Muangthong United 2014-2025

Muangthong United FC
Ground: Thunderdome Stadium
Capacity: 15,000
Club Founded: 1989
League: Thai League 2 (current level)


This page concentrates on the Muangthong United home matches I have attended from 2014 through to 2025. There is a dedicated page that concentrates on the club history and my first match at the Thunderdome.



Muangthong United 2 Bangkok Glass 1
Thai Premier League - Sunday 6th April 2014
👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 15,000 🎟️ 100 THB (£2.40)

While I always try to visit new grounds given the opportunity, the repeated clash of my previous visit worked well for me with an 8pm kick-off. It was the day on which I’d returned from yet another magnificent Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes.

After landing at Don Muang, I checked into the nearby Asia Hotel at Zeer Rangsit. From there, I headed to a venue I'd flown over on the way in, as I enjoyed the North Bangkok University v Chamchuri United Regional League clash, which kicked off conveniently at 4pm.

At full-time, I needed a taxi to my second match. My driver took a most unusual route before we drove along the bank of the Grand Canal, cutting along it and dropping me off south of the Impact Arena. As with my first visit, the match clashed with the motor show inside the arena.

A section at the top end of the complex was open with an indoor market and food court, which I popped in for a look. The crowds built up on the walk up to SCG Stadium, as the Thunderdome was called at the time to reflect the ownership of the club. 

I was examining the stadium diagram at the ticket office to see where I fancied sitting when a young lady inside turned the boards around. They read ‘all tickets sold”. This was the most alarming news.

At the same time, a girl tried to return an unwanted ticket. I helped her out immediately. She was happy taking 100 THB for a 120 THB ticket behind the goal. I had noted that a VIP ticket was 500 THB, which would have been my Plan B if nothing else was available.

At last, I felt like a beer, so I enjoyed a large Leo before going inside. The ticket had no specific seat, so it was a matter of first-come, first-served. I grabbed a position near the corner, halfway up, as the home ultras at either end put on a fine display of banners and singing. They tried extremely hard to replicate European fans.

The home crowd went berserk as they saw that Buriram United had conceded a late goal to draw at Saphanburi. The fans of the Glass Rabbits filled their normal section, so they were given another block as well as a section on the top tier. It really was an incredible atmosphere.

As the teams entered the pitch, I realised that ex-Cardiff City and QPR, amongst many other clubs, striker Jay Bothroyd was playing up front for Muangthong, whom I wasn't their biggest fan of before kick-off, owing to my previous visit.

The fans were fine, and the stadium was excellent, but the club had a bit too much commercialism about it for my liking. Added to which, the way that some of their players threw themselves around in the corresponding clash in 2012 hadn't endeared me towards them.

I also had to chuckle at the strap line by the museum that read that their history never ends, and a banner at the far end reading ‘Welcome to Hell’ to try and intimidate visitors. They had obviously never been to Goole.

I tried to watch the game impartially, but I could see what was coming after just two minutes when Glass' full-back, Jose Mena, was booked for a tame foul on Bothroyd. United powered forward, given able assistance from the referee and his linesmen. Glass defended well with the charismatic Narit Taweekul in goal.

Gradually, the visitors started playing some good stuff of their own as they spread the play and frustrated both the United team and their supporters. The Frenchman Flavien Michelini was excellent wide on the right. Bothroyd had started brightly, but then disappeared for prolonged periods

Glass took the lead with a fine move, finishing with a header from Chatree Chimtalay in twenty-five minutes. I did my best not to cheer too loudly! Visiting skipper and ex-United player Teeratep Winothai, who had a youth career at Crystal Palace and Everton, was roundly booed.

He looked like a fine player, as someone with 51 international caps should. He was booked and then sent off in injury time in the first half. Neither were particularly bad offences. Just after his dismissal, Muangthong equalised. The only shock to me was that the ref hadn’t awarded a penalty or scored it himself.

As it transpired, it was left to Korean defender Dong-Jin Kim to nod home after a mighty scramble. Half-time came at a suitable time for a stretch and a drink. The temperature was still in the thirties as all the players on both sides gave it everything. I took up a seat in the gangway for the second period to enable a bit more legroom.

