The Remarkable Rise of Rasisalai United

 

The Remarkable Rise of Rasisalai United

My tribute as a regular attendee to Rasisalai United, a club that has achieved great things in a relatively short time. 

Written April 2026

When Nuchanart (Nuch) Jaruwongsatian set about forming Rasisalai United as a youth side back in 2019, I don’t suppose she thought that, realistically, seven years later, her little club would be playing in the top tier of Thai football against the likes of Buriram United, BG Pathum United and Port FC.

But that’s the reality. It’s an amazing story which shows that staying loyal to local players with a real affinity to the club and their teammates, and then astute foreign signings, can make a world of difference and elevate a well-run side all the way to the summit.

It’s even more astonishing a story when considering that for their first two years, football was severely disrupted by the pandemic. However, the Thailand Amateur League, which was shoehorned into the middle months of 2022, offered a sense of what success felt like to the Monkey Kings, as Rasi are nicknamed.

A 3-0 win against Roi-Et 2018 on their opponents' home pitch sent Rasisalai into the Thai League 3 for the following season. Momentum continued to build, as they then defeated Kongkrilas United, Warship United, and Muang Trang United in the final to become national amateur champions.

Sisaket SAT Stadium under the lights

Their home leg in the showpiece was played at Sri Nakhon Lamduan Stadium, home of province neighbours, Sisaket United, before the club became tenants at the SAT Stadium, once among the provincial ranks.

I have used the word, neighbours advisedly, as Sisaket is somewhat of a throwback to how football used to be in many English cities where two clubs existed. Rasi do not have a sufficient venue in their hometown, around 40-minutes away on the banks of the River Mun, meaning that they play in the capital of the province, with football fans going to watch whoever is at home.

While segregation is in place at the derby games, there is little need for it as everyone gets on, with many cheering for the side on the other side of the fence the following week.

In their debut season in the league, Rasi finished third and dashed the title hopes of Sisaket with a 1-0 home win. Sisaket went on to win T3 Northeast in 2023-24, along with promotion, while Rasi ended in a disappointing eighth place. Just 69 fans attended their home match on a Wednesday afternoon against Muang Loei United, with many of those attending leaving at the interval to watch Sisaket take on Khon Kaen Mordingdang in the later kick-off.

Action under the Tower. It sure beats Blackpool

Nuch made a superb appointment ahead of the 2024-25 campaign when coach Arnon Bandasak was brought in. He signed his former star from his time at Phitsanulok, the veteran forward, Gilberto Macena. Defender Ramon Mesquita, another player with vast experience, was signed to skipper the side, while fellow Brazilian Alberto Gouvea smashed away the goals.

We met Alberto as a fellow spectator at the opening Sisaket match of the season, and he pronounced he would score lots of goals. He wasn’t joking. Rasisalai simply blew away opponent after opponent with their fast-attacking play. Some of their matches were truly brilliant, including an amazing win against Pattani in the playoffs, which went a long way to securing promotion before the T3 national title was secured against Songkhla.

The atmosphere at the two derby games and the crowds of over 4,000 were simply breathtaking, with a real party atmosphere and superb action on the pitch. There is little wonder that interest continued to develop throughout the season as to what was going on in the northeast.

The team bus

One of the great joys of watching Rasisalai is their vulnerability at the back, which means they attack even more. The incredible 2025-26 season has seen them promoted with four games to spare. Teams simply have no answer despite often scoring and being on top for parts of a game. The only times that Rasi have looked vulnerable have been in the derby against Sisaket, with Ramon missing in the away defeat, and when injuries have depleted important areas.

The real key behind their success, alongside the astute foreign signings and veteran goalkeeper Sakkongpop Sukprasert, is the midfield twins of Nattapon and Natchanon Yongsakool. Indeed, when studying the teamsheet from the Amateur final of 2022, it is interesting to note that six of the side are still regulars, having gone through the divisions and learned together as friends. 

Bids were turned down for the twins, who have both missed games through injury when the only slight wobble occurred. They are dynamic, skilful, dangerous from set pieces and a joy to watch from a very special vantage position.

My friend John, who I watch Sisaket and Rasi, is a member of the gym where the Rasisalai players train. He's got to know them and coach Arnon, as well as the partners of some of the team and their offspring. In T3, we would simply choose the best seat in the main stand, which happened to be in the VIP area, with no questions asked, because stewarding wasn't required. We've continued to sit there around the dignitaries and those connected with the club, including Arnon when he served a touchline ban.

