Top-tier football and huge crowds were once the thing in Songkhla. Affected by alien ownership and having to start afresh, the club now look to reach its former heights.
A Potted History of Songkhla FC
Songkhla FC
is a professional football club whose history can be traced back to 1999,
when they played in the Thailand Provincial League, a competition for clubs outside Bangkok competing in the Thai Premier League.
Tinsulanonda
Stadium was used for home matches until 2005. The club was suspended for failing to meet the regulations. They returned to the Provincial
League 2 the following year, finishing runners-up in the higher division of the competition in 2007.
Promotion to the Second Tier
Songkhla
went up and finished second in
2008, with a season of two being spent playing at Chiranakhon Stadium in Hat Yai. The side consolidated their position as Witthawat Iamram.
Worawet
Chanuthai and then Chayene Santos scored the goals as the club pushed for promotion while based at Na Thawi District
Stadium. They returned to Tinsulanonda Stadium with huge crowds attending games. However, things were to go downhill.
Buriram Takeover
Buriram FC, formed by Karuna Chidchob, won a couple of promotions to reach the highest level of Thai football in 2011.
The club was bought by the husband of the president, Newin Chidchob, who had
already relocated PEA from Ayutthaya to become PEA Buriram, later Buriram United.
The rights of Buriram FC were sold to Songkhla FC, meaning there was a southern
team at the top tier. It also meant two Buriram-controlled clubs. The club in the south was named Wuachon
United FC in 2012. The original Songkhla FC was dissolved to join the new
club, which was renamed Songkhla United.
The club had attracted a crowd of 30,102 for the top-flight clash with
Muangthong United as Jadet Meelarp led the team from the bench. Meanwhile, goals from
Kirati Keawsombat and then Manop Sornkaew kept Songkhla United
safe.
End of the Era
Franz
Schwarzwälder had a spell as coach before the team went down a level at the end of the 2014 season, despite the goals of Kayne Vincent. The side was managed throughout the season by Phayong
Khunnaen and then Jason Withe.
Somchai
Makmool took over team affairs in 2015 as Rufino Sánchez top-scored. Willen Mota was a scoring sensation in 2016 for the
side coached by Nopporn Eksatra. They reached the semifinals of the League
Cup, going out on aggregate to Buriram United.
A New Start
The
following season proved to be United’s last. Giorgi Tsimakuridze scored the
goals as the team ended up in a relegation place for Watchara Tochanakan’s team
while playing at Na Thawi District Stadium. Not that it mattered because the
club failed the criteria for a license and was banned for two seasons.
Songkhla FC was born in 2018, starting initially in the
Thailand Amateur League, playing at Prince of Songkhla University Stadium. In their second season, they finished as champions to win promotion to Thai League 3 South for the 2020-21 season.
Back at Tinsulanonda Stadium, the goals of
Abdussalam Saman took the Samila Mermaids to the title under the stewardship of Akaporn Chalitaporn. Their playoff campaign ended in failure before Daiki Higuchi was given the role of
head coach.
Natan Oliveira was next to put away the chances,
before another regional was won in 2022-23 as Jardel topped the scoring charts
for the side led by Sarawut Treephan. Again, Songkhla fell short in the playoffs.
The Thai League 3 South title was retained, this time under returning
Japanese coach Higuchi, thanks in part to the efforts of Nigerian forward Ekene
Victor Azike. Once again, the playoffs ended in disappointment.
The 2024-25 campaign saw Songkhla win promotion via the playoffs after defeating North Bangkok University, ending as national runners-up to Rasisalai United. Thitisak Karunkron was appointed as head coach towards the end of the following season, as the team consolidated.
My visit
Songkhla 1
Kasem Bundit University 0
Sunday 5th January 2025
Thai League 3 Cup Round of
16
👨👨👧👧345 🎟️120 THB (£2.75)
Tour Opportunity
The long tour I was on provided immense fun, travelling with my wife Taew, along
with her cousin Q and his family. I’d visited football stadiums in cities that
I had never visited before and may not have the opportunity to again. However,
the announcement of this fixture made me extremely happy.
Not that I
was the biggest fan of the Thai League 3 Cup, which drew some derisory attendances. I
mean, who would expect a team from Bangkok to travel to Songkhla, a journey
going on for fourteen hours for a third-tier cup game on a Sunday night? However, it
seemed second nature to organise such games in Thailand.
