Sukhothai

Sukhothai FC is a professional football club from the northern Thai city of Sukhothai Thani, that was formed in 2009 initially playing their home games at Sukhothai Institute of Physical Education Stadium.

The club, coached by Chusak Sriphum was awarded a place in Regional League Division 2 Northern Region, finishing seventh. The side continued to finish in midtable or below for several seasons before ending third in 2013.

 

Big changes came in 2014 as the club moved into the new Thalay Luang Stadium. The regional title was clinched, followed by promotion from Group B of the playoffs, taking the Fire Bats to a place in the second-tier Division 1.

The prolific Felipe Ferreira scored the goals as Sukhothai won promotion at the first attempt, for the side led by Somchai Chuayboonchum, who had succeeded Somchai Makmool. Renan Marques was the top marksman of an incredible 2016 season.

 

The side consolidated their league standing at the top level of Thai football as well as lifting the FA Cup. The club received the accolade when the competition was abandoned at the semifinal stage owing to the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. All four remaining sides became joint winners.

However, Sukhothai won the draw to represent Thailand in the AFC Champions League in 2017, where they defeated Yadanarbon of Myanmar before losing the playoff round to Chinese side Shanghai SIPG.

 

The legendary John Baggio then began to make his mark in the team after coach Makmool was reappointed, before he was replaced by Pairoj Borwonwatanadilok. In May 2018 Chalermwoot Sa-ngapol was given the job as his side ended in eleventh spot with Nelson Bonilla putting away the goals.

In October 2018, Ljubomir Ristovski was appointed as Sukhothai head coach before he was replaced by a returning Pairoj before the end of the 2019 season. Thai football changed to the European calendar in 2020-21, with the goals of Baggio not being enough to prevent relegation for the side led by Surapong Kongthep. 

Osman Sow made his mark up front for the Fire Bats in 2021-22 as the side won promotion back to Thai League 1 at the first attempt under the tutelage of coach Dennis Amato. The team stayed up before the German tactician moved on.

Chusak Sriphum came in to lead the team for 2023-24 before he was replaced by Sugao Kambe a few months in. A returning Bonilla scored the goals to help Sukhothai remain safe, despite some disharmony on and off the pitch, with fans being upset with the club owners.

Aktaporn Chalitaporn was given the job of head coach in June 2024 as the consistent Baggio, in his second spell at the club being joined in the goalscoring effort by Matheus Fornazari.

Sukhothai FC will play in Thai League 1 in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Sukhothai 1 Buriram United 2 (Sunday 6th April 2025) Thai League 1 (att: 6,095) 

One of the great pleasures of watching football has become my involvement in A Thai Football Podcast. The weekly airing encourages all sorts of topics of conversation, with match reports from wherever anyone wants to send one in being welcomed.

Dale, who does an incredible job putting it together, has found contacts from goodness knows where, which has led to friendships being made with other like-minded individuals when catching up whenever visiting different parts of the country. Bill Greaves is a prime example. 

Bill, with his Aberdonian and Canadian drawl, sends in some cracking reports full of humour and smart observations. When my wife, Taew, looked at routes to return from the annual Chiang Mai Cricket Sixes, the fixtures, and destinations aligned perfectly, also offering the chance to see historic Sukhothai as part of our road trip.

Bill, through Dale, got in touch and we enjoyed a phone chat a week before we met up, with his good lady, Toy, sorting out the match tickets. Taew drove us down on Sunday morning along a scenic route, before we checked into our rather underwhelming resort, much to her disappointment. 

My Roving Report for A Thai Football Podcast

Not to worry, after a siesta, we were soon meeting our hosts in a noodle shop for a quick beer. Bill’s original suggestion to go for a burger was scuppered as AJ’s was shut, as was his alternative plan. He didn’t seem too upset as he enjoyed being at the Thalay Luang Stadium with lots of time to spare.

The couple could not have been more friendly or helpful. I had a wander about for photos before returning to the car, which had been parked next to by other hospitable regulars as a small tailgate party ensued with food and drink purchased from the decent choice of stores. 

I did my stuff for the podcast with Bill offering his thoughts before he and Toy went inside a little before us, so that he could manage the steps to our seat before it got busy. The atmosphere was building once we joined them, with beers and the spicy local thin sausage, which I quickly took a liking to.

The stadium was also to my approval, with magnificent views of the mountains in the distance and seats close to the pitch without a running track. The locals were out in force and made a proper din against the big boys of Thai football, who were firm favourites to win against their mid-table opposition. 