We sit somewhere in there

While I'm no fan of corporate seating as I prefer to be candid, have a good drink, and enjoy a match without watching my P's and Q's, it has been fun watching a season play out among those who have a far greater interest. Sure, I am delighted that Rasi have gone up, but I would have preferred Sisaket to pip them to the title. Whether Sisaket will join Rasisalai in the top-flight next season hangs in the balance as I pen this piece.

Huge credit too must go to Nuch. It’s fair to say that she can become emotional at times and will serve a ban until the end of the season for her antics against Pattaya United. But she has created a club with a lovely atmosphere that appeals to more youngsters than traditionalists. And she certainly cares. She is friendly to everyone who attends and will be sure to get plenty of attention next season.

The club sells lots of merchandise. The adoption of green and white hoops as an away kit has seen unprecedented sales. Ticket prices have remained at 60 Baht since winning promotion to T3, which has seen crowds grow with the entertainment on show offering outstanding value for money.

How will Rasi cope in T1? It’s difficult to assess, as one potential pointer is unavailable, as the club didn’t enter either domestic cup this season. As the quarter finals of the League Cup have shown, there is a massive gulf between T2 and the top-flight, with three sides around the playoffs being well beaten by higher-grade opposition.

Will there be enough money to sign the seven foreigners allowed in T1, and who will be doing the recruiting? Again, these are unknowns that we’ll have to wait to find out. What is for sure is that the meteoric rise of Rasisalai has been wonderful to watch, and there’ll be more fun yet to come.

 

Sukhothai

Sukhothai FC is a professional football club from the northern Thai city of Sukhothai Thani, which was formed in 2009, initially playing their home games at Sukhothai Institute of Physical Education Stadium.

The club, coached by Chusak Sriphum, was awarded a place in the Regional League Division 2 Northern Region, finishing seventh. The side remained in mid-table or lower positions for several seasons before ending third in 2013.

 

Big changes came in 2014 as the club moved into the new Thalay Luang Stadium. The regional title was clinched, followed by promotion from Group B of the playoffs, taking the Fire Bats to a place in the second-tier Division 1.

The prolific Felipe Ferreira scored the goals as Sukhothai won promotion at the first attempt, for the side led by Somchai Chuayboonchum, who had succeeded Somchai Makmool. Renan Marques was the top marksman of an incredible 2016 season.

 

The side consolidated their league standing at the top level of Thai football, as well as lifting the FA Cup. The club were awarded the accolade when the competition was abandoned at the semifinal stage owing to the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. All four remaining sides became joint winners.

However, Sukhothai won the draw to represent Thailand in the AFC Champions League in 2017, where they defeated Yadanarbon of Myanmar before losing the playoff round to Chinese side Shanghai SIPG.

 

The legendary John Baggio then began to make his mark in the team after coach Makmool was reappointed, before he was replaced by Pairoj Borwonwatanadilok. In May 2018, Chalermwoot Sa-ngapol was given the job as his side ended in eleventh spot with Nelson Bonilla putting away the goals.

In October 2018, Ljubomir Ristovski was appointed as Sukhothai head coach before he was replaced by a returning Pairoj before the end of the 2019 season. Thai football changed to the European calendar in 2020-21, with the goals of Baggio not being enough to prevent relegation for the side led by Surapong Kongthep. 

Osman Sow made his mark up front for the Fire Bats in 2021-22 as the side won promotion back to Thai League 1 at the first attempt under the tutelage of coach Dennis Amato. The team stayed up before the German tactician moved on.

Chusak Sriphum came in to lead the team for 2023-24 before he was replaced by Sugao Kambe a few months in. A returning Bonilla scored the goals to help Sukhothai remain safe, despite some disharmony on and off the pitch, with fans being upset with the club owners.

Aktaporn Chalitaporn was given the job of head coach in June 2024, as the consistent Baggio, in his second spell at the club, joined in the goalscoring effort by Matheus Fornazari. Ekalak Thong-am was appointed as the Sukhothai head coach in March 2026.

Sukhothai FC will play in the Thai League 1 in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Sukhothai 1 Buriram United 2 (Sunday 6th April 2025) Thai League 1 (att: 6,095) 

One of the great pleasures of watching football has become my involvement in A Thai Football Podcast. The weekly airing encourages all sorts of topics of conversation, with match reports from wherever anyone wants to send one in being welcomed.

