Thai football has a lot going for it, with the country's league structure looking relatively healthy as the 2026-27 season approaches. However, in a city in northeast Thailand where I watch most of my football, confusion reigns.
Promotion Celebrations
The previous season was one of unbridled joy in Sisaket Province. Rasisalai United completed a remarkable rise from the amateur non-league ranks to win the Thai League 2 title in just a few years, earning promotion to the top level of the game in the Land of Smiles.
Neighbours Sisaket United joined them in Thai League 1 after securing promotion on the final day of the season, winning in front of more than 7,000 supporters. What a season.
Fans could look forward to watching their teams take on the best opposition Thai football has to offer over the following 12 months. And then came the chaos.
It's Official. It's Coming!
National Team Rule
In Thailand, the national team will always be more important to many supporters than individual clubs. That is despite the national side being ranked 94th in the world when this article was written and having never qualified for a World Cup finals tournament.
Each year, during one of the mandatory international breaks, the King's Cup, a four-team tournament, is staged at a different venue in Thailand.
Since returning after the pandemic, the tournament has been won by Tajikistan and hosts Thailand, with Iraq lifting the trophy twice. It rarely attracts the leading nations because they are usually involved in qualification for major tournaments elsewhere.
Cities bid to host the King's Cup, with the previous four editions staged in Chiang Mai twice, Songkhla and Kanchanaburi. Sisaket bid to host the 2026 tournament against a couple of other locations and won the right to stage it.
That is obviously a major feather in the cap for the province and its officials. Unfortunately, it has come with a sting in the tail for fans of its two professional clubs.
Sisaket United - Thai League 2 Champions 2025-26
Club Disruptions
Rasisalai play their home games at Sisaket SAT Stadium, also known as the Provincial Stadium, because they have yet to build an adequate venue in their hometown. It is also the venue chosen for the King's Cup.
Despite having been open for several years and hosting a friendly international in 2022, the stadium is badly in need of renovation. The pitch resembles a cabbage patch, several seats beneath the covered section are broken, while vast areas of the open stands have no seating at all.
As with many sporting facilities in Thailand, maintenance appears to have been allowed to slide. While it is undoubtedly good news for the city that repairs and improvements are finally being made, it isn't such good news for Rasi.
They need to find an alternative venue for their opening four league matches, as well as any home fixtures they are due to play in the two domestic cup competitions.
A Packed House Cheers Sisaket United to Promotion
An Obvious Plan B
The obvious solution would appear to be a temporary move to the Sri Nakhon Lamduan Stadium, home of Sisaket United and just a couple of kilometres away. There is, however, a problem.
Sisaket United are tenants too, with the local branch of Thailand National Sports University responsible for the venue. The club appears to have a good arrangement with its landlords, but it doesn't control what matches are played there. If the university decides to use the stadium for a school tournament or hire it out, it can do so.
The stadium itself is old and in a terrible state in places, although it can become a cauldron of noise when the locals get behind their team.
Consequently, when the fixtures for the new season were released on the league website, "TBC" – to be confirmed – appeared instead of a venue for both Sisaket and Rasi home games.
Sisaket SAT Stadium
A Lack of Communication
Communication between clubs and supporters can be extremely sketchy in Thailand, particularly when it’s bad news that needs to be delivered.
There are endless Facebook pages run by supporters of individual teams, alongside others seemingly designed primarily to generate clicks by claiming to have inside information. The problem is that much of it is guesswork.
A page may post something that is a half-truth or something they have been told, and others copy it, adding their own interpretation to the story. Players' agents can also leak information in the hope of securing better deals for their clients, knowing that enthusiastic amateurs will do the legwork of spreading it.
This time, it is rumours about the two Sisaket stadiums that are doing the rounds. In the case of Sri Nakhon Lamduan, there have been claims that it will also be unavailable until late November because it is being upgraded to act as a training facility for the King's Cup. Other whispers suggest that the stadium simply isn't good enough. Nobody seems entirely sure.
Sri Nakhon Lamduan Stadium's Messy Facade
Lack of Urgency
We play golf every week next to the stadium, so as the uncertainty grew, we could look across at the pitch and see what was happening.
The goalposts and corner flags were still in place from the final game of the previous season. This was with just six weeks to go before the new campaign was due to begin. A couple of weeks later, the club announced that upgrade work was underway.