Love or dislike Buriram, they are an outstanding example of what money can provide with star players, by far the biggest club stadium in the country, and honours galore. The way that referees seemingly bend towards them is another matter, but not unique to Thailand in the way the most powerful are accommodated.

The first half saw almost incessant Buriram pressure. A couple of scrambles in the home area somehow saw the ball being kept out by a mixture of desperation, luck, brave defending, erratic goalkeeping from understudy Supazin Hnupichai, and poor finishing. It was not dull.

The home Fire Bats were either about to be eaten up or come up with the greatest ‘rope a dope’ performance ever. The tiny John Baggio and giant Matheus Fornazari formed an unlikely double act, but on occasions, they caused concern to the visiting rearguard.

It was like an FA Cup tie back home, watching a non-league side take on a team from several divisions higher. That’s how much of a gulf there can be at times in Thai football. That said, at 0-0, Sukhothai always had a chance of a breakaway to snatch a win that would have made for the perfect evening. 

Soon into the second half, Supazin made a super save from which Supachai Chaided blasted the rebound over. A local friend of Bill was not enamoured by the number of foreigners taking the field for Buriram. They are not a Thai club was the gist of his observations.

The deadlock was broken in the fiftieth minute, as the impressive Jefferson Tabinas went on another forceful run down the left-hand side. His powerful cross was put away by substitute, Suphanat Mueanta, for star-studded Buriram. Shortly after, Goran Čaušić saw a shot smash off the top of the crossbar. 

In the sixty-fifth minute, the reigning champions doubled their advantage. Sukhothai lost the ball in midfield, where it was quickly swept wide on the right. The cross was chested home by Martin Boakye, with my thoughts being on the rest of the game being a case a damage limitation.

The man beside us was further narked when Buriram introduced another foreign star, Guilherme Bissoli, into the action. His team didn’t stop believing and grabbed a goal in stoppage time when the ball was dragged back for Hikaru Matsui to fire past goalie    Neil Etheridge.

However, there was not enough time to raise any more attacks, with the result being about the right outcome. Nobody could accuse the Sukhothai players of not giving their all, but they were beaten by a better side, who edged closer to the title.

We still had plenty to look forward to. Our match tickets gave free admission to a concert in the park behind the goal, which would see the extremely popular Thai band, Clash, playing. Off we went as best we could through the crowds, losing our hosts when we got split up. 

Eventually, we were inside the fenced-off area, but just as the band began to play, the heavens opened, and huge winds blew across the open space. It got very cold, wet, and dangerous, very quickly. It was scary for a while.

Not least because the poles holding the large Chang beer banners were being blown over, and Bill, in a seat, would not be able to get out of the way. We protected him as best as we could with my large body attempting to perform as a wind break while Taew used an umbrella over him as Toy went to retrieve the car. 

The gig was abandoned, leading to chaos as everyone wanted to leave at the same time. Toy managed to get the car near, and I forced open the fencing so my friend could access it quickly. We had a giggle inside the vehicle, but it had been quite an experience.

The traffic back towards the main roads was horrendous, taking us well over an hour before Toy deposited us at the end of the lane by our accommodation. I had a coffee to warm up before bed.

The following morning, we had breakfast and covered the sites of the historical park without paying to go inside them. It was a pleasant little tour offering me some excellent video footage, before we headed to Kamphaeng Phet to meet more friends for another lovely few hours.

Our thanks go to Bill and Toy for their hospitality and for making the visit so special.

Royal Thai Army

Thai Royal Army FC, often known as Army FC is a football club based in Bangkok, Thailand who were formed in 2011 as Army Welfare Development FC and played in the Khǒr Royal Cup, a competition for non-league clubs in Thailand.

Thai Army Stadium, Bangkok

The club was formed after Army United began to sign players from outside the army as the professional game in Thailand began to be established, with the team sharing the Thai Army Sports Stadium in the Din Daeng district of Bangkok.

The club won the Khǒr Royal Cup in 2014 and was promoted to the third-tier Regional League Division 2 in the Bangkok Area division. In their debut season, the club finished in sixth place.

The Main Entrance, Thai Army Stadium, Bangkok

A fourth-place finish in 2016 saw Army being placed in Thai League 3 (T3) Lower Region following league reconstruction, with Col. Somsakul Vijitraparb in charge of the team for the 2017 season as the team finished in fourth place thanks to the goals of Kraisorn Sriyan.

This was followed up as Army ended seventh in 2018 with Nattapong Kumnate and Noppadon Kasaen both weighing in with goals under head coach Lt. Adul Chumsaeng. The Thai League was reorganised ahead of the 2020-21 season as it reverted to the European calendar with Army being placed in T3 Bangkok.