Individual seats had been added behind the goals since my previous visit, without much thought for anyone over six feet tall. Michelini went off after ten minutes of the second half after receiving some rough treatment. The game was there for the taking for the home side after the best two Glass players were out of the way.

They gradually turned the screw, which led to Bothroyd finishing delightfully on sixty-three minutes. The bloke had oozed class when he appeared bothered in a microcosm of his career. I didn’t reckon he deserved the fawning the westerners were giving him from the stands.

United came close on several occasions to add to their lead. They looked like a very decent side. It was a shame the way the match had gone, as it promised to be a classic when Glass was at full strength. The visitors nearly grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser as panic spread in the home box, but it wasn’t to be.

The away fans took defeat an awful lot better than I’d have done in their shoes outside the ground, with lots of smiles and handshakes. Thais really are wonderful people. I received a further illustration of this fact as I tried to flag down a taxi. I’d gone over the main road near a massive car park to try and get the first go at a cab.

A couple of drivers knocked me back before a man in a Muangthong shirt asked where I needed to go. He quoted me 200 THB, about what I expected to pay by taxi metre, so I gladly accepted.

He was an off-duty taxi driver who was delighted a Westerner had gone to watch his team. We managed a basic chat about the game and the TPL. He showed me a picture of his young son, whom he was obviously enormously proud of, before dropping me off exactly where I needed to be to pick up some supper.

It had been a cracking evening out, even if the game didn’t go the way I’d have preferred. Muangthong United had an awful lot right. It’s just that they were not entirely my thing.

Muangthong United 0 Buriram United 1
Thai League 1 - Saturday 29th January 2022
👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 5,875 🎟️ 150 THB (£3.60)

I had been enjoying every minute of Bangkok since moving permanently to the Land of Smiles a couple of months earlier. The football adventures were living up to expectations as I got around to new venues, but on this occasion, I opted for the biggest game in Thailand all weekend.

I set out with the best of intentions from my condo in Minburi to go all the way by public transport. My plans hit the buffers when I stood on Ram Intra for a good thirty minutes without any sign of the bus that my App said I required. I would learn easier ways in the future.

A taxi was hailed to drop me off outside the Thunder Dome Stadium. However, on the way along Chaeng Wattana-Pak Kret 33, which trendily becomes Bond Street near the new retail developments, I saw Nap Bar, so I asked my driver to let me out.

It was trendy and just opening for business. The staff seemed a little perplexed but extremely courteous, with decent music being played. After just one large bottle of Leo, I continued the ten-minute walk towards the stadium. Under the Ubon Ratthaya Expressway, I came across a fan zone with numerous pop-up bars.

I got talking to a United and Sunderland fan called Ian, who was a teacher in Bangkok. We had a good chat and took in the fan display from the Curva Sud ultras, which can be seen here. I said my goodbyes after being propositioned by a Thai who wanted me to be his English teacher.

I also enjoyed chatting with an MTU fan originally from Dresden. I followed the ultras and headed to find my gate behind the near south goal. It was a sign of the times that the capacity was still restricted, and a girl steward stood at the steps with a board reminding everyone to wear a mask, although it was quite relaxed inside the stadium.

To get a flavour of the occasion, you may wish to watch this video from my YouTube Channel. It contains many more football experiences, as well as a wide range of content covering all aspects of life in the Land of Smiles.

Buriram, with an excellent away following, really did look a good side. They were well-disciplined and reminded me of Liverpool in the 1980s with their solid defence and fine, rapid counterattacking play.

After eating up what early pressure Muangthong put together, for whom I thought Willian Popp led the line well, Buriram went ahead after eight minutes as midfielder Rattanakorn Maikam got on the end of a free kick to score.

Once they had scored, the visitors always looked more likely to score, as MTU huffed and puffed around the last third without ever really making away goalie Siwarak Tedsungnoen do anything of note. At full-time, former MTU player, Teerathon Bunmathan, now with Buriram, came to the Curva Sud and was given a tremendous ovation. I really liked that.

The match was played out in front of a decent atmosphere. Previous experience had told me that taxis weren’t easy to come by after a game, so I walked past the car park and the IMPACT Speed Park and flagged one down within a couple of minutes.