Among the jobs required were rebuilding the changing rooms, repairing broken floodlights, improving the entrances and carrying out maintenance on the pitch.
We have now seen signs of work commencing. What we haven't seen is an official announcement confirming whether the stadium will actually be ready for Rasi's first home game. And that, frankly, is the problem.
Work Underway at Last
Rasi Solution?
Meanwhile, according to the rumour mill, Rasi were looking at upgrading UMT Stadium in Ubon Ratchathani, around 60 kilometres from home.
At the time of writing, however, it appears they have applied to use Buriram City Stadium, also known as Khao Kradong, the secondary stadium in Buriram. That would mean a roughly three-hour journey from Rasisalai for home games.
The club has already started selling season tickets without announcing where it will be based for the first three months of the season. For supporters trying to plan their season, that is hardly ideal.
Buriram City Stadium
Remarkable Acceptance
What makes this whole fiasco particularly remarkable, at least when viewed through Western eyes, is the apparent lack of dissent or questioning online.
Thailand has a different culture when it comes to authority. Many people are accustomed to accepting decisions made by those in positions of authority rather than publicly challenging them, even when those decisions have an obvious impact on their lives.
I have asked questions on some of the supporters' pages and have been met with genuine amazement that I actually want to know what is happening so I can plan where I might be able to watch live football. For me, that is perfectly reasonable.
Both local clubs will undoubtedly find things tougher in the top tier of Thai football. Their passionate support is a massive home advantage. Without it, they are increasing their task and may live to regret it.
Why would the Football Association of Thailand award a major international tournament to a city without first ensuring that the required facilities are available, while also properly considering the impact on its premier domestic competition?
Sri Nakhon Lamduan Stadium
Lessons To Be Learned
As for the clubs, I understand that Thailand operates within a different culture and administrative system. But if Thai football wants to attract bigger crowds, increase commercial interest and bring more good players from overseas, there needs to be greater professionalism in the way clubs communicate and plan.
Employing people with the appropriate expertise would be a good start. So would having a proper plan for stadium works. If a stadium needs major renovation, why wait until just weeks before the new season to get started? The football season doesn't suddenly arrive without warning.
Instead, just days before the new campaign, supporters are still wondering where their teams will actually be playing. That isn't good enough.
Thai football has enormous potential. It just needs to stop making life unnecessarily difficult for itself.
Ground: Chang Arena Capacity: 32,600 Club Founded: 2012 League: Thai League 1 (current level)
This page covers the matches I have attended at the Chang Arena since 2019. A delve into the history of Buriram United and my first visit has its own page, as does my visit when the stadium was used as a neutral venue, with its background.
My Visits from 2019 to 2026
Buriram United 1 Beijing Guoan 3
AFC Champions League Group G - Tuesday 9th April 2019
👨👨👧👧 9,345 🎟️ 150 THB (£3.60)
I’d not really anticipated returning to Buriram so quickly, but the fixtures worked out perfectly just after the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes. Steve, my regular Thai travelling companion, wanted to go, as did Fah, who is originally from the province.
It worked out well. Fah would meet us there, along with Gary, who lived in Buriram. Before we connected with them, we had had some serious issues to overcome to get there. I hadn't done my homework about bus travel in Isan.
Traditional Isan train fare. Barbequed chicken on a stick
Homework Failure
We’d been in Udon Thani v Customs United on Sunday evening, followed by a couple of heavy nights out. I had relied on there being a bus to Buriram. However, I was wrong. We would have needed to change in Nakhon Ratchasima, with the whole journey taking seven hours.
Instead, we decided to take the train and change in Korat. The snag was that we needed to be on the 5.45am service to arrive in Buriram at 2pm. What followed was the stuff of legends or nightmares, depending on your sense of humour and attitude.
A Rough Ride
Just to add an extra dynamic into the equation, I decided to get the taste the night before in Udon and turn into George Best without his talent. It’s fair to say that an interesting evening evolved, meaning two very weary travellers trudging to the station in the dark early the next day.
Trying to sleep in the basic carriages was not easy, but I enjoyed a bit of extra shut-eye. I got to see the elevated part of the track that had been under construction in the Khon Kaen region on my visit the previous June. I’m not sure Steve was quite as fascinated.
We’d been assured by the assistant at Udon the day before that there was the option of an air-conditioned first-class train between Nakhon Ratchasima and Buriram. Steve’s expression at the ticket office, when we changed, told a different tale.