Dale, who does an incredible job putting it together, has found contacts from goodness knows where, which has led to friendships being made with other like-minded individuals when catching up whenever visiting different parts of the country. Bill Greaves is a prime example. 

Bill, with his Aberdonian and Canadian drawl, sends in some cracking reports full of humour and smart observations. When my wife, Taew, looked at routes to return from the annual Chiang Mai Cricket Sixes, the fixtures, and destinations aligned perfectly, also offering the chance to see historic Sukhothai as part of our road trip.

Bill, through Dale, got in touch and we enjoyed a phone chat a week before we met up, with his good lady, Toy, sorting out the match tickets. Taew drove us down on Sunday morning along a scenic route, before we checked into our rather underwhelming resort, much to her disappointment. 

My Roving Report for A Thai Football Podcast

Not to worry, after a siesta, we were soon meeting our hosts in a noodle shop for a quick beer. Bill’s original suggestion to go for a burger was scuppered as AJ’s was shut, as was his alternative plan. He didn’t seem too upset as he enjoyed being at the Thalay Luang Stadium with lots of time to spare.

The couple could not have been more friendly or helpful. I had a wander about for photos before returning to the car, which had been parked next to by other hospitable regulars as a small tailgate party ensued with food and drink purchased from the decent choice of stores. 

I did my stuff for the podcast with Bill offering his thoughts before he and Dtoy went inside a little before us, so that he could manage the steps to our seat before it got busy. The atmosphere was building once we joined them, with beers and the spicy local thin sausage, which I quickly took a liking to.

The stadium was also to my approval, with magnificent views of the mountains in the distance and seats close to the pitch without a running track. The locals were out in force and made a proper din against the big boys of Thai football, who were firm favourites to win against their mid-table opposition. 

Love or dislike Buriram, they are an outstanding example of what money can provide with star players, by far the biggest club stadium in the country, and honours galore. The way that referees seemingly bend towards them is another matter, but not unique to Thailand in the way the most powerful are accommodated.

The first half saw almost incessant Buriram pressure. A couple of scrambles in the home area somehow saw the ball being kept out by a mixture of desperation, luck, brave defending, erratic goalkeeping from understudy Supazin Hnupichai, and poor finishing. It was not dull.

The home Fire Bats were either about to be eaten up or come up with the greatest ‘rope a dope’ performance ever. The tiny John Baggio and giant Matheus Fornazari formed an unlikely double act, but on occasions, they caused concern to the visiting rearguard.

It was like an FA Cup tie back home, watching a non-league side take on a team from several divisions higher. That’s how much of a gulf there can be at times in Thai football. That said, at 0-0, Sukhothai always had a chance of a breakaway to snatch a win that would have made for the perfect evening. 

Soon into the second half, Supazin made a super save from which Supachai Chaided blasted the rebound over. A local friend of Bill was not enamoured by the number of foreigners taking the field for Buriram. They are not a Thai club was the gist of his observations.

The deadlock was broken in the fiftieth minute, as the impressive Jefferson Tabinas went on another forceful run down the left-hand side. His powerful cross was put away by substitute Suphanat Mueanta for star-studded Buriram. Shortly after, Goran Čaušić saw a shot smash off the top of the crossbar. 

In the sixty-fifth minute, the reigning champions doubled their advantage. Sukhothai lost the ball in midfield, where it was quickly swept wide on the right. The cross was chested home by Martin Boakye, with my thoughts being on the rest of the game being a case a damage limitation.

The man beside us was further narked when Buriram introduced another foreign star, Guilherme Bissoli, into the action. His team didn’t stop believing and grabbed a goal in stoppage time when the ball was dragged back for Hikaru Matsui to fire past goalie    Neil Etheridge.

However, there was not enough time to raise any more attacks, with the result being about the right outcome. Nobody could accuse the Sukhothai players of not giving their all, but they were beaten by a better side, who edged closer to the title.

We still had plenty to look forward to. Our match tickets gave free admission to a concert in the park behind the goal, which would see the extremely popular Thai band, Clash, playing. Off we went as best we could through the crowds, losing our hosts when we got split up. 

Eventually, we were inside the fenced-off area, but just as the band began to play, the heavens opened, and huge winds blew across the open space. It got very cold, wet, and dangerous, very quickly. It was scary for a while.

