PTU Pathumthani

PTU Pathumthani FC is a football club from the Thai capital of Bangkok who were formed in 2013 as Seeker FC to join the league structure. The 'Iron Horse' played their home games at Pathum Thani before an amazing development took place before the beginning of the 2013 season.

The trading card manufacturer Futera took over the club, renaming it Futera Seeker and implemented an incredible experiment. After trying out the experiment in London, it initiated a system where fans anywhere in the world could subscribe and become virtual managers of the club.

They watched the game live online and voted on tactics, substitutions and playing style. The data was compiled by analysts in the stands who then transferred the results to the bench, who then followed the instructions.

However, after just one season, Futera withdrew their sponsorship as the club moved grounds to use the Khlong Chan National Housing Sports Stadium, which had previously been home to Osotspa and then Raj-Vithi.

They were on the move again before the end of the season as they relocated across town to share Police's Boonyachinda Stadium before changing their title to PTU Pathum Thani Seeker for the 2015 campaign and finishing in tenth place.

The club was placed in the Central Region for the 2016 campaign as 'Seeker' was dropped from their title, with the side ending in seventh place while playing home games at Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University Stadium. Thai league football was restructured for the 2017 season.

Klong Chan Stadium

PTU Pathumthani was placed in the fourth-tier Thai League 4 (T4) Bangkok Metropolitan Region, where they finished in seventh spot after moving back to Boonyachinda Stadium. The club were on the move again, this time to Ratchakram Stadium for 2018 and coming fifth in the final table as Nuttapol Promthongwan topped the scoring chart.

Diego Barrera led the scoring in 2019 as the side finished in third place. The Thai League was restructured once again to follow the European calendar from 2020-21, with PTU being placed in Thai League 3 West. Seventh place was achieved under head coach Vorapan Toontone.

Brazilian signing Giuberty starred in 2021-22 as the side ended second in the regional division before falling short of winning promotion in the Champions League playoffs. Yossagorn Silaket was appointed as coach at the start of the 2022-23 season.

He departed, replaced by Kantawat Suwanphayakoon, whose side won the West region title in 2023-24 thanks to Eric Kumi's goals, but then failed to progress through the playoffs. The side fell just short of the playoffs in 2025-26 with Célio topping their scoring charts after Watcharin Wongsaklom had been appointed as head coach in the second half of the season.

PTU Pathumthani FC will play in Thai League 3 Central in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

PTU Pathumthani 0 North Bangkok University 0 (Saturday 21st March 2026) Thai League 3 Central (att: 600)

My visit to attend the final game of the season treated me to ninety minutes of niggly gamesmanship with the away ever-dull away side grabbing the draw they required to reach the playoffs. A win for the hosts would have seen them leapfrog North Bangkok.

It would be very difficult to pick out the highlights as I recorded my reports for A Thai Football Podcast on a warm afternoon out in the countryside, with steelworks planted around in the near distance. A venue that is unlikely to attract too many fans apart from loyalists and desperados looking to tick it off when groundhopping.

Pathumthani’s Arnont Pumsiri hit the post and then the bar with a fantastic dipping shot in the closing stages that left goalie Pisan Dokmaikeaw grasping thin air. Célio had a header ruled out for some reason. The ref, who got in on the act with an average performance, thought it was a shove. I remain unconvinced.

NBU had a couple of big lumps on the pitch. Brazilian defender Emerson Almeida never stopped whining and looking to get opponents into trouble. I had seen Finnish forward Sakari Tukiainen in action for Udon United earlier in the season, when he didn’t do much to impress me. My opinion didn’t change after a second look.

The stadium was hardly going to start the pulses racing either. It has one large, raised stand showing its age down one side, with no other spectator accommodation. A table behind it sold drinks. The pitch was excellent. The floodlights were magnificent. I’ve never seen rustier pylons, despite Ratchakram Stadium being surrounded by steel and construction works. 

Located around thirty km northwest of Rangsit, it was quite soulless, although a gaggle of away fans on drums and megaphones attempted to whip up an atmosphere. The attendance was undoubtedly inflated for some reason. It's not an experience I'm likely to repeat.

Despite the drudgery on the pitch, I had a magnificent day meeting a new friend, Ning, who helped me massively after the match. It’s a real sod of a venue to get to. I managed by bus and then Grab from Rangsit. However, the chances of a driver heading 30km to pick up a fare are a bit of a gamble on the customer's part.