The exercise must have made me thirsty, as my notes suggest I left my local bar at 4am, where the girls tried their absolute best to offer me Thai lessons. At least I knew how to say "shut your mouth" in Isan by the time I got to bed. It’s a tough old life.

A full collection of photos of this match can be enjoyed on Flickr, with those of the Ultras of Curva Sud also available.

Muangthong United 2 Port FC 1
Thai League 1 - Saturday 5th February 2022
👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 4,985 🎟️ 180 THB (£4.20)

I will always be a football fan before any individual club in Thailand, particularly as I wanted to get around Bangkok to see matches and meet as many people as possible. That said, it will always be Port who I cheer for most.

With fans still banned owing to crowd trouble between the two clubs at the Thunderdome eight years earlier, I decided I could trust myself to sit in the main stand among home supporters. Arriving this time via a van that dropped me off at Don Muang station, a pleasant walk and then a taxi, I again headed for the area under the motorway.

Again, Ian was there, introducing me to an American who was also a secret Port fan. Unbelievably, he had heard of Scarborough, and when he saw I was wearing a Boro shirt, he wanted to chat about the infamous Wolverhampton Wanderers match back in 1987, as he had seen a documentary about it. He was astonished when I told him I was at the game.

My seat was in the corner near the North Stand and offered an excellent view. Port were on a poor run of form, which coincidentally started after I attended the first game after the holiday break. I was wondering if I would ever see them win again.

Once again, they put in a powder puff performance, which had me trying to silently moan. I really liked defender David Rochela, but he was well past his best as he lacked any pace. Popp was leading him a merry dance.

It was the Brazilian who opened the scoring after twelve minutes. Port stayed in the game without offering any real threat up to the interval, when I went out the back for a stretch, to find a most welcome feature. The N Zone fans had their own tub selling ice-cold small cans for 40 THB and played music under the shelter of the indoor arena next door. 

Someone came around and offered me free grilled pork straight off the barbecue. What lovely people. Returning with my optimism restored, I was soon brought back down to earth when Teeraphol Yoryoei doubled the lead. The Lions pulled one back through substitute Seulki Ko with twenty minutes to go.

Hope sprang eternal, but I should have known better. Port were lacking in firepower, with Nelson Bonilla being shot shy and Sergio Saurez looking ever more frustrated by the appearance. United held on to win with ease.

After the game, I decided for some reason that the IMPACT Arena and nearby hotels would be a good bet for a taxi. I was wrong, but had an interesting walk before finally finding one on Popular Road to take me back to reflect on a decent night but poor Port performance, but it’s only a game!

Muangthong United 0 Port FC 0
Thai League 1 - Sunday 9th October 2022
👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 5,311 🎟️ 180 THB (£4.20)

The away fan ban continued for another year and was starting to get a bit silly. Nevertheless, it wasn’t going to stop me, so I bought the same online ticket as from the previous season. I was in a good mood, ready to watch the derby.

That was because I had seen a cracker of a game earlier in the afternoon in the Bangkok Premier League, which ended 3-3 after 90 minutes, between DX Academy and Hippo FC. The visitors had been remarkably drawn away to Muangthong in the FA Cup when the draw was made a couple of days later.

A taxi dropped me near the fan zone as the rain started to pour down. Fortunately, the cover provided by the flyover kept me dry while enjoying a beer. I couldn’t see Ian, so I decided to take a punt on the N Zone regulars selling beers after purchasing a programme from the shop behind the stand, the first I had seen post-COVID in Thailand.

They were in the same position and could not have been friendlier. That said, they were probably unaware that I wanted a Port victory. Again, the free pork was offered, and the beer remained cold. A lady tried to sell me a fan t-shirt, but there are limits!

I went in as the teams came out. I wanted to be there in time for the silence to commemorate the children murdered in an attack in Nong Bua Province a few days earlier, which had devastated the country. Curva Sud held up a banner saying, “Rest in peace, angels”. I couldn’t have said it better.

