Songkhla FC is a professional football club whose history can be traced back to 1999, when they played in the Thailand Provincial League, a competition for clubs outside of Bangkok competing in the Thai Premier League.
Suspension and Return
Tinsulanonda Stadium was used for home matches until 2005. A non-descript period was followed by the club being suspended for failing to meet the regulations. They returned to the Provincial League 2 the following year, going on to finish runners-up in the higher division of the competition in 2007.
Songkhla went up and finished second in 2008, with a season of two being spent playing at Chiranakhon Stadium in Hat Yai. The side consolidated their position as Witthawat Iamram.
Worawet Chanuthai and then Chayene Santos bagged the goals as the club pushed for promotion while based at Na Thawi District Stadium. They returned to Tinsulanonda Stadium with huge crowds attending games. However, things were to go downhill.
Buriram FC, formed by Karuna Chidchob, won a couple of promotions to reach the highest level of Thai football in 2011. The club was bought by the husband of the president, Newin Chidchob, who had already relocated PEA from Ayutthaya to become PEA Buriram, later Buriram United.
A Complicated Arrangement
The rights of Buriram FC were sold to Songkhla FC, meaning there was a southern
team at the top tier. It also meant two Buriram-controlled clubs. The club in the south was named Wuachon
United FC in 2012. The original Songkhla FC was dissolved to join the new
club, which was renamed Songkhla United.
The club had attracted a crowd of 30,102 for the top-flight clash with Muangthong United as Jadet Meelarp led the team from the bench. Meanwhile, goals from Kirati Keawsombat and then Manop Sornkaew kept Songkhla United safe.
Dropping Back Down a Level
Franz Schwarzwälder had a spell as coach before the team went down a level at the end of the 2014 season, despite the goals of Kayne Vincent. The side was managed throughout the season by Phayong Khunnaen and then Jason Withe.
Somchai Makmool took over team affairs in 2015 as Rufino Sánchez top-scored. Willen Mota was a scoring sensation in 2016 for the side coached by Nopporn Eksatra. They reached the semifinals of the League Cup, going out on aggregate to Buriram United.
The End of the Road for Songkhla United
The following season proved to be United’s last. Giorgi Tsimakuridze scored the goals as the team ended up in a relegation place for Watchara Tochanakan’s team while playing at Na Thawi District Stadium. Not that it mattered because the club failed the criteria for a license and was banned for two seasons.
Songkhla FC was born in 2018, starting initially in the Thailand Amateur League, playing at Prince of Songkhla University Stadium. In their second season, they finished as champions to win promotion to Thai League 3 South for the 2020-21 season.
Back at Tinsulanonda Stadium, the goals of Abdussalam Saman took the Samila Mermaids to the title under the stewardship of Akaporn Chalitaporn. Their playoff campaign ended in failure before Daiki Higuchi was given the role of head coach.
Natan Oliveira was next to put away the chances, before another regional was won in 2022-23 as Jardel topped the scoring charts for the side led by Sarawut Treephan. Again, Songkhla fell short in the playoffs.
The Thai League 3 South title was retained, this time under returning Japanese coach Higuchi, thanks in part to the efforts of Nigerian forward Ekene Victor Azike. Once again, the playoffs ended in disappointment.
Promotion at Last
The 2024-25 campaign saw Songkhla win promotion via the playoffs after defeating North Bangkok University, ending as national runners-up to Rasisalai United.
Songkhla FC will play in the Thai League 2 in the 2026-27 season.
My visit
A Great Opportunity on a Tour
Our tour of Laos and Thailand provided immense fun, travelling with my wife Taew, along with her cousin Q and his family. I’d visited football stadiums in cities that I had never visited before and may not have the opportunity to again. However, the announcement of this fixture made me extremely happy.
Crazy Distances for Third-Tier Football
Not that I was the biggest fan of the Thai League 3 Cup, which drew some derisory attendances. I mean, who would expect a team from Bangkok to travel to Songkhla, a journey going on for fourteen hours for a third-tier cup game on a Sunday night? However, it seemed second nature to organise such games in Thailand.
Tinsulanonda Stadium was very high on my bucket list, so I agreed that I would be happy to do anything the rest of our group wanted if I was released for football on Sunday lunchtime. With everything in place, I was deposited at Central in Hat Yai to use the bank and grab some food before walking to the bus terminal.
