Nong Khai FT is a former professional football club from the Thai city of the same name, located on the Mekong River close to the border crossing with Laos. The club was formed in 2010 and ceased playing after the completion of the 2016 season.
Expansion of the third-tier Regional League Division 2 North Eastern Region gave the Nagas their opportunity in the national league system, playing their home games at Nong Khai Province Stadium and finishing in twelfth position.
A fifth place twelve months later was backed up by one place lower at the end of the 2012 campaign. 2013 saw Nong Khai finish in fourth spot as well as reaching the second round of the League Cup, which ended in a home defeat to Police United.
Seventh place followed as the side continued to perform consistently before finishing second from bottom in 2015. A huge improvement came in 2016 as the Nagas ended ninth and also attracted a huge crowd in the second round of the League Cup.
Buriram United were the visitors who amassed a 7-0 victory in front of fans who sat in temporary stands to deal with the demand. At the end of the season, Nong Khai FT stated that they wished to take a one-year sabbatical from competition. They did not return.
My visit
Wednesday 25th December 2024
The first day of a tour of Thailand, extending into Laos had been completed with my wife and her cousin and family from the south of the country. The floodlights of Nong Khai Province Stadium were visible from our hotel as we checked in the previous evening, prompting an early Christmas Day wander.
It was before 7am as I headed out on a coolish but dry morning walking along Khon Song past the Provincial Court and Nongkhai Immigration Detention Centre, a stark reminder not to transgress with my visa, before finding the road that led to the stadium.
Already there were people out using the track to get their exercise while the weather was not too hot in an arena that resembled so many others to stage the lower reaches of Thai football over the years.
The near side had a raised open stand, while opposite was a raised steeply raked covered stand, placed a fair bit back from the track. A scoreboard was behind the far goal, with posts and nets in place suggesting football was still played there.
I took a wander around to the big stand and found some identity relating to the former tenants, although no signage or anything of the present era. The Nong Khai Sports School located behind the scoreboard the probable user of the pitch.
Before returning to the hotel, I decided to withdraw some cash at an ATM, where a fellow farang wished me Merry Christmas. He was returning to collect his car after leaving it the previous evening following plentiful drinks.
It turned out he was an Aston Villa fan who had lived in Nong Khai for eighteen years. I mentioned it was a shame there was no football club in what seemed a very pleasant small city when he told me all about the Buriram League Cup game.
Fascinating
though it was, I’m not sure my good lady was as interested especially when I
later revealed that I must have left my debit card in the ATM, and it was
swallowed up. A Christmas Day I wouldn’t forget in a hurry.