It was fortunate that I had seen some proper excitement on a pitch earlier in the day before this excuse for a game. It was as poor a game as I had seen in my eleven months in Thailand. Both sides lacked confidence and the wherewithal to finish the few chances on offer.

United looked the more likely of the two to score and looked like they had gone ahead on twenty-seven minutes when an unmarked Sardor Mirzaev sneaked in at the near post to put away a cross from Phumin Kaewta.

Fortunately for the visitors, referee Mongkolchai Pechsri was advised to check his VAR monitor, where he saw a handball earlier in the move and disallowed the goal. Frans Putros saw a shot saved by home goalie Somporn Yos shortly after.

Those were the highlights of the first half. I was heading towards the exit for the break when two local gents shouted at me to meet them for a beer. Muangthong members, Thumtiti and Mai, met me out the back and had a drink with me. Both lovely gents.

The West Zone. With the empty away fans section

Port made a decent opportunity for William Weidersjö, who managed to fluff his lines. A decent shot by Teerasak Poeiphimai was pushed around the post by Yos before he denied Hamilton from the resulting corner. The keeper then thwarted Ben Davis as Port enjoyed a good spell.

The lads had popped down and brought me a beer back, which I didn’t know was permitted, but I wasn’t in the mood to discuss it with friendly hosts. Muangthong forward Poramet Arjvirai was denied by a combination of Negueba and keeper Worawut Srisupha. Anier then volleyed across the goal for the home side.

At full time, I said goodbye to the lads and ended up under the flyover chatting to expat United fans, including a nice catch-up with Ian. We had a laugh at the official gate, which was closer to 3,000, and agreed neither side deserved the victory.

It had been a long day, and the exercise, beer and a poor previous night's sleep saw me nod off in my taxi home. Fortunately, the driver had the common sense to wake me as we approached Minburi!

Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo v Kawasaki Frontale - Moved to BG Stadium
J League Asian Challenge - Tuesday 15th November 2022

What great news. Two top Japanese sides playing an accessible friendly. I bought my ticket with great eagerness after being alerted by my friend Thumtiti and headed to Chaeng Wattana by van before enjoying a walk along the Grand Canal, learning as I went.

It was my first time having a look at the sprawling community, which offered plenty of local food and drink options. It was a lot bigger than I imagined, but I was soon in sight of the Thunder Dome, where there was absolutely no sign of life.

I went to enquire, but nobody was about. I went online to find that the game had been moved earlier in the day to Leo Stadium in Pathum Thani, with little chance of me getting there in time. I trudged away, walking back down to the main road before getting a van back to Minburi.

At least I enjoyed some exercise and had an interesting walk. A few weeks later, Thai Ticket Major reimbursed the ticket fee, which I didn't expect.

Muangthong United 4 Bangkok United 1
Charity Match - Saturday 29th July 2023 (att: c2,000)
👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 c2,000 🎟️ 100 THB (£2.40)

A comprehensive win for the hosts on their home turf against what I was told was a youthful away side. The match was arranged to raise money for Thai athletes with disabilities. The teams wore numbers in Thai, meaning that identification was nigh on impossible to me.

Into a strong breeze, MTU played lots of incredibly tight passing football in their own area but kept their opponents at bay, who went close when a header went narrowly wide. On the break, Muangthong looked dangerous, with away goalie and skipper Warut Makmusik receiving a yellow card for handling outside the box.

It seemed a charitable decision from the ref, fitting of the occasion. Makmusik was to face real punishment when he dallied on the ball outside the area and was dispossessed as Sarayuth Yusujujae fired into the empty net when the ball fell to him after nineteen minutes.

Chances were exchanged at either end, as the keepers made saves before the interval. With the wind at their backs after the restart, MTU dominated. Poramat Artwilai doubled the lead eleven minutes after the break before Charoensak Wongkorn made it 3-0 a minute later.

Anon Amornlertsak grabbed one back for BU on seventy-six minutes, with a shot from Stefan Šćepović proving too strong for Makmusik in the closing stages to complete the scoring. A well-deserved victory, before my headaches began.

I love living in Thailand and the people, but occasionally I could scream. I arrived a couple of hours before the game to find huge crowds outside the stadium. Next door to it, literally, ten yards away, is an indoor arena. It was staging a gig from the Korean girl band Aespa at the same time as the match.

