Surin Khong Chee Mool FC is a professional football club from the city of Surin which is in the northeast Thai region of Isan. They were formed in 2017 to compete in the Thailand Amateur League, playing home games at the stadium of Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Surin Campus.
After winning their group, KCM progressed to the final round, where a 5-4 victory over Nonghan saw the club promoted to T4 Northeast for the 2018 season, renaming themselves Surin Sugar Khong Chee Mool.
Eighth place in their inaugural season as a professional club saw the team finish eighth, which was backed up with sixth place in 2019 as Japanese striker Miyake Kyohei put away the goals, prior to the Thai leagues being restructured and turning to a European calendar.
Having dropped Sugar from their title, ‘The Cruel Wild Elephants’ finished the 2020-21 campaign in seventh spot with Apiwat Chuenban as top scorer under head coach Nirut Ruangsrichart, as the season was abruptly ended owing to Covid-19.
Thapakorn Deemark took over team affairs at the start of 2021-22, prior to Kamolchai Yingmeeyou taking over. Thapakorn had another spell at the helm before the appointment of Surasin Rinyotha. He was replaced by Jobsakon Siyacheep in a chaotic season which saw KCM end in twelfth place as Sarawut Wanpriangthaw led the scoring chart.
The same position followed in 2022-23. Coach Nirut returned to the bench while the goals of Kroekrit Rodmueang helped stave off relegation. Another struggle was played out in the 2023-24 season, with Apisit Im-Amphai taking charge of the team which did just about enough to avert relegation.
Thapakorn stepped
in again as head coach at the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
Surin Khong Chee Mool FC will play in Thai League 3 Northeast in the 2024-25 season.
My visits
Sri Narong Stadium
Surin Khong Chee Mool 0 Sisaket United 4 (Sunday 21st January 2024) Thai League 3 Northeast (att: c250)
A road trip to an away game is always enjoyable, The chance to head away overnight with my wife Taew is always looked forward to, especially if meeting up with friends such as Gary and Noon as in this occasion.
The couple had come through to Sisaket for the fixture between the two sides earlier in the season which ended in a 6-0 home win. KCM were shocking on that occasion, although I had earlier enjoyed their spirit and attitude in their defeat away to Rasisalai United.
However, this latest encounter is a game that wouldn’t live long in the memory, played on a bumpy pitch, between an awful home team and visitors who somehow made hard work of them until tiredness led to some shocking errors.
Yet it took Sisaket until the very last minute of the first half before they took the lead. Their pedestrian approach was unbelievably negative. I had warned Gary beforehand, and he was astonished having seen KCM several times and knowing just how bad they are.
In keeping with much of the dross, a misdirected free kick was fumbled by hapless keeper Chaturong Singjanusong. New signing, Cameroon forward Isaac Mbengan tapped home into the empty net. KCM had earlier unbelievably come close to leading.
A glancing header came back off the foot of the post, and then goalie Adisak Lambelsah nearly fumbled a long-range free kick into his own net. The usually excellent Matias Panigazzi showed why he is only playing T3 football as he had a great chance for the visitors, but he didn’t get a shot away because he can’t kick with his right foot.
Mbengan headed straight at the keeper from five yards when anywhere else would have ended in a goal. After I’d nipped out and brought back some beers from the shop across the road, the game seemed to improve in the second half.
Home defender Nanthachai Laokaew doing a very passable impression of Hightower from Police Academy clumsily mishit a back pass allowing Danilo in to increase the lead. Sadly, they took the stopper off shortly after.
I was a great fan of his comedic performance as it reminded me of the Elephant Show I’d visited with my family on the adjacent showground a couple of months previously. The Brazilian added his second to make it 3-0 after seventy-seven minutes.
This was before that thing of rarity, a fine passing move, set up sub, Phattharapong Phengchaem to lob the keeper, who was going goodness knows where eight minutes from time. Somehow KCM were kept out in a rare foray before a couple of Sisaket players contrived to cock things us when clean through.
The official crowd was announced as 86, which drew some laughter, with the match being played at Sri Narong Stadium, traditionally the home of Surin City. The usual KCM university campus stadium was out of commission for a priority event. That’s how it is here in Thailand, with football quite low down the pecking order.
My good lady drove us the two hours to meet up with friends, and we headed to a wonderfully designed restaurant over a manmade lake for lunch out in the countryside. Sadly, the service was poor, but it could have been a one-off.
Post-match, Subtle Hub had some home-brewed beer on tap, with the Mango Cider and then a double-hopped strong IPA making me merry. We laughed at some friendly inebriated young locals. How little did I know?
Into town, with Surin having plenty of options for Thais and westerners. We selected Fat Boyd because we knew that they would be showing Thailand v Oman in the AFC Asia Cup. Live music, food, and a drinks promotion were all welcome.