BTU Stadium, Thonburi

Chaiwat Nakeiam was appointed as team boss, as the pandemic affected season saw his side finish in tenth position as the club played their home games at Nakhon Nayok Stadium. There would then follow three consecutive campaigns of consistency as Army finished ninth each time.

A shortage of goals became a regular feature. Surat Suriyachai with seven in 2022-23 was the standout under coach Chaiwat who marshalled his troops in a disciplined fashion to not concede goals either. The 2023-24 season saw the team move to Bangkok Thonburi University Stadium to play their home games.

The club was moved to Thai League 3 West for 2024-25 on account of their location and the restructuring of the third-tier.

Royal Thai Army FC will play in Thai League 3 West in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

Army FC 1 Buriram United 7 (Sunday 10th April 2016) Thai League Cup Round One (att: approx. 1,800)

The 29th Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes had been a huge success and I arrived back in Bangkok in good form, if a little weary. After checking into the Sukhumvit 23 Suites, it was time to meet up with my good pal Steve Walker for pre-match refreshments.

The waitresses at The Clubhouse were most helpful in writing down directions for the taxi in Thai, so after we’d had a beer and food it was time to head to the stadium. The girls had done well, as the driver recognised our destination immediately.

Around thirty minutes later we were dropped off by the away fans' driveway to the Thai Army Stadium, far earlier than we’d anticipated. It was immediately obvious that the visitors would have a healthy following, as many Buriram natives now lived in the capital.

We wandered around and bought a ticket, which was far cheaper than the advertised price. Perhaps this was because it was a cup match? I believe it was only 60 Baht each (around £1.15). This seemed to be excellent value for an all-top-flight clash?

It is here that I have to own up. As I researched this piece a few weeks after the match I discovered that we were watching Army FC of the Regional League third tier, and not Army United of the Premier League! This explained an awful lot as you read on.

We bought a large beer to share from a grizzled woman under the stand, who one could imagine had hammered more than one army cadet into shape. Steve did everything to try and make her smile, but she was a tough gig.

Our seats for the Army section gave us limited scope. The obligatory band was down at the front, with the drummer seemingly fancying himself as the next Cozy Powell, although he was definitely not the best.

The local in front of us had his iPad showing all the other live scores in the League Cup, so he was able to keep me up to date on my team Port’s progress up the road at Look Tapfah. He also had our match on, as it was being shown on live TV.

Buriram did indeed have an impressive following, with the central open section behind the goal very busy and the crowd continuing round and taking up their allocation of seating. It’s fair to say that several were quite aesthetic.

We anticipated a tight game, which it surely would have been if it hadn’t been the reserve side that was playing! No wonder we thought the home defence and goalkeeper would struggle to keep Army in the TPL! Within four minutes, the aforementioned hapless keeper had made a real mess up as Brazilian striker Weslley made it 1-0.

It was 2-0 when Korean Kim Seung-Yong finished. The referee was obviously feeling sorry for the home side when he turned down a stone wall penalty, which led to the injured striker being stretchered off. Our friend on the iPad confirmed that it was a bad tackle and a penalty.

Further goals from Kaio and Weslley sent Buriram down the tunnel at the break with a 4-0 lead. We had another beer, as our barmaid nearly broke into a grin. We also attempted to get into the away end for a different view but the security wouldn’t have it.

The Army fans had something to cheer on fifty three minutes when Pongsuriyan scored. They gave it their best shot and tried to carry on, but there was a large gulf in class between the two sides. Ten minutes later Kim quelled any thoughts of a comeback to make it 5-1.

‘Ram were determined to see just how much confetti their fans had travelled with, which was thrown around following each goal as a couple of further efforts from Kaio allowed him to complete his hat trick.

With five minutes remaining we headed for the exit and took the footbridge over the Don Muang Expressway to hail down a taxi. It was time for us to meet up with Gavin Shaw and his good friend Anthony for a liberal libation on Soi Cowboy.

A good time was had by all as we related the tail of a shocking Army United team. If only we had known, or I had done my research properly!

To read details on my previous visit to the Thai Army Sports Stadium for an Army United game, please click here.

Rajamangala Stadium (Bangkok)

Rajamangala National Stadium is located as part of the large complex under the operation of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), in the district of Hua Mak, in the east of the capital, Bangkok. 

The main material used in construction was concrete and therefore, creating a stadium that is both impressive and imposing. It is undoubtedly dramatic, especially when viewed from its approach or by visitors heading into the city from Suvarnabhumi Airport. 

The stands rise and fall like a giant, exaggerated version of the stadium opened in Huddersfield in 2004. At each end are quite narrow tiers of seats but the tiers rise and rise as they move round the sides until they peak level with the half-way line.