To add to that, they might not even know where Ratchakram Stadium is. At Rangsit, I asked around to see if any minibus services went that way. I was being advised and pointed to get into vans wanting to take me to BG Pathum United or Rajamangala Stadium, neither of which was of use. 

Thais simply don’t get why Westerners would want to head to a third-tier local game. They had a point to be fair on this occasion. In the taxi, I spotted a car in front that had Sisaket and Rasisalai stickers on it. They are my local teams. I found him coming out of the 7/11 next to the ground and got chatting, and then watched the game with him. 

Once it had finished, he dropped me off in Muangthong Thani on his way home to Nonthaburi at a station on the Skytrain so I could get home. A real hero who works in the capital but whose Sisaket home is in the same village as my mate John, with whom I go to games. Remarkable.

My video of my football weekend

I had an hour or so at the tennis in the morning at the Thailand Championship, which was interesting and of a decent quality, albeit played out in front of a very low audience, which made up for the lack of action in the faraway venue I’m unlikely to return to.

Assumption United

Assumption United FC is a professional football club that represents the private Catholic school located in Thonburi, across the river from the Thai capital of Bangkok. The professional side was established in 2011 to compete in national football.

This came following Assumption Thonburi School reaching the 2010 final of the Khǒr Royal Cup, a forerunner of the Thailand Amateur League. Assumption lost 3-1 to Goblex Realty Staff Association, a club that would eventually morph into Nonthaburi United S.Boonmeerit FC.

Reaching the final was enough to gain a place in the third-tier Regional League Division 2 Bangkok Metropolitan Region with ‘the Magnate‘ under the name of Assumption Thonburi-The PAC, playing home games at the no longer PAC Sport Center Stadium in Bang Khun Thian.

The side finished in thirteenth spot, which was improved upon to ninth after moving to Wongprachanukul Stadium at their Thonburi headquarters as Assumption Thonburi, and then sixth in 2013. The 2014 campaign saw the club renamed as Assumption United and a tenth-place finish.

The following season saw the club relocate to the SCG Stadium, home of Muangthong United and saw Assumption finish third, prior to being moved to the divisions West Region for 2016 as Yodsak Chaowana top scored as his side ended ninth in the table with Narongrit Khuntip in charge of the team.

Thai league football was reorganised for the 2017 campaign into four tiers. United were placed in T4 Western Region playing back at the Thonburi school stadium and ending fourth with Natpasut Malison and Chananon Wisetbumrungcharoen putting away the goals.

A disappointing finish third from bottom ensued in 2018 despite the regular scoring from Chalermsak Ruaygrabue. There was a massive improvement to third in 2019 with goals from the trio of Akira Niiho, Jakkrit Senkaew and Surawut Sutthisak under team boss Thorn Sourapoom.

A combination of the Covid-19 pandemic and a realignment to the European football calendar saw the league revert to three tiers for 2020-21. Assumption played in the Thai League 3 Western Region and finished sixth.

2021-22 saw Natthasan Pakkarano perform admirably in goal with his side finishing fifth before the side slipped to ninth place twelve months later. The same finish ensued in 2023-24 with Imron Hayiyusoh topping the scoring for the side led by coach Thorn, who went on to finish ninth in 2024-25 as Pherawut Inkhow top scored.

An improved sixth place resulted twelve months later.

Assumption United will play in the Thai League 3 West in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Assumption United 1 PTU Pathumthani 1 (Sunday 16th October 2022) Thai League 3 West (att: 121)

There’s nothing I enjoy more than a journey navigating local public transport and venturing somewhere new. Waking up a little seedy after a thirsty Saturday night, I stuck with my original plan rather than the temptation of lying about and heading to a later game.

It was an adventure, alright, but quite a simple one in the end. A bus to NIDA at Bangkapi and then jumping on the number 60 all the way to Democracy Monument was straightforward enough and a cracking value for a total of 18 Baht.

It was a long but interesting journey with the windows down on a dull and relatively cool day. Jumping out, I went for the slob’s option of a McDonald's to dull the cravings that usually occur after alcohol. I did go for the value menu to ease the guilt slightly.

A nice little walk followed, buying what turned out to be an unsuccessful lottery ticket, on route to opposite the Supreme Court by Sanam Luang. Within minutes, the 91 service arrived, with the conductor charging 23 Baht for the journey, leaving me scratching my head once more as to how the inconsistent fares are worked out.