That match ended 0-0, virtually guaranteeing Thailand progress to the knockout stages which was beyond pre-tournament expectations. Again, the interest in football is sometimes not being comprehended by non-Thais as we were about the only ones watching one of the eight screens.
Back to Subtle Hub when an intended nightcap turned into a lock-in as the boss and his mate wanted to watch the Liverpool game, and consequently Monday became a write-off. I’m glad our hotel was just across the road.
Stadium of Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Surin Campus
Surin Khong Chee Mool 0 Muang Loei United 4 (Saturday 5th October 2024) Thai League 3 Northeast (att: 136)
My weekly fixture itinerary which was put together at the start of the season was all going to plan and allowed me to eventually see a game at the Stadium of Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Surin Campus, which was surely the longest title given to any venue that I had previously visited.
Planning for this one had commenced weeks earlier, ensuring that Gary was available. Then Taew was pressed into action to confirm that buses were running, with the train timetable having a huge gap in it when I wanted to travel. This was no hardship as my good lady drove me into Sisaket.
It also gave us the chance to visit Chio Kee, a wonderful traditional Thai restaurant which has been serving breakfasts to locals since 1942. Going there was never a hardship and was growing into my favourite place in town to provide me with my morning energy source.
We were ahead of schedule, meaning that I managed to get a seat on the 10.00 departure, which I was soon to be glad of. While only costing 80 Baht, it wasn’t the quickest, stopping at multiple places before reaching the open road and then again at a few towns along the way, offering parcel delivery as well as passenger transport.
I kept my mate informed of developments, finally getting out of the cramped van around twenty minutes past midday. Noon was with Gary between exhausting shifts at the local hospital, as he drove us around to the farang strip where we opted for seats inside A/a Fantasy Restaurant & Bar for lunch and libation.
It was noticeably busy for a Saturday lunchtime which is always good to see. Noon went for a kip before we headed to the stadium, with my pilot finding a great parking spot for the essential quick departure at full time. Admission was 60 Baht, with many not bothering to pay, simply watching from a distance over the railings.
We got a great view looking down on the pitch from the covered steeply raised stand. There was some open seating on scaffolding around the far side, with curves behind each goal, where a track once went before it was grown over. It was an extremely pleasant venue with many trees offering it an enclosed feel.
Loei had played three games previously and accumulated four points. KCM were struggling badly, yet to amass anything. Their previous two games ended in a 9-0 defeat away to Rasisalai United, and then a 7-0 battering away to Roi Et United in the League Cup. It’s fair to say that we did not expect too much from the hosts.
In fairness, the side coached by Nattachanaphong Kittana seemed up for the battle, playing in their usual Corinthian spirit but defending well and then creating the occasional sniff of a chance at the other end. Teeraphon Tongdee’s Loei side was in the ascendancy but could not find a way through.
That was until the second minute of additional time at the end of the first half. Kitsana Chitchuea rounded keeper Sutthithanin Yotdam and then saw his goal bound effort attempted to be stopped by a defender on the line who sliced the ball into the net, not helped by the hard and uneven pitch.
At the break I had a wander to take some photos, returning without the worry of finding a drinks vendor as my cool bag was doing a fine job supplying us with ice-cold beers. As ever, it was great to have a catch-up and chat and discuss the many vagaries of being a foreigner living in Thailand.
The visitors didn’t muck about after the break, doubling their tally just three minutes into the second half through Selwan Al-Jaberi, an import of Swedish/Iraqi descent. Khong Cheel Mool’s overseas player, the Argentinian, Leonardo Ferrari, didn’t even make the bench. We surmised he was either injured or hopeless. Or both.
In fairness to KCM, they kept going and even had a couple of efforts on goal, but it was always going to be a matter of how fit they were and damage limitation. Loei added late goals from subs Monchit Wanna on eighty-one minutes, and then the Nigerian, Michael Aliu, shortly after.
We made our way down the steps and towards the exit for the last knockings, with much of my concentration span being diverted towards my train tracker app. A couple of years previously the last train ran late allowing me to catch it after a Surin City home game. While there was a later van, the train was a far better option.
Sure enough, it was late again, helped by single tracks further up the line necessitating a wait for a service in the other direction to pass. Gary got me to the station with five minutes to spare, enough time to buy a 20 Baht ticket and then relax onboard.
My regular
driver after matches in Sisaket was away sampling the delights of Cha-Am, so
Taew headed back into town to collect me. I was in a slightly dishevelled condition
after she agreed that my idea to look around the food market by the station was
a good idea. It seemed sensible a couple of hours earlier anyway.
Another top day out, new Thai ground number ninety-two ticked off, and lots of fun along the way including a few means of transport.
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