It has been home to the national football team for many matches as well as being used for other events over the years after being opened in 1988 in readiness to stage the Asean Games to great acclaim.

Groups in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup were staged in the arena, including the matches which Thailand played in. Thai club sides have also used the stadium when playing in continental cup competitions. 

Krung Thai Bank FC, who would later morph into what is now BG Pathum United and PEA FC used it in the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup, respectively. Aside from football, it has been used for athletics, pop concerts and political rallies as the SAT try to use it to its full potential.

Among the musical stars to have entertained the crowds in the magnificent bowl are Lada Gaga, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, One Direction and Blackpink, as well as numerous other shows and exhibitions.

The side tribunes are designated 'East' and 'West'. 'East' is the uncovered popular side; 'West' is the covered side where the more expensive seats are. The two ends are designated 'North' and 'South'.

The capacity of the stadium is around 55,000. The oft-quoted figure of 65,000 was the capacity when the stadium first opened but at that time the 'North', 'South' and 'East' sides were bare, concrete steps. 

The stadium staged the home games of BB-CU as their ground share with Army United was not permissible during their spell in the Thai Premier League, as United were also in that division. Games were played in front of small crowds.

Manchester United defeated Liverpool 4-0 in the Century Cup in 2022 in front of 50,428 spectators. In 2023 tournament football returned to Rajamangla, as group games in the under 17s Asian Cup were staged. The largest attendance came when 421 witnessed Japan's 1-1 draw with Uzbekistan. 

My visits

April 2007

The following is my description of my visit as part of a ground hop around Thailand in March/April 2007 that appeared in the Scarborough Athletic FC fanzine, Abandon Chip

"The week after Chiang Mai (an amateur international cricket tournament I had attended) I had time to kill while my hosts Steve and Ea were at work, so I decided this was a great time to adventure without the assistance of local knowledge, which led to the challenge. 

The following Tuesday I took a taxi to the country's major venue, the imposing Rajamangala Stadium. Despite the outer gates being open the guards wouldn’t let me in before I eventually came across the Thailand Museum of Sport. 

A kind lady let me have a look around while she enquired on the telephone if I could get inside the stadium, once she’d satisfied herself that I didn’t belong to the media. Our esteemed editor obviously hadn’t sorted me any Abandon Chip accreditation.

I’d borrowed Steve’s good camera which had no doubt raised her suspicions. The stadium didn't disappoint me once inside and it proved worth the effort in negotiation. It is a huge bowl with the usual athletics facilities which dips down at each end with just a roof covering the main side. 

The stadium can accommodate 65,000 and is all seated. It would be the location if ever Mr. Scudamore and his cronies get away with their plans to play Premier League games around the world".

Thailand U23 0 North Korea U23 0 (Tuesday 31^st March 2015) AFC Under 23 Qualifier (att: 20,000)

It was the second day of my holiday in Thailand in readiness for the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes and after a decent rest at my host Steve Walker’s house, his girlfriend Fah delivered us some fine local food from a nearby street stall in Minburi on the outskirts of Bangkok.

After many visits to the Land of Smiles, I was determined to use local transport and I’d done plenty of homework regarding buses to be able to do so. Steve and I caught an open-backed songthaew to the main road in Minburi in what proved to be sweltering temperatures. 

We then continued by catching a number 27 service bus which dropped us opposite the ever-impressive indoor air-conditioned Bangkapi Mall, offering a welcome rest bite from the conditions before heading for our third mode of transport.

This came in the form of the Khlong Saen Saep Express Boat. The short journey dropped us off at Mahadthai from where we had a look in the Adidas store and a large outlet with sports goods from all the major manufacturers on the corner of Ramkhamhaeng 65 and the main road. The complete journey of around 20km cost about 58p for the pair of us.

The stadium was across the busy thoroughfare, which required the footbridge to cross just under the flyway. Fans were assembling ready for their team's big game. The other group game between Cambodia and the Philippines had kicked off at 4pm inside, but we decided to wait for the main event at 7pm. 

Requiring refreshments and some food, we grabbed some cheap fried chicken from a street vendor which helped enhance our thirst. Google Maps were not as reliable as we'd hoped, and after a bit of a wild goose chase, we settled for a large beer in the trendy Wink Bar.

We were looking for a bar selling worldwide craft beers on the map, but we ended up outside the stadium for a tin of Leo before buying our 200 Baht (£4 tickets). These represented decent value for this match, but they covered both games. No match programmes were available.