Solo Day Out
Tinsulanonda Stadium was very high on my bucket list, so I agreed that I
would be happy to do anything the rest of our group wanted if I was released
for football on Sunday lunchtime. With everything in place, I was deposited at
Central in Hat Yai to use the bank and grab some food before walking to the bus
terminal.
The driver
of our minivan would certainly not be getting a gig at the Comedy Store anytime
soon. He displayed a Phatthalung FC scarf above him and drove like the
clappers. I wasn’t too upset to get out and start my mini tour of Songkhla's
old town, arriving far too early, if truth be told.
Discovering Songkhla's Old Town
I visited an
art gallery and wandered through the many narrow lanes, seeing some lovely old
architecture and street art with many others doing the same thing. If it was a
coffee shop someone wanted, they were in the right city, with lots of them,
many extremely trendy offering refreshments.
The old rice
mill by the lake was being put forward as a World Heritage site, while a small
bus took tourists around. I visited the Songkhla National Museum and the city
wall, with every local I met being extremely friendly and helpful, something
I’d experienced a few days earlier when we visited other local places.
Street Art in Songkhla
Pre-Match
I headed to the stadium to take photos with time to kill in case
access was restricted when spectators arrived for the match. The smiling security guard
waved me in as I went into the various stands, with the preparations beginning, and the home side arrived at the stadium by coach.
On my way, I'd walked along Si Suda Alley, which had several bars opening later, along with the Irish Buzz Stop Restaurant and Bar, which was already serving a couple
of customers. I was to regret returning there and maybe have a meal.
One Thai
lady was doing her best to serve a large group of English fellas, who were around 30-years-old. While not causing any problem, they were loud,
obviously enjoying themselves, ordering food and lots of drinks. It was
clear that I would have waited a long time if I ordered a meal.
Nothing on the menu particularly jumped out at me, so I decided
I’d leave them to their fun and have a drink somewhere a bit quieter. Because they considered that I had been unsociable, they called me names, which saddened me, but these things happen.
I mulled over the irony of
having a trouble-free tour, including visiting places threatened by terrorism,
but then having issues with fellow Englishmen. Instead, had a couple of cold
beers watching the world go by and trying to cheer myself up at The Corner Bier
before heading back to the stadium, again rather early.
Refreshments
were confined to a stall once inside the stadium complex before entering the
arena. There was no beer for sale. The souvenir stand consisted of a small rack
and table, which also sold match tickets. It was all extremely low-key and a bit
disappointing.
I chose a
VIP seat for 120 Baht, again feeling disappointed when it turned out to be
downstairs in the main stand rather than the upper tier. The stadium PA played
very melodic local acoustic tunes as the teams warmed up before they returned
for the match, which I enjoyed.
I thought that a 6 pm kick-off when Thailand were playing
Vietnam in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup final on live TV at 8pm might have been a mistake. Surely, an
earlier start at Songkhla would have attracted more fans who could then get
home to watch the national side.
A Tight Encounter
The game was
closely fought in the first half. Thomas Chinonso, the Nigerian Kasem Bundit
striker, was pacy and caused the host defence some problems, breaking away and
seeing his shot go narrowly over the bar, while Songkhla seemed more methodical
but slower in their build-up.
I was
surprised to see Jhonatan Bernardo in the lineup for the home side, who led
their league table. I had watched him for Udon United at the start of the
season, and I hadn't been impressed. My thoughts were confirmed
after watching him again.
Ridwan
Ruangchuai was one of the midfielders who impressed me for Songkhla, but I thought that he was
lucky to remain on the pitch after he committed a foul. He was the last man, bringing down
Chinonso on the edge of the box when her was through.
Referee Pissanusak
Sriyai decided the challenge only merited a yellow card. The striker received
lengthy treatment in what would be the game-changing moment. Abdulhafis Nibu, Thiraphong
Yangdi, and Anwa A-Leemama also impressed me for the home team.
It was the
latter who was denied just before the interval through a flying save from Chanon
Aunjaidee in the student’s net. At the break, I decided to move seats so that I could get away easily from an exit to meet my family. The view
was far better high up on the open side.
