Phuket Andaman

 

Phuket Andaman FC

Ground: Surakul Stadium
Capacity: 15,000
Club Founded: 2019
League: Thai League 3 South (current level)

Phuket is not the first tourist destination around the world to struggle to attract crowds and rise up their national league system. The Thai island has seen its football clubs involved in closure, with Phuket Andaman the latest to try to find success.

Phuket FC

The first club to enter the national system on the island was Phuket FC, which was founded 2009. They were placed in the Regional Division 2 South, playing at Surakul Stadium. The goals of Diarra Ali took them to the title in 2010 and promotion to the Thai Division 1 League, which was the second tier at the time. 

The club lasted five seasons at that level as the likes of Adama Koné, Dudu, and Berlin Ndebe-Nlome topped the scoring for the Southern Sea Kirins. The owners pumped considerable sums into the club, launching a substantial marketing campaign before withdrawing their finances. Some players' were left with their contracts unpaid.

In their final two seasons, Phuket FC were relegated from the Regional League Division 2 South. They ended the 2017 season as runners-up in Thai League 4 South as Nattapoom Maya top-scored. The club was then dissolved over the license being denied owing to unpaid contracts. 

Phuket City FC

In 2018 and 2019, the owners of the newly formed Phuket City FC managed to move Banbueng FC, who competed in Thai League 3 Lower, to Sarakhul Stadium and changed their name accordingly, while a legal battle commenced. In 2020, they returned to Chonburi to resume under their previous title.

Meanwhile, in 2019, Patong City began life in the Thailand Amateur League, where a second place in the South region was enough to win promotion to Thai League 3 South through proper means. Walit Jitboonchuen installed as head coach.

Phuket Andaman FC

Yodwong Misen led the scoring for the following two seasons. Adirek Bintuan arrived as head coach but was later replaced by Nipont Chanarwut during the disappointing 2021-22 campaign before the club took the title of Phuket Andaman.

This saw a much improved sixth place being achieved under the leadership of Jarupong Sangpong. Vilson James Dos Santos was appointed as head coach for the 2023-24 campaign. The club was then bought by foreign owners, Higher Sports Co. 

The group already had academy set-ups in other countries and wanted to introduce the same in Phuket, when Andaman became available to buy. Chairman Russ Horsley began the task of putting down foundations by appointing the returning Jarupong as coach.

The relationship didn't materialise as expected, leading to him being replaced by Phuwanart Saengsri, as the club looked to put a turbulent few months behind them. The side plummeted down the table, with Andaman having to relocate to Phang Nga POA Stadium for the second half of the season.

The final game of the season saw a ninety-fifth-minute penalty converted by Puttipong Chanchaemsri away to Yala FC, saving Andaman from relegation. The club were told that they would have to remain in Phang Nga for the first half of the following season as work redeveloping Sarakhul Stadium continued.

Jarupong Sangpong was given the job of head coach ahead of the 2025-26 campaign after the club ownership changed. Andaman returned home during the second leg, going on to finish in seventh place.

My visit

Stadium Visit - Wednesday 13th April 2016

It was time for my annual visit to Phuket ahead of the Sixes Cricket tournaments that I was involved in. With the first event starting the following day, I decided to take myself off and enjoy some quality time, and head across the island from my hotel in Karon. 

My pal dropped me near Karon Roundabout, where I knew a songthaew service went up over the hill and towards Phuket Town, but no idea how often they ran. I'm not sure those in charge did either. After what seemed like ages in the heat, I clambered aboard and off we went.

As soon as we reached the outskirts of the town, my eyes were peeled looking out for the floodlights. This was in the days before I had an internet connection running on my iPhone to source Google Maps. It was just a couple of hundred metres along Vichitsongkram Road when I pressed the bell for the driver to stop. 

Thankfully, the gates were open, and I had access to take photos of what had a horseshoe-shaped continual terrace around the running track. One side had seats with a roof, and opposite them were open to the elements. The road end had no spectator accommodation as such.

Once complete, I continued to the old town. I had alighted there on a bus from Bangkok on my first-ever Thailand adventure, but saw little of it. This time I had a nice look around, including a taxi ride down to the waterfront at Saphan Hin. It was extremely pleasant, as I seem to recall. 

The songthaew took me back, jumping out so that I could wander down Taina Road to visit AllStar Aussie Bar, one of the cricket sponsors, to enjoy a good few drinks with Gary, the friendly host.

Later during the stay, a second cricket tournament was played at the Republic Ground, where at the close of play in the cricket, the footballers of Phuket FC arrived for their training sessions.