Extensive searches and several ticket checks were carried out before we headed up to our seats in the open West Stand. I had been in touch with Tom, a groundhopping mate who I’d last seen at Leatherhead. He was now teaching English in Bangkok and got stuck into watching games around the country. He was at the back of the lower tier and waiting for us.

We found three seats together towards the back a bit further round so we could have a good chat. Our side and the two ends began to fill up. The support when everyone sang or cheered in unison was most impressive. Three ultra sections were spread around leading the support.

The game itself was short of action and attacking intent for such an important clash, being the final game in the group. Thailand had not capitalised on building their goal difference against the two weaker sides in the four-team group and now required a win to top the section and automatically qualify for the finals. 

The North Koreans looked a far better organised side and we all predicted that they weren’t about to be beaten. As the match went into the second half we were surprised and frustrated by the home side's tactics. 

It was as though they had no concern. By the eightieth minute, we were getting a bit tetchy and lamented the attitudes on show. The game finished with a whimper without any real goal-mouth action. The home side took their plaudits as we trudged out.

Tom joined us for some post-match refreshment as the crowds drifted by. The ‘highlights’ were being shown on TV in the open bar we chose along with interviews. No-one seemed concerned in the slightest. 

We had an inkling that we were missing something when Tom found out the news that Thailand had gone through as a best runner up. The news of earlier kick offs around Asia had obviously been passed onto the players on the pitch. Fans leaving the stadium kept coming by. They’d stayed behind to celebrate.

We went over the road and found a fine upstairs bar overlooking things and with open sides. Each of us had a Thai meal and a large pint bottle of beer. The total cost was 480 Baht or less than £10. The area around Ramkhamhaeng University and the Sports Authority of Thailand really was a decent find.

Steve and I finished off by jumping in a cab and ending proceedings with a couple of nightcaps outside our favourite Minburi bar, Sudtong Club, to round off an educational and great value-for-money outing.

Bangkok United 2 Buriram United 0 (Saturday 5^th August 2023) Thai Champions Cup (att: 10,824)

A shock in the Thai equivalent of the Community Shield as Bangkok United (BU) did a proper job on last season’s treble winners Buriram United (BR). Thoroughly deserved it was too, as from the outset the winners went about their task, threatening before Brazilian striker Willen finished off a smart move after eight minutes.

BR new signing Ramil Sheydayev of Azerbaijan origins looked good out wide but there seemed to be an overreliance on supplying him which was soon pounced upon, and he gradually became increasingly frustrated throughout the match.

The club had fired forward Jonaton Bolingi in the summer for ill-discipline, but his replacement in the starting lineup, Lonsana Doumbouya looked lightweight, losing interest quickly after being the recipient of a strong areal challenge from Suphan Thongsong.

International striker Supachai Jaided seemed strangely muted playing just behind him. It was a curious performance from the favourites to retain the Thai league title, though Bangkok won the corresponding fixture the previous season. There are no points at stake in a friendly.

Thitipan Puangchan in a holding midfield role for BU was excellent as was the scorer of the second goal Eid Mahmoud, a Palestinian who always impresses me who notched five minutes after the restart.

His chance came after more woeful BR defensive work allowed a wide man to skip past the full back and deliver a low cross. The play from the Bangkok side was fluid throughout with their keeper Patiwat Khammai making one excellent save in the first half and a regulation one after the break.

A special mention to the referee Mr Somsingha who clamped down when necessary but gave the game a chance to flow which it did. He also did well in my opinion to wave away much of the moaning emanating from the Buriram crew.

It was great to be back at Rajamanagala. The place had suffered during the pandemic and was getting a blast from some Thai-based westerners on social media owing to the lack of football being played there and a recent postponement featuring Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

In truth, I suspect that had more to do with the lack of desire from the two teams than the conditions. There was a floodlit 6-a-side beach football tournament in progress with crowds around it when I was leaving as well as lots of other facilities being in use.

It created a vibrant atmosphere around the place, as many athletes from a wide range of disciplines got to use the facilities. Whether it's archery, ice hockey, gymnastics, velodrome cycling, swimming, athletics, snooker, or one of the other multitude of sports with a national authority, then Rajamangala is the place to head.

I arrived by two buses and a boat down the Saen Seap Canal a couple of hours before kickoff and bought cheap food from the open market next to the main road before putting on my sad eyes and getting the open-fronted Wink Bar to serve me eighty minutes ahead of their 6pm opening time so that I could get back over the road for kickoff.

My return journey was by one of the many buses that pass by along a bustling Ramkhamhaeng Road at the front of the complex. I changed to a taxi near Fashion Island and was home ready for food in just over an hour after full-time.