Particularly as the poles holding the large Chang beer banners began toppling over, and Bill, in a seat, would not be able to get out of the way. We protected him as best as we could with my large body attempting to perform as a wind break while Taew used an umbrella over him as Toy went to retrieve the car. 

The gig was abandoned, leading to chaos as everyone wanted to leave at the same time. Dtoy managed to get the car near, and I forced open the fencing so my friend could access it quickly. We had a giggle inside the vehicle, but it had been quite an experience.

The traffic back towards the main roads was horrendous, taking us well over an hour before Toy deposited us at the end of the lane by our accommodation. I had a coffee to warm up before bed.

The following morning, we had breakfast and covered the sites of the historical park without paying to go inside them. It was a pleasant little tour offering me some excellent video footage, before we headed to Kamphaeng Phet to meet more friends for another lovely few hours.

Our thanks go to Bill and Toy for their hospitality and for making the visit so special.

Kamphaengphet

Kamphaengphet FC is a professional football club that was formed in 2009 to represent the Thai province of Kamphaeng Phet in the upper central region of the country. 

The club took up immediate residence at the Kamphaeng Phet Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO) Stadium, otherwise known as Chakangrao Central Stadium in the centre of town, becoming members of the third-tier Regional League Division 2 Northern Region.

In their first three seasons, the ‘Cha Kung Rao Warriors’ finished in the lower reaches of the division before ending in sixth place in 2012, before slipping back down the table over the following three campaigns.

A runners-up finish in 2016 earned the club a place in the Champions League playoffs, in which they saw off Ayutthaya Warrior before falling to Surat Thani. When the Thai football league structure was amended in 2017, Kamphaengphet were placed in Thai League 3 Upper Region.

Otsu Kazutaka top-scored as the side ended in eleventh place. This performance was repeated a year later with Badar Al-Alawi topping the goals charts. Kawin Nuanthat then became the fans' favourite forward for a couple of seasons.

The first ended in eighth place before the Thai League was again restructured with the calendar following that of Europe. 2020-21 in Thai League 3 North saw the side finish ninth under coach Saksan Siripong.

Sakdinan Makmuang was put in charge of the team the following season, which again ended in a lowly position, with Punyaphat Autha top scoring. A third consecutive ninth place ensued in 2022-23. The goals were supplied by Kaung Htet Soe and Khwanchai Bunprakhom as former coach Saksan returned.

Natthaphon Yueayai led the way up front in 2023-24 before Khwanchai found his old touch in 2024-25, as the team completed a remarkable fifth consecutive ninth-place finish. He continued his scoring run the following season, first under Saksan Siripong and then Sakdinan Makmuang as Kamphaengphet finished one place above relegation.

Kamphaengphet FC will play in Thai League 3 North in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Monday 7th April 2025

Never being one to miss an opportunity, a visit to see friends in Kamphaeng Phet saw an early arrival in the town after a wonderful previous day and following morning in Sukhothai as part of our road trip from Chiang Mai to Sisaket.

 

The reason that Kamphaeng Phet was chosen was that an old journalist friend, Alan Parkhouse, who had been of great assistance when I covered cricket media duties at various tournaments in Thailand, was now living there. Even better, he and his good lady, Phung, had got married a few days earlier.

The historic park and area around the city shrine provided an immediate positive impression, as did the Chakangrao Central Stadium. It was positioned just over the road from the Ping River, offering a great location. 

Inside the arena, I was most impressed with how the original raised main stand had two large, covered extensions on either side of it, making it stand out from many other such provincial municipal venues that also have running tracks.

Opposite stood an open, raised terrace, while an unusually large detached block occupied one corner, as was also the case when I visited Phitsanulok. That end of the venue had a High School behind it, providing an enclosed feel.

Happy with my photography and making a clip towards my YouTube video of the adventure, I rejoined my ever-obliging wife, Taew, for the short drive, which entailed crossing the river and finding the majestic Mango House Resort & Café, our refuge for the night.

A quality lunch and then catch up with food with Alan and Phung ensued before we caught up with them at their place the following morning, which will see their steakhouse open in a pleasant area near the golf course. Hopefully, a return was being planned by the ladies, which would include me seeing a football game!