All seats were sold on what was a second-class-only service. I wasn’t perturbed. Surely there would be plenty of space? I was wrong. Terribly wrong. I can’t remember ever trying to get on such a busy train between towns for so long.
It was a minor miracle that we got my big case of the overhead rack. Freelance food and drink sellers squeezed down the aisles to add to the melee. All sold similar wares and shouted the same story. It got past being amusing after a while.
It didn’t deter me from getting my favourite lump of chicken on a stick as bemused locals looked on at the two big Farangs standing up on the train. A gaggle of Beijing fans were sitting further up the carriage. Goodness knows what they made of it all.
Steve and Fah
Pre-Match
It was some relief when we pulled into Buriram. Fah was there to greet us on the platform, from where it was only a walk across the track and a minute's walk to the top-class Klim Hotel. I couldn’t remember being as happy to flop on a bed and then take a shower!
Gary met us outside at 4pm and took us to Up2you Bar for drinks and excellent Thai food. Onwards to the Chang Arena, where the car park was fuller than last time. Our friend had sorted out our tickets in advance. Again, no programmes were on sale.
Buriram’s opponents had started the Chinese Super League with four straight wins, so it was obviously going to be a big test for the locals. The crowd was a disappointing size, but 6pm kick-offs aren’t a huge help for getting from work to the game.
Beijing fans section
The Match
Beijing were certainly serious from the off, going ahead on just two minutes when the star of the show, Cédric Bakambu, turned in a low cross at the near post from Li Lei. United responded and put together some good football, and were unlucky when a defender deflected a cross onto his own post.
However, they were to find the Beijing defence in a resolute mood, with Yu Dabao superb throughout as Pedro Junior, Supachai Jaided, and Supachok Sarachart were all thwarted. Buriram were made to pay for not taking their chances on the half-hour mark.
Bakambu finished an almost replica goal to the opener, only this time it was Renato Augusto who provided the cross. There were no further goals before the break as the hosts must have been ready to regroup and plan.
The Democratic Republic of Congo striker Bakambu extinguished home hopes when completing his hat trick nine minutes after the restart, as he bundles home after Wang Gang saw his effort fumbled by United keeper Siwarak Tedsungnoen.
To credit Buriram, they never gave up and continued to create several half-chances. Pedro Junior saw his powerful shot from the edge of the box saved by Zou Dehai. Bakambu missed the easiest chance of the game after seventy-seven minutes. With just over ten minutes left on the clock, Buriram got the goal back they thoroughly deserved.
Luong Xuan Truong and sixteen-year-old Suphanat Mueanta put together a clever move through the defence for the youngster to score. We held out a bit of hope for a comeback. Another quick goal would have set up a thrilling finale, but it wasn’t to be despite Buriram’s valiant efforts. The Chinese side showed just a little more class and deserved their victory.
Post-Match
Post-match, Gary took us to Harley Route 288, a fine sprawling bar run by an amiable fella from Portsmouth. Virtually all the expat blokes wore Buriram United shirts. Many had watched the match there rather than going up the road to the stadium.
From there, we headed to Paddy's Irish Bar, where the Swedish owner was very friendly. I was certainly a fan of the bars of Buriram. Steve and Fah were also impressed. However, they were tired and went to bed, while Gary and I ventured to Speed Hall and its surroundings.
I certainly slept that night, which was just as well. We enjoyed a really good touristy Wednesday after a really good breakfast. Fah wanted to show us her home “village” of Nang Rong. It was as well we had Gary’s car!
Discovering Buriram Province
That was another eye-opener, as Nang Rong turned out to be a town of 21,000 population over thirty miles away! I love doing local cultural stuff, so it was right up my street. Fah seemed pretty chuffed that we’d made the effort as well.
We returned and had a proper look and walk around Khao Kradong Forest Park and the volcano on a blistering-hot early afternoon, where the young monks posed for photos. In the evening, we visited The Swan Bar for another outstanding meal before returning to Paddy's Irish Bar.
We had a good long drink. Unfortunately, my sense of direction led to us getting lost and having a little tiff. I apologised profusely the following morning. By then, I’d licked my wounds in the Castleblack craft pub I’d wanted to take Steve to visit.
Perked up, I finished the evening in peak form in Tawandang, an entertainment hall, where I watched local acts and smiled with locals. It was the penultimate night of my trip after all. Steve and I returned on the flight to Bangkok the following morning with lots of memories of a brilliant few days on the road.
