Phang Nga

Phang Nga FC was formed in 2009, to represent the province of the same name which is in the south of Thailand north of Krabi and Phuket. They were accepted into the third-tier Regional League Division 2 Southern Region for the 2010 season as an extension club.

In their debut campaign the ‘Dredgers’ finished eighth, playing home games at the Phang Nga Provincial Administrative Organization Stadium in the main town of the province. Their performance was backed up by fifth place twelve months later. 

The improvement continued as Phang Nga ended 2012 in fourth which was replicated a year later. Other details of their successful time are unobtainable as the Thai League system gradually developed.

A disappointing tenth position ensued in 2014 which got worse as the team ended 2015 in the bottom spot. An improvement of one place in 2016 saw the club evade automatic relegation but all was not well off the pitch as well as on it. 

Thai football restructured for the 2017 season with clubs who finished in the lower half of the table the previous season being placed in Thai League 4 with several expansion clubs. However, Phang Nga failed to meet the licensing criteria and were omitted, initially for one season to get their house in order.

This failed to materialise. A club called Phangnga United entered the Thailand Amateur League in 2020-21 and again in 2022 where it lost all of its three matches under head coach Theerapong Apichatbut.

The Phang Nga stadium was well maintained despite no regular club playing there as tenants, with it presumably being a facility for those who want to keep fit running on the track and the pitch being hired out.

It got another taste of pro football when it hosted the home games of Phuket Andaman FC in the second half of the 2024-25 season while the Surakul Stadium was undergoing refurbishments. 

My visit

Thursday 9th January 2025

When an opportunity knocks, I am not the type to let it go begging, and so it was on this glorious Thursday lunchtime as I was sitting in the back of a car driven by a local man who was offering a taxi service. 

He had delivered us to the boat pier so that we could enjoy the incredible delights of Panyee Island which included a floating football pitch before he collected us once again. This time he took us somewhere that sold the best type of local food, which my wife Taew bought for our tea.

Our driver wanted to visit somewhere on the way back to our hotel when I sensed my chance. I asked my good lady to tell him to take us to the stadium and I would give him a tip in return. With both parties happy we were soon outside the arena.

Like so many in Thailand, it was for all the community to use. But this one was a bit special. It had covered stands facing it each other across the track and pitch, both in pristine condition, but the outstanding feature was the backdrop.

The stunning steep faces of the mountains which enclosed the far side were simply incredible. It must be up there with any venues anywhere in terms of scenery and aesthetic value. I was so happy that we visited.

Our man could not have been more helpful, taking us back to our hotel. I nipped back along the main road to have my head shaved and talk to more marvellously friendly locals in a town that didn’t have much happening but the scenery more than made up for it.

Phuket Andaman

 

The history of the professional football club of Phuket Andaman FC can be traced back to 2019 when they began life as Patong City FC. They follow in the footsteps of other professional clubs from the southern holiday island.

Phuket FC was formed in 2009 and placed in the Regional Division 2 South with home games being played at Surakul Stadium. The goals of Diarra Ali took them to the title in 2010 and promotion to Thai Division 1 League, which was the second tier at the time. 

The club lasted five seasons at that level as the likes of Adama Koné, Dudu, and Berlin Ndebe-Nlome topped the scoring for the Southern Sea Kirins. The owners pumped considerable sums into the club and launched a big marketing campaign before withdrawing their finances with some player's contracts being left unpaid.

In their final two seasons, Phuket FC played in and were relegated from Regional League Division 2 South. In 2017 the side ended second in Thai League 4 South as Nattapoom Maya top-scored before the club dissolved over the license being denied owing to unpaid contracts. 

In 2018 and 2019 the owners of the newly formed Phuket City FC somehow moved Banbueng FC, who competed in Thai League 3 Lower, to Sarakhul Stadium and changed their name accordingly, while a legal battle commenced. In 2020 they returned to Chonburi to resume as Bangbueng FC.

Meanwhile, in 2019, Patong City began life in the Thailand Amateur League, where a second place in the South region was enough to win promotion to Thai League 3 South. Walit Jitboonchuen was in charge as head coach when the 2020-21 season commenced as the side finished tenth.

Yodwong Misen led the scoring, going on to do so for the following two seasons. Adirek Bintuan arrived as head coach but was later replaced by Nipont Chanarwut during the disappointing 2021-22 campaign before the club took the title of Phuket Andaman in 2022-23.

This saw a much improved sixth place being achieved under the leadership of Jarupong Sangpong. Vilson James Dos Santos was appointed as head coach in 2023-24 which resulted in a ninth-place finish before the club was bought by foreign owners, Higher Sports Co. 

The group already had academy set-ups in other countries and wanted to introduce the same in Phuket, when Andaman became available to buy. Chairman Russ Horsley began the task of putting down foundations by appointing the returning Jarupong as coach.

The relationship failed to materialise, leading to him being replaced in the mid-October of 2024 by Phuwanart Saengsri, as the club looked to put a turbulent few months behind them.

Phuket Andaman FC will play in Thai League 3 South in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

Wednesday April 13th 2016

It was time for my annual visit to Phuket ahead of the Sixes Cricket tournaments that I was involved in. With the first event starting the following day, I decided to take myself off and enjoy some quality time, and head over the island from my hotel in Karon. 

My pal dropped me near Karon Roundabout where I knew a songthaew service went up over the hill and towards Phuket Town but no idea how often they ran. I'm not sure those in charge did either. After what seemed ages in the heat, I clambered aboard and off we went.

As soon as we reached the outskirts of the town my eyes were peeled looking out for the floodlights. This was in the days before I had an internet connection running on my iPhone to source Google Maps. It was just a couple of hundred metres along Vichitsongkram Road when I pressed the bell for the driver to stop. 

Thankfully, the gates were open, and I had access to take photos of what had a horseshoe-shaped continual terrace around the running track. One side had seats with a roof, opposite them were open to the elements. The road end had no spectator accommodation as such.

Once complete I continued to the old town. I had alighted there on a bus from Bangkok on my first-ever Thailand adventure but saw little of it. This time I had a nice look around, including a taxi ride down to the waterfront at Saphan Hin. It was extremely pleasant as I seem to recall. 

The songthaew took me back, jumping out so that I could wander down Taina Road to visit AllStar Aussie Bar, one of the cricket sponsors, to enjoy a good few drinks with Gary, the friendly host.

Later during the stay, a second cricket tournament was played at the Republic Ground where at the close of play in the cricket, the footballers of Phuket FC arrived for their training sessions.