Uttaradit

Uttaradit FC, or TPF Uttaradit FC to give them their sponsored name, is a professional football club from the Thai city of the same name in the north of the country. The club was formed in 2009, playing their home games at Uttaradit Province Stadium.

The ‘Fighting Cocks’, as they were originally nicknamed, joined the Regional League Division 2 Northern Region with Atithep Yoosawad appointed as coach, finishing fourth in their debut campaign. 

That was repeated in 2011, after a season playing at Uttaradit Rajabhat University Stadium, before returning to their original venue. Twelve months later, playing under the name Uttaradit-Morseng, the team finished in seventh position. Finishing third bottom was considered a disappointment in 2013.

Three more midtable endings were then accumulated, with Noh Hyeong-cheol top scoring in 2016. The South Korean continued his scoring form in 2017, which saw Uttaradit compete in Thai League 4 North following league restructuring, finishing fourth in the table. 

Diarra Aboubacar Sidick, the Ivorian striker, would lead Uttaradit to the regional title in 2018. However, the side fared badly in the Champions League playoffs. They regrouped under head coach Vorrakorn Vijannarong in 2019 with the goals of Giuberty Silva Neves helping the team retain their title.

Again, the playoffs ended in disappointment for the ‘Broken Sword’. After another reorganisation of the lower tiers, Uttaradit were placed in Thai League 3 North in 2020-21, with the playing calendar being aligned with that in Europe. The team ended in fourth position.

 

Chatchai Narkwijit put away the chances in 2021-22 as Uttaradit Saksiam, as they were known under a sponsorship deal, finished seventh after Chumnan Pharkunthud had been appointed as head coach during the season.

Chaiwat Puengsiri took charge of the side at the start of the 2022-23 campaign, as the goals of Phufah Chuenkomrak helped the side to a runners-up finish. The playoffs ended in disappointment. The TPF backing of the club was put in place before the 2024-25 season, as Nitipong Saiyasit was named as head coach.

He was replaced by Sorrasak Ratson for the following campaign before Theerawekin Seehawong took over in January 2026. Within a few matches, however, Anucha Chaiwong was appointed as Uttaradit reached the playoffs.

Uttaradit FC will play in Thai League 3 North in the 2025-26 season. 

My visit

Tuesday 25th March 2025

The opportunity to visit the Province Stadium in Uttaradit came about as my wife Taew and I were staying at the far side of the town on our final stop of a four-day road adventure from Sisaket to Chiang Mai.

We’d already enjoyed the delights of an overnight stop in Loei, where I took in the Saturday night match against Surin City, before a wonderful two nights in Chiang Khan, which offered lots of fun and relaxation.

The road to our strategic destination for the evening was dramatic at times, with plenty of mountainous roads being travelled along. The scenery in parts was not unlike deepest Wales or the Highlands of Scotland. Good for me, but undoubtedly more testing for my good lady behind the wheel.

The stadium impressed me when we turned into the complex off the main road. The main stand was better than most, boosted by smart individual seats on its raised deck. The raised open area opposite was more in keeping with other similar venues. The trees that surrounded the arena gave it an enclosed feel.

Once I had completed my videoing and photography, we headed to check in at our resort before taking in some local attractions. Food was obtained at a quaint department store to take back as we enjoyed a relaxed evening before the final leg of our trip the following morning.

Muang Loei United

Muang Loei United FC is a professional club which represents the city of Loei, located in the Isan region of northeast Thailand. The club’s origins go back to 2012, when they were formed as Wang Saphung Municipality FC.

At that time, another club, Loei City, were in existence, playing at the Provincial Stadium in the centre of the city. Wang Saphung won the fourth-tier Thai Division 3 Tournament North Eastern Region in 2016, beating TWD Tanaytum 6-0 in the final.

When the national league structure was reorganised for the 2017 season, the club was placed in Thai League 4 Northeast with home games played at Wang Saphung Stadium. They ended the campaign in the playoff positions with Malagasy forward Carlos leading the scoring. Muangkan United ended any dreams of promotion.

Inspired by the goals of Chawin Thirawatsri, the Se-Lai Warriors claimed the regional title a year later, with their Champions League playoff campaign leading to a match to decide the third promoted club. North Bangkok University won the tie over two legs.

Wittaya Thanawatcharasanti put the goals away in 2019, which also saw Loei finish top of their regional division. This time, Pathumthani University were defeated in the third-place game to see United win promotion under head coach Chumnan Pharkunthud.