Buriram United 0 BG Pathum United 1
Thai League 1 - Sunday 20th March 2022
👨👨👧👧 22,079 🎟️ 150 THB (£3.60)
Nakhonchai Air Bus
It was time for another trip to a city that I thoroughly enjoyed, this time with just Steve, after Fah fell ill a couple of days before departure. On this occasion, we travelled by coach on a Nakhonchai Air service, and what a choice that proved to be.
The seats were comfortable and similar to first class on a train. Each had a screen with a full entertainment package, and best of all, you could press a button at any time and have your back massaged. Plus, we got a food voucher when we stopped. Thoroughly recommended.
Our arrival was around thirty minutes late, not that we cared a jot. We walked to the Klim hotel for a quick rinse before Gary and his good lady arrived, and drove us to a usual place for food and drinks before the match.
Training Ground Move
The stadium was busy. We finally found seats right near the back towards the goal line, even if the crowd figure was nowhere near the published attendance for the 7pm kickoff. It would prove to be another frustrating evening for Buriram.
Unbelievably, my record of seeing them lose every time I had visited the Chang Arena would continue, despite them requiring a solitary point to clinch the league title. They were undone by an excellent away team performance that thoroughly merited the win.
The only goal came in the thirteenth minute through a training ground corner kick move, as a hard, low ball was dragged to near the penalty spot from where Sarach Yooyen smashed home on the volley past goalie Siwarak.
Buriram Frustration
The hosts huffed and puffed against a resolute BG side, who prevented the creation of any real, clear-cut chances. An effort over the bar from Theerathon summed up their frustration before the same player bent a free kick over the bar.
Supachai blasted over on the half-volley soon after the halftime interval when fed in. He really should have hit the target, but his effort typified the home performance, which wasn’t impressive to my Buriram supporting friends.
Bunmathan was the pick of the home players, bending a low effort just wide and then threading in Jonathan Bolingi, who was denied by the Pathum Thani defence. It looked like the home side had restored parity when Bolingi squared for Suphanat to net, but the goal was chalked off by VAR for offside.
The away team nearly extended the lead with a curling shot that was tipped onto the post by Siwarak before the stopper was called into action to save another attempt. Bolingi then fired wide when trying to curl an effort past goalie Kittipong Phuthawchueak.
BG should have doubled their advantage from a free kick, when a fine move resulted in a low header wide of the post, before they saw the game out with relative ease. Buriram were still nine points ahead of BGPU with four games remaining.
After the game, it took quite a while to get out of the busy and disorganised car park, from where we headed to AkriKa bar, where the amiable host Geordie and a few regulars provided excellent company and some good local advice.
Buriram United 2 Port FC 3
Thai League 1 - Sunday 30th April 2023
👨👨👧👧 29,461 🎟️ 250 THB (£6)
Perfect Day
Some days stand out in your life as a football supporter, and this was most certainly one of them. I don’t suppose Lou Reid was thinking of me when he penned Perfect Day, but that’s what it turned out to be.
My wife Taew and I set out at just gone 8am from our Suan Kluai home in Sisaket Province, heading west to Surin, where we picked up Gary's partner, whom we were meeting in Buriram. It was great to see them again for the first time since they attended our wedding.
On arrival at our destination, we left the car at the Sita Princess Hotel, where we were staying for the night before Gary drove us to Chang Arena so that I could collect the tickets I’d bought online earlier in the week, just in case it was a complete sellout.
Sightseeing, Lunch, and Football
We headed to Khao Kradong Forest Park and Volcano, with this being my wife’s first visit to the city. We enjoyed a nice walk and took photos before being reunited. We went for a nice lunch with Gary’s 92-year-old mum at the pleasant Book'n Bed restaurant. After a quick siesta, it was time to head to the action.
On this occasion, my pal decided to park on the main road away from what would be a congested car park with such a big gate in attendance. This worked well as the away block was the nearest to it, meaning we didn’t need a specific meeting point at full time.
There was an outdoor market with food and beers before we reached a pop-up bar yards from our gate, to enjoy a catch-up with some expats I’d met on previous visits. I was quick to point out that, despite Buriram being champions eight times, including the last two, I had seen them lose all 3 home games I had attended. Not that I gave Port much chance of extending that run.
