, who was replaced by Narongsak Sisang. The 2020-21 campaign saw the Thai league calendar match that of Europe and was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Krit Singprecha was appointed to run the team prior to Jadet Meelarp taking over. United went on to lift the Western Region title thanks to the goals of Bireme Diouf and local lad Suchao Nuchnum, while Suntiparp Boonlkliang starred in goal.

In the promotion playoffs, the team were placed in the Lower Region group, which they topped. In the showpiece final game, Lamphun Warriors ran out winners, but Muangkan were rewarded with promotion to League 2.

Kitnarong Haolert replaced Meelarp as coach in October 2021, before the arrival of Somchai Makmool a few months later. The team ended just outside the playoff places in seventh place, but any joy at a good season would soon be deflated.

The club failed to meet the requirements of the Thai FA license and was removed from the structure and placed into the Thailand Amateur League, if they were to continue, which remained unclear. By 2025, there was no sign of their reemergence, with Kanchanaburi Power gathering former Muankhan support and reaching the top tier of Thai football.

My visits

Wednesday 28th March 2012

I was in Thailand for a two-week holiday to do some sightseeing, go to some football, play in a cricket tournament in Chiang Mai and do lots of socialising. After an opening evening in Bangkok, I headed to Kanchanaburi, a place I'd wanted to visit for some time.

My journey is worthy of a page of its own, but in a nutshell, my taxi driver in the capital got stuck in horrendous traffic and then dumped me at the wrong railway station. I had intended to travel up by train but ended up paying around £30 for a taxi ride for the seventy-mile journey.

I stayed in a basic but typically Thai place right on the River Kwai. My accommodation at the VN Guest House cost me just 280 baht (around £5.50) for a room on a raft on the river with a small outside area.

I spent the evening pampering myself with a nice meal, a good walk, hoping to see the floodlights indicating action at the stadium, without luck, enjoying both a fish spa and leg and foot massage, before retiring with a smoothie to read my book outside as the moon shone on the water.

The following morning, after a superb breakfast, I visited the War Cemetery and the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre before catching the train round to the River Kwai stop. It had been an eye-opener and made me feel very grateful to those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

I took my photos and had a walk on the bridge before turning back a few hundred metres towards the Kleab Bua Stadium, which I'd spotted from the train in the Tha Makham area of the city.

The approach took me over dusty wasteland with roads laid out, which seemed to indicate that it was ripe for development in the future. The stadium certainly looked impressive from the outside. I headed up to the main Sangchuto Road, where the entrance was. A guard smiled from his sheltered box as I walked through the gates.

The stadium was a multi-purpose arena that had been upgraded in 2009 for the Thailand National Youth Games and had more facilities beyond the main stadium. TOT SC of the Thai Premier League had used the stadium during the 2009 season before returning to Nonthaburi Province, to the north of Bangkok.

I walked straight to the pitch side by the club offices. The playing area was surrounded by a running track and had a covered Main Stand on the far side with an open stand facing it. Both ends were identical, with two covered cantilever stands facing each other with gaps in the middle. It was an impressive place for a relatively small city, with Kanchanaburi having a population at the time of around 40,000.

The club name comes from the fact that Muang is the Thai name for the city centre, and Kan is short for Kanchanaburi. Many cities are also the name of the province in which it lies, so Muang is added in front of the city if it refers to that, rather than the whole area - if that makes sense!

I went to the garage for a Gatorade and then caught a songthaew back into the city to catch a bus back to Bangkok. I was going to the Muangthong United v Bangkok Glass game that evening and was looking forward to getting back early for a dip in the hotel pool. The lady and driver at the bus station insisted that the 99 baht I'd just spent was for an express bus. How little I learned!

I really enjoyed Kanchanaburi and hoped to return. It's a chilled-out place with plenty of history. Ideally, I'd also catch a Mungkan home game.

Muangkhan United 3 Navy 2 (Saturday 23rd April 2022) Thai League 2 (att: 781)

One of the joys of moving full-time to live in Thailand in retirement was the ability to be able to head away whenever I fancied it. I wanted to tick off watching games at some new venues before the 2021-22 season was completed, so I studied the fixtures.

A revisit to Kanchanaburi was most appealing to have a good look around and do a video for my YouTube channel. The match also looked like a decent option with Muangkhan in contention for a playoff spot, so it was time to book a hotel.