Chinonso
wasn’t the same after his injury, hobbling off five minutes into the second
half, while his assailant remained on the pitch, having done his job. Ten minutes later, the only
goal of the game arrived from Anwa. It meant that it was pretty much game over. The
hosts came close to doubling their lead a couple of times, with the threat of
KBU extinguished.
Should the
game have gone into extra time, it would have done so without me in attendance.
As the final whistle sounded, I was on my way to dinner at Son Kaew Seafood
Restaurant. A pleasant meal was enjoyed before Q gave us a nighttime tour of
the old town.
We wanted to
be back in Hat Yai for a night of sleep, as the following day would see Taew
head off and make our way without our hosts, catching the bus to Krabi to enjoy
many further adventures. It was only then that she revealed that her cousin’s wife
was worried about me going to football alone. If only she knew.
My YouTube Channel contains numerous homemade Thai football videos, as well as a wide range of content covering all aspects of life in the Land of Smiles, including the one in which we visited the Southern Region.
Those of you who have enjoyed reading this article may wish to get hold of a copy of my book, which covers the adventure, along with dealing with the language barrier and understanding Thai culture. It is available in paperback and on Kindle.
Ground: ESP Stadium (Grakcu United Stadium) Capacity: 2,000 Club Founded: 2000 League: Pending (current level)
Bangkok has no shortage of amateur football clubs, some of whom play in local competition, some just in friendlies. Others, such as AES Moonlight, enter the Thai FA Cup.
Who are AES Moonlight?
AES
Moonlight FC is an amateur football club in the Thai capital of Bangkok, which was originally formed as Lucid Dreams AES in 2020. They played home games at Airport
Stadium in Division 5 of the Bangkok Premier League.
AES is a
Bangkok-based engineering company that sponsored the club, which then became part of
the Thonburi City FC club, playing as a second side in Division 3 of the same
competition. In July 2022, the club changed its title from Thonburi City AES to AES
Moonlight.
Owner
Sorawit Pop Sueyouyong decided that they should become independent once again, with many home games shifted to Grakcu Stadium in Sai Mai as the club competed
in the Thai FA Cup in the 2021-22 season, hammering TK Academy in the
Qualifying Round.
The club
continued to play in the Bangkok Premier League until the end of the 2023-24
season. From September 2024, they played in the Greenfield Super League.
My visits
Camp
1001/Greenkeeper
As Thonburi City SEA
Thonburi
City SEA 4 SPA Srongpol 0
Sunday 24th April 2022
Bangkok Premier League
Division 3
👨👨👧👧 c25 🎟️ Free
A 6pm
fixture up Hathai Rat Road, a fifteen-minute taxi ride from Minburi, was just the job for my mate Steve and me to watch some football after I had dropped off my laptop for repairs at Fashion Island
Mall. Once nourished with some food, we commandeered a taxi.
The match
was played at the home ground of Srongpol, which AES also used, with the main
issue at night of Camp 1001 being the number of mosquitoes. This was because it was located by greenery and water. We made sure that we applied plenty of repellent on a hot, sticky night.
A Warm Welcome and a Decent Game
We received
the usual friendly welcome from the Srongpol guys, who were the first team I had
seen in action after moving full-time to Bangkok when they gave me a training
shirt as a welcome gift. Not something I can imagine happening in England.
We were
treated to a reasonable game at a tightly enclosed venue I had grown to like.
To be honest, we expected an easy AES victory after seeing SPA take a proper
drubbing in Nong Chok against AUU Dream Team earlier in the month.
As it
transpired, Srongpol had become more organised and put up a decent show, though
goals from Panupong Chanhom, Metha Sirisuwansit, Kittipong Sunarak, and
Phumiphat Exists made the 4-0 score about right.
Post-Match Beers
Post-match, we decided to seek out The Craft House, for which I had been given a tip
when visiting a bar on Seri Thai Road. Craft beer was indeed available in cans
and bottles with a decent range to choose from.
It was a
sensible visit on this occasion, with prices being at the higher end of the
scale, but we vowed to return to the establishment on Thai Raman Alley, which we
did after a game a mile or so north, a few weeks later. Now that was a long and
expensive do!