The Match
We went our separate ways after beers, with our tickets being the usual ridiculous markup as away supporters. Port’s players gave the re-crowned champions a guard of honour onto the pitch ahead of the 5.30pm kickoff.
The away side, backed by about 300 fans who’d made the six-hour trip up from Bangkok, started reasonably well. Suphanat saw a near-post header from a corner go over for the hosts before fellow Thai international striker Supachai missed a chance when put clean through with a slide rule pass from Haris Vučkić.
A fantastic passing move from the visitors gave Negueba an opportunity, but his tame side-foot shot saw keeper Siwarak gather easily. The work involved strong play from forward Hamilton, described by some as the Brazilian Andy Carroll. Whatever, he was a handful throughout this encounter.
A Port counterattack from defending a deeply struck set piece saw Negueba play in Pathompol Charoenrattanapirom, whose first touch was poor, and second awful as he wasted a one-on-one. Despite this, I was happy enough if the teams went down the tunnel level at the break, but no prizes for what happened next.
Some faffing about at the back between Tanaboon Kesarat and Bordin Phala allowed Suphanat to nip in and supply Vučkić, who smashed the ball into the roof of the net for the champions. He had to go off with a strain immediately after, but his work was done.
At the interval, beers were available downstairs, but I didn’t bother. There was also a pile of Euro Cakes, a sweet version of a UK cake, which were given out free outside by sponsors, but not allowed within view of the pitch. My wife was told not to eat the tubs of sweets in her bag, either, and I am being totally serious.
Goran Čaušić missed a good chance for the hosts when the ball was dragged back to him, but Port continued to play OK and equalised with a superb bending free kick of around 25 yards from Airton, the third of the Brazilians in the lineup.
Suphanat stung the hands of Port stopper Somporn Yos. The follow-up from Čaušić was easily saved. Just before the hour mark, Port went ahead. Hamilton won a header in the direction of Worachit Kanitsribampen, on loan from BG Pathum United, who scored.
Unbelievably, the linesman's flag was up, but I said straightaway it was a goal because he had come from behind the defender. It was tighter than I initially thought, but VAR overruled the official, and Port found themselves 2-1 ahead. Within three minutes, the scores were level as Supachai was gifted a free header from a corner.
Away Win!
The restart was delayed as Negueba was going spare, complaining to referee Sivakorn Pu-Udom that the Buriram sub, Jonathan Bolingi, made gestures in his direction. The ref clearly didn't know what had happened, booked Bolingi, and made the situation worse by also showing Hamilton a yellow card for his protestations.
From the kickoff, Buriram won possession and fed Suphanat wide. His low cross found Bolingi, who couldn’t connect firmly, allowing Somporn to save as the atmosphere increased. Ten minutes from time, it got very loud in the away section as a build-up was half cleared but fell to Worachit, who finished very calmly. I could hardly believe what I was seeing.
Suphanan Bureerat was denied by the legs of Siwarak as the visitors threatened to extend their lead with another effort coming back off the underside of the bar before Bolingi was fortunate not to receive a second yellow when twice in quick succession he used his hands to push over a Port player in the upper chest.
Post Match
Naturally enough, I was extremely happy, but also disappointed. I know it’s easier when your team wins, but I thought the expat Buriram fans might have been slightly more magnanimous, putting the result down to their poor team rather than offering any praise. Not for the first time, I must add.
We went on to the Astra Bar, a rooftop area on top of the Alvarez Hotel, where it was surreal to hear an expat having a go at the Thai staff for poor service, while a fella from Newcastle 'entertained' the meagre number of customers while singing and playing the keyboard. I did well not to let my laughter show, while my missus told the moaner to calm down in Thai.
On to Afrika, a bar that doesn’t appear to have a clock, to see Geordie, while I continued asking the locals if they enjoyed the game. We ended in Tawandang nightclub until 3am, where I was singing and dancing with my good lady and three young Port fans. It was incredibly loud, but fun, with live acts and a DJ. I should know better as a 57-year-old!
Another great day out as Taew drove us through for lunch at a stunning waterside restaurant with our friends. Before the match, we met up with Dale, Nui and Jamie. I played the interviewer, getting opinions and score predictions. Dale, cheering for the visitors, genuinely feared a severe drubbing.
Fans of other clubs generally think that Buriram has too much power through their owner, who has a lot of influence. A few weeks earlier, his side got a huge rub of the green from a referee astonishingly appointed despite being from Buriram. An away game was postponed against the table-topping Bangkok United, when games are often played in far worse conditions.