However, the Thai League once again restructured and turned to the European calendar for 2020-21. Loei were placed in Thai League 3 Northeast with the club moving to Loei Provincial Stadium. 

Diarra Junior Aboubacar put away the chances as the side ended as divisional runners-up, with the playoffs being best forgotten about. 2021-22 saw a third regional title being collected by United as Yossagorn Silaket arrived as the new head coach before he was replaced by Teeratada Chamrus.

The club moved to Ruamjai Stadium, Loei Rajabhat University, at the start of the season, with the team falling short once more in their playoff campaign after Amporn Chaipong had led the scoring. Ibrahim Konaré took over goalscoring responsibilities in 2022-23 with Pradya Sitti being appointed head coach. 

Santi Polcha arrived to take over team affairs before the end of the season, before he was succeeded by Pratan Senala for the start of the 2023-24 campaign. Sitti returned for a second spell as the season petered out disappointingly, with Loei ending it in sixth position.

Theeraphon Tungdee was brought in as coach at the start of 2024-25 before being replaced by Kistachai Wongsim. The club announced a move to the Loei PAO Stadium in the city centre for the 2025-26 season as Tana Chanabut came in as head coach, under whom the side reached the playoffs.

Muang Loei United FC will play in Thai League 3 Northeast in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Muang Loei United 1 Surin City 1 (Saturday 22nd March 2025) Thai League 3 Northeast (att: 120)

The chance to take in a game in Loei was possible thanks to a sensible suggestion to Taew, my wife. We were scheduled to drive to Chiang Khan in the same province the following day. It was an eight-hour trek, and although we were to stay there for two nights, I wanted to make the most of it.

She was happy to head to Loei a day earlier to have a look at that city and then arrive by the Mekong at lunchtime on Sunday. We were going on an exhausting trip to the annual Sixes cricket at Chiang Mai, and I wanted us to be able to relax and enjoy it rather than it being an ordeal.

My Roving Report for A Thai Football Podcast

We arrived in the early afternoon and checked into the excellent Sukjai Grand Luxury Boutique Hotel, chosen by my good lady. Her choice was impeccable, not least because it was in easy walking distance from the Rajabhat University Stadium where the match would be kicking off at 6pm.

After a pleasant siesta, I left Taew to relax as I went for a stroll, determined to find a shortcut after crossing the main road and headed along a small road that ran behind the campus. There were numerous little shops and open-fronted restaurants where I should have grabbed the opportunity to sit down for a beer. 

There was a pedestrian gate open to gain access through the wall into the university, saving me a long walk back around. It was still early, so I went for a look around and took some photos before paying my 80 baht admission fee, buying a soft drink and a pot noodle, and sitting inside the stand.

The venue had the usual type of main stand, some open scaffold seating opposite, with a steep banked terrace behind the goal to the left, with nearby buildings giving it an enclosed feel. I’d certainly been to far worse venues. Before kick-off, a gaggle of expats arrived and sat in front of me, carrying beers with them.

Hilariously, despite there not being any rainfall for several weeks, one end of the pitch was close to being waterlogged. The groundsman being distracted when forgetting that the sprinklers were turned on was the only explanation that I could fathom. It certainly added to the entertainment.

The diminutive Kitsana Chitchuea for Loei would impress me all evening, and he went close in the early stages when he had a decent effort saved by visiting custodian Jeerasak Phananut. 

An almighty scramble in the tenth minute almost saw Surin go ahead. It ended with Aphidet Sawaengsuk firing wide. The home side goalie, Panupan Juheang, wasn’t filling me with lots of confidence under the superb floodlights as the crowd gradually grew to what I thought was a higher number than the official declaration. 

Loei went ahead just halfway through the first period. An excellent pass sent Kitsana scurrying down the line before he delivered a beautiful cross to the back post, which was headed home with aplomb by Amporn Chaipong. It took fourteen minutes for Surin to restore parity. 

A lovely left-footed finish from Jattuphon Nueakaew did the job. At the interval, I had a chat with a couple of the expats outside the stand. They were friendly and knew their stuff, offering me some superb travel advice for the following day regarding attractions as well as a lowdown on Loei and the fortunes of their side.

Into the second half, Kitsana slid in and saw his effort come back off the crossbar, with the rebound being wastefully blasted over. Wanthayawut Nuchkasae then headed down only for Winiton Duangchai to blaze his effort over the bar as the hosts ramped up the pressure.