Maybe 30 years ago, I would have been in my element with the demographics of the thousands in the audience who were being marshalled into the correct queues. It was quite orderly. However, it also meant that the regular options to have a drink had to be changed.

I met Ian at Flann O'Brien's Irish Pub, part of the Impact exhibition centre. It was chaos in the most un-Irish pub I had ever been in, with long waiting times for a beer to arrive. I had fancied a Guinness or two until I saw it cost the equivalent of £10.45 a pint.

A good natter with gents who enrolled me into the MTU Foreign Legion Facebook group despite me cheering for bitter rivals Port, and then drinks under the motorway bridge, normally the domain of S Zone Ultras, but on this occasion, selling snacks and tacky souvenirs of the performing girls came before the game.

I met my Thai mate, who'd looked after me at the Port game, behind the stand for more drinks with the N Zone gang, who were as friendly as ever. My seat was officially 100 THB, with an extra 30 THB going to charity. The seat over the railing was 80 THB more for the same view, while the small cans outside cost 40 THB.

I’m sure any accountants among you reading this can work out where I am most likely to sit from now on. That was, if I did venture back up that way for a while. I loved going to the stadium, the ambience, the way the hosts played, and meeting some great people. But getting away without owning transport was a nightmare.

Every time, it was an issue finding a taxi or one that would turn its meter on. This time, they took full advantage, knowing full well an affluent crowd of young women at a concert would pay whatever to get home. Not this Yorkshireman, though.

In the end, I walked to the bus depot and caught a service a couple of miles before I flagged down a willing taxi. I got home over two hours after full-time. We only lived sixteen miles away. Ideally, the sky train would be up and running within a couple of years.

Muangthong United 1 Port FC 3
Thai League 1 - Monday 28th August 2023
👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 5,123 🎟️ 150 THB (£3.60)

The Viabus app proved to provide excellent information for this Monday night visit, following some under-16 football at Supachalasi Stadium in the Thailand Prime Ministers Cup, ensuring I would reach Muang Thong Thani well ahead of my estimated time of arrival.

I knew that I could catch the number 166 bus, but it took around two hours, even longer during rush hour traffic. Therefore, I was delighted to discover that the number 86 minivan went directly to the Impact Arena via the expressway, costing only 35 THB from Victory Monument. It took just over half an hour before being deposited on the first floor of the Cosmo Bazaar.

This was a mall with lots of the usual named options to eat, as well as the alternative of a local food court. The mall was located beside a large retail park. Some of it was new to me and was being added to. I considered that there would be far worse places to live in the capital.

With over two hours before kickoff after obtaining my ticket and a programme, I was approached by a couple of fellas in MTU polos and recording equipment. They wanted a farang’s view of the game for their channel. Now, usually, there would be no problem with this. I’ve done it before at amateur games. However, the MTU v Port game is vastly different.

I about got away with saying I hoped football would be the winner in a 3-3 draw. I turned the tables by interviewing the two guys for A Thai Football Podcast, which I co-hosted. Pre-match beers with the ex-pats were enjoyed under the tollway, where a great atmosphere was building.

Below is Rob's Roving Report for A Thai Football Podcast, a weekly production made by fans, for fans. Give the show, what we like to call an audio fanzine, a listen, if you want to be taken back a few years and hear interviews, opinions, and lots of fun being had.

The hosts, with just one point from their first two games, were orchestrated by head coach Mario Gjurovski, a man with incredible dress sense. For this encounter, he wore a bright orange suit with white trainers. By full-time, he looked like a deflated space hopper.

Port took the lead when Hamilton, labelled “The Brazilian Andy Carroll”, flicked on a header from a long free kick from keeper Somporn Yos. Fellow samba star Barros Tardeli flicked it past onrushing inexperienced goalie Soponwit Rakyart before putting the ball into the gaping net. Real route one stuff, as I did well to remember to sit on my hands.

Home striker Šćepović tried to chip Somporn when in a decent position, to the dismay of the crowd and teammate Willian Popp, who had his head in his hands. Early days, but the Serbian looked like a dud. MTU continued to look good going forward, but vulnerable at the back as the pressure increased, with Popp seeing a good effort turned around the post.