For all that, Buriram has the best stadium in the country, a fantastic recruitment record, and huge support. They had won the domestic treble in the previous two seasons. Think the Man United of Thailand, and you are not far off. They came into this match with games in hand on leaders Port, with opponents Chonburi in the drop zone after seven games.
The Action
An incredible game of football ensued, flowing from end to end throughout, and provided a superb spectacle, at least for a neutral, on a slick pitch in pouring rain, which no doubt added to the excitement.
Chonburi looked panicky in the early stages and conceded from a free header after five minutes when Lonsana Doumbouya bulleted him the third of three consecutive corners. The away side was playing high-risk risk if high-reward football.
They were thankful their keeper, Patrick Deyto, who pulled off a miraculous save from the scorer as the prophecy of my mate looked like it would play out. Gradually, the visiting Sharks grew in confidence and kept playing in the same fashion and creating chances.
Lira smashed a shot off the underside of the crossbar while being dominant in the air and looking like a proper player throughout. Both sides were going from it and fashioning opportunities. Supachai should have scored from a header soon after the restart for the hosts. Chonburi were reduced to ten men with half an hour remaining.
Lira was shown his second yellow card. Both his bookings were questionable, leading to no doubt more raised eyebrows around the country. Instead of being deflated, his team found another gear and scored despite a VAR check for offside through Channarong Promsrikaew with twenty minutes to go.
The away fans were wild with delight in the open corner. Dale had earlier been involved in a huge row with stewards who wanted to confiscate his brolly, protecting him and his wife. Chances were being missed by the hosts before Supachai finished expertly five minutes later. Again, a VAR check, this time for a push, which went in Buriram’s favour.
A Deserved Ovation
Surely that was that. I had said to Gary, high up in the seats with us, that it could easily end 4 or 5-1 as the visitors were out on their feet. Deyto and his defence were performing miracles as the play stretched and turned into something like a basketball match.
However, there was a sting in the tail as the impressive Murillo turned his full-back, cut inside and then unleashed a beauty into the far corner past Siwarak in the home net. Incredible stuff, as Buriram then did everything but snatch a winner.
To their credit, a feature at Thai games always sees the opposing fans applaud their opponents who go across to greet them. The reception offered to the Chonburi players was wonderful to witness and well deserved. Indeed, the noise from the West Zone was impressive all evening.
Beer Time
After the game, Dale said he was gutted that his side hadn’t taken all three points. I was only eight numbers out from winning a bed mattress in the halftime draw. It might have been interesting carting that around the town, mind. A fine Indian feed after the match at Afrika Bar, followed by a ridiculously large session of craft beer at Jiejiu on Thani Alley.
Five fridges full of bottles and cans could be chosen from around the world, with a great concept. You pick them out of the fridge and then pay at the counter, and then sit down, with waitresses bringing you glasses. Live EPL on the big screen and a full house of happy young Thais, with the Everton supporting owner being very flexible with his hours of business.
We returned home with two carrier bags full of empty cans, as my good lady hit upon the idea of fixing them to the garden fence and putting pebbles in them so they would rattle in the wind and scare the chickens away from the crops. She’s dafter than me. My hangover on the way home the following morning was not pretty.
Buriram United 1 Port FC 1
Thai League 1 - Sunday 12th May 2024
👨👨👧👧 31,200 🎟️ 250 THB (£6)
Usual Routine
Back to Buriram in the car, and the usual lunch before checking in at the Klim Hotel. There was plenty of social activity as ever, with four couples in our group, some supporting each side. Excellent fare was enjoyed at the Afrika bar pre-match before drinks near the entrance to the away fans block.
Going to Buriram is like going to a good-level European game, with a great matchday experience. On this occasion, a junior tournament, which had good crowds, was being played out on the nearby training pitches. My friends attending for the first time were extremely impressed.
What we got inside was a wonderful advert for Thai football at a packed Chang Arena as the hosts, requiring a win to secure the title, were held by third-place Port, who were denied a late winner by a very dubious VAR intervention.
The Match
The first twenty minutes were all Buriram before Port found their breath after ensuring that keeper Somporn didn’t have a shot to save. The visitors from Bangkok went ahead when a scuffed effort found its way to Worachit, who slotted past Siwarak Thedsungnoen. The scorer didn’t celebrate as he, and indeed most of the crowd, assumed that he was offside.