Arriving at the Southern Bus Terminal following a bus and boat, and then another bus ride, I was in decent form. Especially after navigating a bit of a scare when I left my manbag on the ferry, which contained my passport.

My luck was in, as the staff managed to inform those at Pratunam where it terminated and sent it back to me at Chit Lom. Anyway, at least the large van ride went smoothly, dropping me at the bus station, a short walk from my room for the evening at D Luck Hostel.

I eventually found this place after wandering around trying to see it via Google Maps on my phone, only to discover it was through a coffee shop. The staff were friendly, but salubrious it wasn’t. My room was so small that despite turning off the light, it was still on when I got into bed.

Never mind, I wouldn’t be spending much time in it. After a quick siesta, I was out and about and on what would be a long walk, initially visiting the War Cemetery for a few minutes of reflection before a wander down the strip to get something to eat and drink.

Friends charting my progress on Facebook suggested I use the Aussie Rules Bar. Well, I went in what I thought was that establishment and had an average pad krapow and a drink, only to leave and walk past my intended bar. I had been twenty yards away.

Continuing my adventures, I walked all the way along Tha Ma Kham, or River Kwai Road as it's commonly known. A walk across the famous bridge and a quick wander on the other side by the Concentration Camp Market was followed by moving on to the River Kwai Bridge railway station.

It was good to see things gradually picking up following the gradual phasing out of the pandemic. Time was getting on, and I wanted to grab a drink and a snack at Kleeb Bua Stadium ahead of the 7pm kick off.

My ticket cost 120 Baht, sold by friendly young staff at the main gate. Inside the grounds behind the stands, there was a good atmosphere with a band playing and lots of pop-up stalls selling food and drink.

Everyone seemed happy and friendly. There’s certainly a lot to be said for weekend evening football in such a climate. Despite such a large arena, the home fans on the near-open side created a great atmosphere.

We were treated to a cracker of a match too, in which already relegated Navy had obviously not read the script in the dressing rooms as Sirichai Phumpat put them ahead after just four minutes with a goal of simplistic nature.

The forward chased a kick out of the hands of keeper Surat Narkchumsang, which was hopelessly misjudged by defender Wattana Klomjit to go clean through and slot home past keeper Prin Goonchon.

The hosts responded when skipper Suchao Nuchnum had a shot blocked before energetic Brazilian forward Jonatan Reis fired over. Navy, with nothing to lose were going for it with Jakrayut Vivatvanit letting go from distance but going wide, which was backed up with a wild effort from Adefolarin Durosinmi.

Parity was restored through a dipping half volley that bounced just in front of goalie Surat Narkchumsang, who got his hands on the shot before it went in off the post seven minutes before the break.

Guntapon Keereeleang, on loan to Muankhan from Bangkok United, fired over in a good position in the opening moments after the restart. But it would be Navy who retook the lead just past the hour mark.

Suan Lam Mang passed inside to Durosinmi, whose shot appeared to be handled by an opponent. Referee Suriyo Kanhachalee wasn’t interested, and the ball ran on to Vivatvanit, who had obviously remembered to play to the whistle, as he put the ball away.

The hosts fought back and put on pressure, desperately requiring the three points. Navy defended desperately and blocked a couple of times in one move, with the ball running to Nachnum on the edge of the box, who smashed home from the edge of the box with an absolute thunderbolt.

The play swung to the other end and saw a cross from Sakkranvit Nimma find the head of Vivatvanit, who forced Goonchon to tip over. Nachnum then let another rasper go from even further out, which stung the palms of Narkchumsang.

Ten minutes from time, a shot from Reis struck the arm of Bangkok United loanee Santipap Yaemsaen in the box. Mr Kanhachalee pointed to the spot with Reis obliging after a stop-start approach to the ball. The fans around me were wild with delight as their team saw out the win.

It was now time for me to try to get a ride back towards the bar area. Neither taxi app worked in the area, and I set off walking to no avail. No tuk-tuks were around either, which meant a walk all the way back to the Aussie Rules Bar.

After a few small bottles, I headed back the extra couple of miles as no transport was about. To be honest, the bar area seemed to be busier during the day with folks of my age. I thought it was pretty average and would definitely go local if I stayed over again.

The next morning, I got my skates on and caught the same mode of the bus back to Mo Chit, beating the traffic before all the shoppers came out to play. After a rest and editing a video of my adventures around Kanchanaburi, I was ready to go to a game of local football. The fun never stops in Thailand!