Just before the break, I think referee Sivakorn Pu-Udom got a call very wrong, or at least the man on the VAR desk didn’t help him. Tardeli was first to a ball a few yards outside the box, with keeper Soponwit wiping him out midair when not even looking at the ball.

The ref gave a free kick to MTU when the custodian could well have seen red for the challenge. Astonishingly, the VAR team were not interested. It baffled me, as you will notice in the video report below, which I compiled as the action commenced for A Thai Football Podcast.

At the break, I mentioned that there would be more goals and Port would catch them on the break. However, nobody was quite ready for the VAR team to call back play ten minutes after the restart. They asked the ref to check a challenge from Suphanan Bureerat into the back of Kannarin Thawornsak, which saw him go down.

Hardly anyone had appealed, and the play had continued for a minute, but the official changed his decision and pointed to the spot. Coach Mario played Popp, for those of you old enough, as the Brazilian talisman scored easily from the resultant penalty.

Port teams of the past would have crumbled or pressed the self-ignite button, but this bunch was made of sterner stuff. Another Brazilian, Negueba, took control of the midfield. He looked like a Rolls-Royce of a player, calm and collected but with a physical presence.

The boys from Khlong Toei regained the lead when Bordin Phala fed Hamilton on the edge of the box, who fired across the keeper into the corner after an initial touch. After that, it could have been any score as Port tore the hosts asunder.

The home fans didn’t get nasty and appreciated that their team were being undone, with purring and oohs replacing any boos that are sometimes forthcoming in such situations. The home team's left back, Picha Autra, who had been introduced in the second half after Mario changed formation, didn’t know what day it was.

The third goal came in stoppage time and was initially ruled out for offside, though I knew immediately it would be overruled and given. Negueba played a smart one-two with Bordin to beat the high line before rolling square for Teerasak Poeiphimai to score.

It was most enjoyable. A perfect day, rounded off by managing to get a taxi on an app straight away and heading home for a lovely can of Thai-brewed hoppy ale before bed.

Muangthong United 1 Sukhothai 0
Thai League 1 - Saturday 16th August 2025
👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 4,723 🎟️ 150 THB (£3.60)

A View From the Station. A Fantastic Addition

An evening out that was made incredibly easier thanks to the extension of the Pink Line MRT monorail, which now continued all the way to the Thunderdome Stadium. It saved a lot of journey time and made getting away a cinch when compared to the past.

The journey from Minburi was simple. A direct ride to Muang Thong Thani, where it was a case of following fans down the stairs and up again at the other side to the platform serving the shuttle service to Lake Muang Thong Thani.

Beer was available at the foot of the steps outside the new station, and then behind the West Stand. We chose the North Zone, where, as usual, the ultras of that end sold cheap small cans near their gate. Muangthong were possibly the last club in Thailand to issue programmes before they called it a day. They were left with bundles unsold, and they’re no longer needed.

I went with my friend Mark, as we enjoyed an excellent night out. This, despite the game literally turning into a damp squib on a pitch, which would have seen a postponement in many other countries, as the heavy rain fell throughout the contest.

Muangthong just about deserved the three points. The only goal came five minutes from time when Bulgarian defender Stefan Tsonkov followed up a free kick spilt by Kittipun Saensuk in the visitors' goal. Sukhothai were decent up front with John Baggio as the star man once again for them. Melvyn Lorenzen for the home team was not so good.

The only blue notes that would relate to this particular Melvyn would be the feedback he received from the crowd, frustrated by his performances. Little did we know when we left the stadium that in the corresponding fixture on the final day of the season, Sukhothai would win 3-0 to relegate Muangthong United to the Thai League 2.

The visit to the Thunderdome and the one the following day to the PAT Stadium allowed me to make a video for my YouTube Channel about the rivalry between Muangthong United and Port FC.

The only downside to our enjoyable few hours on this occasion was getting absolutely sodden between the station where I alighted and the bar where Taew and friends were waiting for me on the way back. I needed a change of clothes before a very late night ensued.