However, VAR showed that he was just on. Thai national team captain Theerathon creates division among opposing fans. He’s an excellent player who delivered some great crosses throughout the game, but as ever, he was involved in some exchanges with the Port fans, who respect but genuinely don’t like him.
Into the second half, Port had taken control of the game and were playing at a slower pace and keeping possession with a really polished performance, creating a few half-chances along the way. They really should have grasped their opportunity when it arose, as they very rarely keep a clean sheet.
Mid-season Buriram signing, Bissoli had made all the difference in them overtaking Bangkok United as they headed towards their eighth title in twelve seasons. The Brazilian was a class act, always in the thick of the action and being a pest to the opposition, while never being short of a word in the ref’s ear.
It was he who found space from a corner to head home after sixty-four minutes despite Somporn’s best efforts. He went close once again from another tremendous, wise delivery, which Port failed to get to grips with throughout the encounter. It was at this point that the away side decided to go for the win, rather than just being content with a draw.
They thought that they had scored a winner around ten minutes from time. A near-post corner got a deflection and went in. Bissoli complained he was pushed. Referee Sivakorn Pu-Udom is a leading Thai official and had an excellent game. However, he was summoned to check the VAR monitor for reasons that those who watched the highlights later still couldn’t work out.
I’m unsure what directive referees are given by the Thai FA, but he decided to chalk off the goal. It caused plenty of anger both in the stadium and on social media. Buriram tend to get many favourable decisions throughout a season, not dissimilar to Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson. It's a shame to be tainted in such a way, as the club does so much right.
After the match, we had a proper session at Jiejiu in town, before bedtime at the Klim Hotel, which was up to its old excellent standards. Back home, I eventually edited a video for my YouTube Channel.
Buriram United 0 Port FC 1
Thai League 1 - Sunday 2nd February 2025
👨👨👧👧 31,305 🎟️ 250 THB (£6)
Amazing Experience
An utterly amazing day and night in wonderful company, which is right up there with any football experience of the past. It can be shared by watching the video on my YouTube Channel. It began early with a smooth train ride from Bangkok. Great friends once in Buriram with an excellent pre-match. A fantastic turnout of away fans, and then the match.
I was certain that Port would receive a drubbing, and my unbeaten away team run at the stadium would end. A surprising team selection from interim boss Choke, but every player gave everything that they had, with the winning goal coming from Chinnawat Wongchai after twenty-six minutes.
A Long Night Out
The rest of the game resembled an onslaught, with the hosts having around 80% possession. Somporn, in the Port goal, was inspired while defenders continually put their bodies on the line and restricted the star-studded Buriram lineup to a few chances on goal. Supachai came closest to an equaliser when his shot came back off the post.
The celebrations were joyous and extremely long. We visited bars and then the entertainment zone, finishing close to 3am in Tawandang. The following day was a struggle, but worth it. If only every football day was like this one, but perhaps that’s its beauty and why we savoured it so much.
Buriram United 1 Port 0
Thai League 1 - Sunday 14th December 2025
👨👨👧👧 17,151 🎟️ 250 THB (£6)
Dark Thoughts
Through in the car again, we went for lunch with Gary and mum, reminiscing about the good old days. We met with our friends and headed to the stadium for drinks in the usual place. A large following of Port fans had made the journey in a positive mood. Not so, a couple of hours later.
It is seldom that I leave a football stadium angry in my later life, but the goings on at the Thunder Castle pressed all my buttons on this occasion. The reigning champs won with a goal in stoppage time from Goran Čaušić, but that’s only a bit of the story.
Port were at least equal to Buriram throughout and had spells on top. The refereeing of Torphong Somsing was biased in favour of the hosts, going one step further in the seventy-third minute when, after a VAR check decided to send off Chanukun Karin for an alleged stamp, which was inconclusive to those watching on TV.
Thai Football's Elephant in the Room
Naturally, the pressure grew on the away side’s goal, leading to the winner and then a frustrated Asnawi Bahar receiving a second yellow, leading to a huge melee in the middle of the pitch. It says it all when my Buriram friends said they were lucky to win and were shocked by some of the decisions.
The neutrals I took in the away end with me were completely staggered. Alexandre Gama, the Brazilian Port coach, was fined 100,000 THB for his post-match comments regarding the ref. Incredible when both Muangthong United and BG Pathum United were only fined 50,000 each for serious crowd trouble at their game, with three ending up in hospital.