The beauty of my final ride was that it took less time than I anticipated, meaning an early arrival and that my stop was the Terminus, so I couldn’t miss it. Indeed, the clippie had to give me a nudge to let me know we had arrived.

Wandering down Soi 4, Assumption, I could hear cheering. Surely it wasn’t an early kick-off? No, it was a school swimming gala taking place at what seemed to be a college laden with excellent facilities.

I found the stadium without any issues and took a few shots down the near side before being ushered along by security, who pointed towards the official entrance on the other side. I thought 100 Baht was a bit steep, even if the steep-sided raised stand offered a cracking view.

The lady steward asked who I was supporting and pointed to the back of the stand, and to go along to the far end when I replied “Assumption”. This area had a couple of steps looking down on a full-sized artificial pitch.

Joining the students and parents, we were treated to some pre-match music by Stone Metal Fire and the PA man reading out the teams. I would guess that the rock band were also students or alumni, as one song was all about cheering for United.

The playing surface looked lush but carried some irregular scarring. I was amused as the Pathumthani line-up all gave their opposing players a gift bag following the King's Anthem. As a friend on Twitter commented, it would be interesting to see a Neil Warnock or Sean Dyche team doing that.

I rather hoped that they would contain stink bombs and pepper sweets from the joke shop, but that’s the child in me. A lovely touch from PTU. Onto the game, which was a slow burner. Former Thai international Kirati Keawsombut, for the hosts, showed skill but blasted over.

The big fella was all commitment but was lucky to see yellow rather than red in my opinion, for a high challenge a little later. Perhaps referee Ratthaket Puttasorn was a man of the cloth and believed in giving a chance?

The visitors took the lead with an own goal when a low cross was converted into his own net by Theekawin Chansri, with a PTU player breathing down his neck. Assumption replied with Kittipong Sura having a shot easily saved by keeper Saravut Konglap.

There was plenty of pretty passing going on without too much goalmouth action. Kittidet Thaeptham decided to do something about it and went close with a swerving shot going just wide from the outside of his right boot.

Custodian Konglap obviously fancied making me roar with laughter, as he was the centrepiece of the equaliser. Receiving a back pass from Jakkapong Suebsamutr, he dallied and tried to dribble.

He was being closed down by Yannatat Wannatong, so when he tried to clear, the ball came off the advancing player and bounced into the net. Just what is it about coaches telling goalies to faff about when they are not up to the task? Not to worry. It continues to bring hilarity to us traditionalists.

The one criticism I had of the stand was the apparent lack of facilities to use the toilet and offer concessions. It made half-time drag. The second half saw an immediate improvement as the presentations for the swimming began across the far corner.

The feet of Konglap kept out a Keawsombut shot at the foot of the near post prior to Nutthikorn Yaprom responding for Pathumtani with a shot that fizzed just wide. The match swayed from end to end and was a decent watch.

Keawsombut saw his header produce a dramatic, exaggerated save from Konglap. I hope someone caught it on camera for him. Kakana Khamyok was fed a throw for United before progressing and seeing his shot hit the side netting.

Giuberty Silva Neves was introduced as a substitute for the University and saw a dipping free-kick superbly saved by home goalie Kasidej Rungkitwattananukul before action returned to the other end when a fine move put in Kongpop Sroirak, who stood on the ball when poised to shoot.

It was surprising that the floodlights hadn’t been turned on, as it was getting extremely dull. Konglap was taking good-natured clog every time he received a back pass, but then answered his critics with a really good save to push over an effort from Keawsombut.

At full time, I discovered a small food stand at the far end of the stand, along with a club shop. The toilets were beyond the practice pitch. I headed back to the main road and caught the bus just as it was about to depart.

The interesting ride down narrow streets filled with stalls and street food led back to Phetkasem Road, where I decided to go for the direct route home and jump aboard the MRT at Lak Song station, changing at Tha Phra to go the quick way to Lat Phrao.

The ride followed my car journey from the previous Wednesday, only from above the road I navigated when I accompanied my good lady to a memorial service in Nonthaburi. I eventually found the right bus stop when I alighted before catching a bus to Bangkapi.

A taxi home completed my journey. Yes, it was a bit extravagant, but I wanted to eat and watch the Premier League on TV. It had been a really enjoyable, if long, day. Especially on top of a hangover. Now, where’s next on the agenda?