The crowd were treated to an appearance from the experienced Loei sub, Arthit Sunthornphit. The former Thailand international midfielder from his time at Chonburi was still capable of spraying the ball around without doing too much running.

The game petered out in the closing stages. Despite this, I enjoyed what I thought was quite a decent watch, as neither side had anything to play for and consequently took the shackles off. Surin, particularly, had been a turgid team to watch in the past, which came as a pleasant surprise. 

My Grab driver was bang on time, meaning I missed the final minute or so of stoppage time. We collected Taew from the hotel and headed to Walking Street, grabbing some food without being overly captivated.

Just over an hour later, we were back opposite the hotel, sitting outside a bar run by youngsters. They gave us a warm welcome, even if the price they charged me for a small bottle of whisky to take out was on the steep side. 

The advice offered by those at the match was spot on as we enjoyed the Skywalk at Chiang Khan and the other attractions in the pretty riverside town, leaving Loei province with a very favourable impression a few days later.

Pattani

Pattani FC is a professional football club from the Thai southern city of the same name. The ‘Queen Cannons’ were formed in 2009, being admitted into the Regional League Division 2 Southern Region, playing home games at Pattani Municipal Stadium.

The side finished fourth in their debut season, and then one place higher in 2011. A runners-up spot ensued in 2012, with Al Hadji Adamou putting away the goals. Ahmed Toota and then Ahmed Kodmany thrilled the home fans before Elvis Job became the top scorer for two seasons.

That helped Pattani to another second place in 2015. The Thai League system was reorganised for the 2017 season, with the club being placed in Thai League 4 South. Ibrahim Dicko led the scoring chart, which ended in second place. Any chance of promotion was ended in the playoffs by Grakcu Sai Mai United.

Another second regional finish and Champions League playoffs followed in 2019, which ended in promotion partly through the goals of Georgi Tsimakuridze, leading to a place in Thai League 3, However, COVID-19 would then intervene.

Again, the Thai League decided to restructure and follow the European football calendar for the 2020-21 campaign. Chakris Tiaiadyo would lead the scoring for the next two seasons as Pattani found themselves competing in Thai League 3 South.

A couple of disappointing seasons ensued, with the side being led by Maka Hoprasartsuk before he was replaced in the summer of 2021 by Banpot Chaichanadet. Sathot Bensoh was appointed ahead of the 2022-23 season before the arrival of Teeratada Chamrus after the midseason break. 

The goals of Pithak Abdulrahman helped the Gunners to the fourth spot before they improved by one place a year later under head coach Damian Bellon, as Natan Oliveira scored twenty goals. By now, improvements and a name change saw the Rainbow Stadium being rechristened.

A trio of Brazilians looked to push Pattani towards the playoff places in 2024-25. Pattarapol Naprasart was put in charge of the team before he was replaced by Nirun Assawapakdee at the halfway mark of the season.

The Queen Canons reached the playoffs, where they won promotion with a two-legged win against North Bangkok University to reach the second level of Thai football for the first time. Two capacity crowds showed signs of great potential. Harnarong Chunhakunakorn came in as head coach soon into the 2025-26 campaign.

Pattani FC will play in the Thai League 2 in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Friday 3rd January 2025

The latest leg of our tour of Laos and Thailand with my wife, her cousin and his family provided me with an opportunity to call into the Rainbow Stadium to take some photos. It wasn’t in the plans when we set out in the car heading towards Betong, but things changed thanks to a conversation.

I mentioned that if we stayed again in Hat Yai, I’d take the train to watch a game in Pattani. However, Taew had different thoughts on the matter, as she said it was not advisable to travel independently without local guidance.

The south of Thailand had been embroiled in tensions for a couple of decades or more, with bombings and terrorist attacks still taking place. We therefore made a compromise, with Q our guide driving me to the venue. It was probably not an appropriate time to mention our previous away trips in the 80s to the likes of Millwall, Leeds, Stoke, and Middlesbrough, so I kept quiet.

It was quite a nice venue, even if similar to many provincial stadia around the country. Paintwork alone had clearly lifted what is otherwise an open bowl. One side had a roof over the seats, with the rest being open to the elements.

Delighted at the chance to visit a vibrant stadium, it was time to get back underway, continuing on to discover more of the region and its surroundings.