Nonthaburi City

Nonthaburi City FC is an amateur football club, established in 2021 and representing the city and district of the same name to the north-west of the Thai capital of Bangkok. City origins come from Yingcharoen FC who were formed 2012 by founder Sirichai ‘Aeh’ Yingcharoen.

The name of Yingcharoen continued in the Bangkok Premier League lower divisions while city took their place for the 2022 season in Division One of the competition, while also competing for a place in Thai League 3 through the 2022 Thailand Amateur League.

The change of club title came about to try and attract local support, though Yingcharoen has been a force since their formation in the amateur game. They reached the qualifying round of the 2014 FA Cup, going out on penalties to Muangkhan United.

The side competed in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region of the 2017 Thailand Amateur League, reaching the group stage. The Coronavirus pandemic put pay to most football at that level before the City name emerged on the other side.

The team played their Bangkok Premier League games at the Royal Irrigation Department football ground in Pak Kret from 2022 after Yingcharoen were based at Phonimit Wittayakom School Stadium. 

They continued to play in the same competition which reduced in size to just one division in 2024-25 at various venues around Pak Kret and Nonthaburi.

Nonthaburi City FC will play in the Bangkok Premier League in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

Nonthaburi City 1 Patumkongka 2 (Wednesday 11^th May 2022) Friendly (att: c10) 

A lot of people dismiss Facebook but that form of social media had been invaluable to me since I moved to Bangkok a few months earlier. And this was another such occasion as I spotted this fixture on my morning check.

After a quick confirmation later regarding the venue with Aeh, who mans the City social media, I got on with things and prepared to make the journey by minivan to Pak Kret, which was most convenient.

My mate Steve and I were planning to head there the following morning to do a discovering Bangkok on a budget video. I could double check a couple of things and find out about the Koh Kret ferry for further occasions. 

With some spare time, I had a wander around the area, taking some photos. As it transpires, my research was invaluable as boats only set sail into Bangkok from the pier in the morning rush hour. We would need to head to Nonthaburi instead, but it saved my blushes.

There was till time to walk from below the underpass along Sukkhaprachasan 2 Alley to the Phonimit Wittayakom School Stadium, which took around forty-five minutes including a stop for provisions at a nearby 7/11. 

The ground had a fine raised covered stand on the far side and signs of a disused shale running track around the pitch. I made my way around some very boggy ground. It soon became obvious that the pitch was also carrying some water.

Aeh introduced himself and also revealed that he administers the Bangkok Premier League social media before he went downstairs to organize the team. This would be the third time I’d seen City in action.

My first game since relocation had seen what I presume was a reserve side in action away to SPA Srongpol which can be read about here, and in a Chang League decider against FCB Qons which is here.

 

Looking out where players warmed up, I realised that the pitch was unmarked, with the match officials laying out small intermittent cones to mark its perimeter. The grass could also have done with a good cut, but the venue showed potential with a general tidy-up.

In true Thai fashion, nobody complained and got on with things. It was arranged to give both squads a run out before their forthcoming Thailand Amateur League quarter-final ties the following weekend. The game attracted a few passing diehards who gained free admission.

It proved worthwhile as lots of players got a run out. I found it an enjoyable and pleasant watch. Patumkongka looked the better of the two sides in the opening stages before taking the lead on ten minutes when a cross from number 11 found his teammate 14 at the back post to volley in.

Loud construction works in the school opposite accompanied play for the first period. I wasn’t upset when they stopped. Meanwhile, a drone was being controlled to take some record of the event from in front of the stand.

The earlier scorer came close to doubling the lead but saw his header come back off the crossbar. However, City had promise of their own and drew level when the strong impressive number 9 finished coolly after being set up by number 76.

The ground was near the river, and the dark humid skies for the 4.15 kick-off began to rumble with thunder. Bangkok had been hit with some real tropical storms over the previous week. Surely, we could avoid another.

Both sides made multiple substitutions at halftime with the score at 1-1. The visitors restored their lead in the second period when number 15 capitalised on some dithering among the Nonthaburi defence to score with a low shot.

The game was generally played in an excellent spirit, with players not disputing the awkward decisions the officials had to make without the aid of line markings. In the latter stages, City’s 9 hit the crossbar with a shot that took a slight deflection.

I cut through a gap back to the main road at full time and waited on the other side. On my visits to Pak Kret and on the walk to the ground I’d seen large songthaews on the route. My intuition was right and before long I was in the back of one and being dropped back on Thanon Chaeng Watthana from where a minivan took me home to Minburi.