The driver of our minivan would certainly not be getting a gig at the Comedy Store anytime soon. He displayed a Phatthalung FC scarf above him and drove like the clappers. I wasn’t too upset to get out and start my mini tour of Songkhla's old town, arriving far too early, if truth be told.
I visited an art gallery and wandered through the many narrow lanes, seeing some lovely old architecture and street art with many others doing the same thing. If it was a coffee shop someone wanted, they were in the right city, with lots of them, many extremely trendy offering refreshments.
The old rice mill by the lake was being put forward as a World Heritage site, while a small bus took tourists around. I visited the Songkhla National Museum and the city wall, with every local I met being extremely friendly and helpful, something I’d experienced a few days earlier when we visited other local places.
I headed to the stadium to take photos with time to kill in case access was restricted when spectators arrived for the match. The smiling security guard waved me in as I went into the various stands, with the preparations beginning, and the home side arrived by coach.
On my way, I'd walked along Si Suda Alley, which had several bars opening later, along with the Irish Buzz Stop Restaurant and Bar, which was already serving a couple of customers. I was to regret decideing to return there and maybe have a meal.
One Thai lady was doing her best to serve a large group of English fellas, who were around 30-years-old. While not causing any problem, they were loud, obviously enjoying themselves, ordering food and lots of drinks. It was clear that I would have waited a long time if I ordered a meal.
Nothing on the menu particularly jumped out at me, so I decided I’d leave them to their fun and have a drink somewhere a bit quieter. Because they considered that I had been unsociable, they called me names, which saddened me, but these things happen.
I mulled over the irony of having a trouble-free tour, including visiting places threatened by terrorism, but then having issues with fellow Englishmen. Instead, had a couple of cold beers watching the world go by and trying to cheer myself up at The Corner Bier before heading back to the stadium, again rather early.
An Underwhelming Experience
Refreshments
were confined to a stall once inside the stadium complex before entering the
arena. There was no beer for sale. The souvenir stand consisted of a small rack
and table, which also sold match tickets. It was all extremely low-key and a bit
disappointing.
I chose a VIP seat for 120 Baht, again feeling disappointed when it turned out to be downstairs in the main stand rather than the upper tier. The stadium PA played very melodic local acoustic tunes as the teams warmed up before they returned for the match, which I enjoyed.
I thought that a 6 pm kick-off when Thailand were playing Vietnam in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup final on live TV at 8pm might have been a mistake. Surely, an earlier start at Songkhla would have attracted more fans who could then get home to watch the national side.
The game was closely fought in the first half. Thomas Chinonso, the Nigerian Kasem Bundit striker, was pacy and caused the host defence some problems, breaking away and seeing his shot go narrowly over the bar, while Songkhla seemed more methodical but slower in their build-up.
I was surprised to see Jhonatan Bernardo in the lineup for the home side, who led their league table. I had watched him for Udon United at the start of the season, and I hadn't been impressed. My thoughts were confirmed after watching him again.
Ridwan Ruangchuai was one of the midfielders who impressed me for Songkhla, but I thought that he was lucky to remain on the pitch after he committed a foul. He was the last man, bringing down Chinonso on the edge of the box when her was through.
Referee Pissanusak Sriyai decided the challenge only merited a yellow card. The striker received lengthy treatment in what would be the game-changing moment. Abdulhafis Nibu, Thiraphong Yangdi, and Anwa A-Leemama also impressed me for the home team.
It was the latter who was denied just before the interval through a flying save from Chanon Aunjaidee in the student’s net. At the break, I decided to move seats so that I could get away easily from an exit to meet my family. The view was far better high up on the open side.
Chinonso
wasn’t the same after his injury, hobbling off five minutes into the second
half, while his assailant remained on the pitch, having done his job. Ten minutes later, the only
goal of the game arrived from Anwa. It meant that it was pretty much game over. The
hosts came close to doubling their lead a couple of times, with the threat of
KBU extinguished.
Time for Dinner by the Beach
Should the game have gone into extra time, it would have done so without me in attendance. As the final whistle sounded, I was on my way to dinner at Son Kaew Seafood Restaurant. A pleasant meal was enjoyed before Q gave us a nighttime tour of the old town.
We wanted to
be back in Hat Yai for a night of sleep, as the following day would see Taew
head off and make our way without our hosts, catching the bus to Krabi to enjoy
many further adventures. It was only then that she revealed that her cousin’s wife
was worried about me going to football alone. If only she knew.
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