FA Cup action after a name change to AES Moonlight
Grakcu
Stadium
AES
Moonlight 6 TK Academy 2
Wednesday 28th September 2022
Thai FA Cup
Qualification Round
👨👨👧👧 50 🎟️ Free
The early
stages of the FA Cup threw up some interesting ties spread over two
consecutive Wednesdays. Having looked through my options, while being aware that I was
picking my pal Jarvo up from Suvarnabhumi that evening, I wanted something
relatively local.
This game at
Grakcu Stadium, hired by Moonlight for the occasion, fitted the bill perfectly.
I had seen Moonlight in action a few weeks earlier at Alpine Football Camp Training but didn’t realise at the time that they were previously known as Thonburi City AES.
Getting to the Stadium
My van
driver from the Minburi terminus was a bit on the tetchy side, so I ended up getting out far too early
along Ram Inthra, necessitating a walk to Wat Phra Sri Mahathat BTS station, where a free sky train ride took me to Saphan Mai.
A songthaew
took me in the right direction, thanks to the advice of helpful locals. I got out and walked the
final mile, arriving as the teams were ready to take the pitch.
Admission was free, and I took up a place in the far stand with the visiting
entourage from Nakhon Ratchasima.
Tricky Surface
The pitch
was boggy from the outset and cut up badly as the match proceeded, leading to
plenty of errors from both sides and an entertaining encounter. In the early
exchanges, the “home” player Kittiiphong Areerak had a shot easily saved by
Chanayut Tosanthia.
Manuchet
Wansa looked strong down the right for AES from the off, as did Damrong Aiemdang
up front. Areerak set up Wansa, who should have scored but fired over in a good
position. Despite their good start, it was TK Academy who took the lead.
An FA Cup Shock?
An innocuous
free kick from skipper Kritsada Phinsanthia found Teerapong JomKor at the back
post, who controlled and scored with his shot, taking a slight deflection on the
way past custodian Kittin Uttsan on eleven minutes.
Moonlight
responded as Sathian Rairat saw his shot from long range saved. The young
academy lads were holding a good defensive line but were lacking in physical
strength, which would be their undoing when Wansa was too quick and strong as he
latched onto a through ball to restore parity after swapping to the left, in a
game-changing move.
Normal Order Restored
He put his
side ahead a couple of minutes later, before the half-hour mark, when his strong
low shot was too powerful for Tosanthia. A fine move extended the lead when a
crossfield ball by Wansa picked out Rairat, who fed Komin Samadpattanakit, whose
low cross was controlled and smashed home by Aiemdang.
The
generally unconvincing Tosanthia made a decent save to deny Samadpattanakit
before TK responded with both Apichart Chinsranot and Annop Meephu with a
free kick. At the interval, I popped to the Grakcu shop for a beer, where their
academy coaches were preparing to welcome graduates on the second pitch.
Wansa
completed his hat-trick three minutes after the restart when too strong for his
marker before finishing coolly. The Academy contingent around me seemed resigned
to their fate, but I guess they could take pride in competing in the
competition.
Referee
Thapana Thaworn played an excellent advantage to allow a move to continue, with
Samadpattanakit being denied by the feet of Tosanthia. Senior visitor
Phinsanthia saw a free kick pushed onto the angle of the post and bar by Uttsan
as his side continued to rally.
A Rout
It became
5-1 when more good football ended in a cutback from Areerak for Wansa to smash
home his fourth of the afternoon in the gloom after sixty-seven minutes.
Aiemdang hit the frame of the goal with Wansa seeing his shot saved from the
rebound as the pressure continued.
The sixth
Moonlight goal was an absolute belter from all of thirty yards when a dipping, swerving thunderbolt from Rairat beat Tosanthia all ends up. TK gained a
consolation eight minutes from time through a fine JomKor effort.
Big Night Beckons
At full time, I somehow managed to squeeze onto a songthaew out on the main road back to the
BTS before chaos ensued when I alighted. There was a queue for the bus, so when
a 95 arrived, I was happy to get on board. Only to realise it didn’t go to
Minburi, but it cut off down Nawamin Road.
A taxi took
me the rest of the way through murderous traffic, leaving me time for a quick
change and shower, a beer at my favourite local bar, before taking a taxi to
the airport to greet my friend and then get stuck into a proper session. A
grand day out.