But that sums up Thai football in a nutshell. Nobody is allowed to criticise officials because the authorities lose face. Buriram seem to get away with anything they want. Or at least that's how it looks to fans of other clubs.
Fun Continues
We headed for drinks at a place near the railway station, where the evening got worse, as an aggressive Dutchman tried to intimidate three of us wearing Port shirts. I was taken aback. Nothing like that had happened there before. The beauty of a Buriram away game is the friendliness and the good night out.
We calmed down with a nice drink in the excellent Castle Black, ironically owned by the football club, before meeting with the others at Buddy By Bus in the entertainment zone, before calling it a night.
Ground: Chang Arena Capacity: 32,600 Opened: 2011 Club: Buriram United
When Newin Chidchob moved Thai champions, PEA FC from Ayutthaya to form Buriram United, he needed a stadium to match his ambitions. Nicknamed the Thunder Castle, the Chang Arena is Thailand's grandest football stadium.
This page covers the game I attended, when the stadium was called Buriram Stadium, negating the sponsor's name for matches played in AFC competitions.
The Chang Arena has huge car parks, the Buriram United training pitches, along with many retail units where famous brands sell their wares. Next door is the Buriram International Circuit, home of the Thai leg of the Moto GP, among other events.
The football stadium was initially called New I-Mobile Stadium before being retitled Chang Arena in 2017. It has staged several international matches over the years, with its design being similar to Leicester's King Power Stadium, minus the cover all the way around.
Visit as a Neutral Venue
Urawa Red Diamonds 5 Shandong Taishan 0 AFC Champions League Group F - Monday 18th April 2022 👨👨👧👧 321 🎟️ 100 THB (£2.40)
The worldwide pandemic restrictions were still in place in several Asian countries. It caused major disruption to international football and its club competitions. Thailand was selected as one of the countries to stage group games, with the city of Buriram awarded two groups, with two compliant stadiums available.
I needed no excuse to return to the city, with Kao Kradong Stadium staging an earlier game the same evening. This made a 'double' simple, especially with the help of my mate Gary and his car to drive between the venues, with the first game starting at 6pm, followed by a 9pm kick-off.
I took the train and checked into my room at the Klim Hotel adjacent to the station before I was picked up. Food and drink were enjoyed before heading to the earlier match. We were slightly delayed at the second, topping up on the way to the stadium. At least parking wasn't a problem with such a small crowd attending.
Our tickets were printed with the wrong instructions on which entrance to use, meaning a frustrating walk around the perimeter of the stadium. Once inside, it was a case of picking any seats we wanted. It was strange to be in such a huge arena among a sparse crowd.
The Japanese Diamond fans were small in number, but they were extremely noisy. They had an impressive array of banners behind the goal in support of their team, who proved far too strong for their Chinese opponents, who were totally outclassed.
It was one-way traffic in the first ten minutes as Yuta Miyamoto and then Kaito Yasui both had efforts on goal, closely followed by attempts from Yoshio Koizumi and Kai Shibato. Urawa’s Takahiro Akimoto then saw his shot saved by busy Taishan keeper Cao Zheng.
The deadlock was finally broken in the twenty-sixth minute when Akimoto was on hand to side-foot home. The same player was fouled in the box five minutes later. The referee pointed to the spot with the right foot of Alexander Scholz, making no mistake to make it 2-0.
Scholz then provided a cross for Tomoaki Okubo to be denied from the edge of the box by a Zheng save. The Chinese side must have been relieved to hear the halftime whistle, but the lead was extended eight minutes into the second half.
A corner led to Takuya Iwanami setting up Alex Schalk to score from close range with his left foot. Diamonds took their foot off the pedal for a spell, with Baihelamu Abuduwaili going close for Shandong as he was supported by Chen Zhexuan following a fast break.
Fourteen minutes from time, a superb right-footed free kick from Schalk found the top right-hand corner of the net. Kasper Junker saw a low shot saved after being set up by fellow Diamonds sub, Yusuke Matsuo, with less than ten minutes remaining.
Both players went on to go close before the scoring was rounded off by Yasui, who fired home from outside the box. It was a comprehensive victory and an impressive performance. We headed off to see Geordie at his bar, before I enjoyed a good rest to prepare for more football at Kao Kradong Stadium the following day.
