The rise of local football clubs

In Thailand, football competitions date back over a century; the first match was organised in 1900. It wasn't until 1996 that a professional league was created, however. Dubbed the 'Thailand Soccer League,’ it was renamed the ’Thailand Premier League,’ a title that was later shortened, becoming the 'Thai Premier League’ and finally the 'Thai League.' In the past, professional football clubs were mostly concentrated in and around Bangkok but in 1999, the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) organised a 'Provincial League' competition at the regional level.  In 2002, it became known as the 'Professional League.' Later, in 2006, Chonburi FC and Suphanburi FC left it to join the Thailand Premier League. Finally, in 2007, the 'Professional League' was merged with the 'Thailand Premier League' and 'Thai League Division 1.’

After the reorganisation, more provincial teams began participating in professional competitions, giving rise to local enthusiasts who turned the sport into both a weekend recreational activity and a boost for local economy. And this, in turn, prompted local and national political figures to become involved in team management. They perceived that football could be used as a tool to build close relations with local constituencies.  Supporting and owning local football clubs was also a way for them to create favourable public images.

Local teams are very much a point of pride for their home communities. As representatives of the community, their successes and failures affect local feelings. At the local level, football is also a business as well as a sport. Successful teams boost local economy by increasing business opportunities and encouraging  investments. Many believe that the game has the potential to bring prosperity to local areas.

The Buriram Model

The Buriram Stadium (known for sponsorship purposes as Chang Arena) is the home of Buriram United. Its nickname is "The Thunder Castle". (source: BURIRAM UNITED)

The Buriram provincial football club serves as an important model for local team development.  In a 2016 study ‘The Role of Buriram United Football Club in Developing Buriram Province, Rattachart Tasanai and Woradej Chantarason document how the club successfully fostered economic development in one of Thailand’s poorer provinces between 2009-2015. They conclude that the role of the club was far more important than various state-funded provincial development schemes and policies.

Prior to the establishment of Buriram United, provincial GDP averaged 41,368 million baht and was growing at around 7% a year. After Newin Chidchob established the club in 2009, Buriram’s GDP rose to 67,388 million baht, with annual growth rising to 10% per year. Before the club, annual per capita income stood at 30,153 baht.  Afterwards, it rose to 53,000.

Part of this increase came from football-related tourism. Before 2009, around 600,000 visitors travelled to Buriram each. After Buriram United was established, the number increased from 879,452 in 2009 to 1,186,759 in 2013.  Tourist-related income rose as well - from an estimated 808.48 million baht to 1,659.79 million baht in 2013. In 2014, data on domestic tourism from Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) showed that Buriram had become one of country’s top five provincial tourist destinations.

Because of such outcomes, Buriram has inspired other communities looking to create their own football teams. The role played by Newin Chidchob and his Bhumjaithai Party, long a part of ruling government coalition, in developing the team could make the Buriram phenomena unique, however.  Can local areas without a “Newin” succeed?

Some structural obstacles

Football players and supporters from Khelang United

Kittipong Thepkam, the president of Khelang United, is not so sure. In an interview with The Glocal in late 2023, he explained that local football teams, even those with a lot of stakeholders, receive less support than national-level teams. To address the problem, he feels there should be local administrators with the authority to allocate budgets and establish policies related to sports through the provincial sports associations, which are government agencies.  This, he believes, would be better than leaving club management to the comparatively powerless private sector with its own vested and (often conflicting) interests in income generation.

He recognises that state support would need to be limited to professional clubs. “To be fair, a local club would have to demonstrate its achievements to receive support,” he said. By way of example, he explained that the Khelang United 7-man team initially competed in Thailand A Major, an amateur league. Playing in the Northern region, they were eventually able to compete in Thai League 3, a professional network that in the past only had Lampang F.C.

“After competing in numerous matches, these amateur football players developed skills and wanted to participate in professional leagues. In the past, they played for many teams, including Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, but they wanted to have a team in Lampang to play for. So I founded one, and we entered matches under the name Khelang United.”

Kittipong said that his current goal is to make football popular locally, using the team to foster localism, by having football players and people in the community work together like a family. “We came up 2 ranks. We are making progress year by year.  As long as we don’t do too badly, we’re okay. In professional football, that counts as success,” Kittipong said.

Thanat Thammakaew, the co-founder of Khunhan United, has similar hopes.  He told us about founding his club at Ta Eak village in Srisaket, a place with a strong sports culture that included kickboxing and football.  In 2009, he set up a football academy for area youth and decided to establish a football club in support of it.

Believing that sports is about social and economic development, he invited a number of friends and former football players from the Bangkok Bank F.C. to run the football club with him.  Khunhan is a large district and he hopes that running a club there will create alternative career paths for area youth.

Obstacles remain, however.  According to Thanat, problems arise when holding competitions and basic infrastructure is still often lacking.  To meet international standards, he thinks the state should invest in the industry, providing support for training and the construction of football fields. He believes this would also be a way to boost local economy.

In the early years, other teams and leagues reportedly had similar problems. To obtain certification, teams had to submit videos and documentation because the Football Association of Thailand’s league committee refused to do onsite inspections.  This created problems for many clubs, particularly in the Northeast.  Many felt the Association’s decisions were arbitrary and unfair.

Historically, there seemingly has been an imbalance between football's centre and its periphery.  Or so says Assoc. Prof. Pinyapan Potjanalawan, a lecturer in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Lampang Rajabhat University.  A co-author of ‘Before Thai Football goes International’ (‘(ก่อน) บอลไทยจะไปบอลโลก’), he points out that big clubs with resources and political connections dominate the industry while rural teams without patrons are powerless to negotiate with the Football Association.

“It is exactly the same problem that comes with business monopolies … wealth concentrates and poverty spreads … the industry grows in Buriram, in places with money and connections. There is a of lack of balance, a lack of negotiating power, unequal access to resources – in the end it’s not only the league that is distorted, its the whole football industry,” Pinyapan said.

To grow, local teams need support to toughen up

Kittipong thinks that football should have a foundation in the community.  It should start with children in primary schools. There should be special classes, tournaments and activities for them to absorb the atmosphere and play football, in amateur and national-level competitions and later, after placement on the national team. He feels the whole thing should start in schools and local communities.

According to Kittipong, Khelang United has an academy for children 10 years and up but training is provided to kids as young as 6. The hope is to inspire Lampang children to become interested in football. He wants kids born and raised in there to join the academy and team.

“I don’t want them to go elsewhere. If we raise them up they’ll be attached to the team. We’ll get more than just their skills; we’ll get their hearts, the feeling of being part of the team, and also receive the support of locals, their families,” Kittipong said.

Kittipong also thinks that as the Football Association of Thailand sets policies for league plans, it should take the lead in developing youth football. This could be done with supporting budgets for youth leagues.  They could also find ways for clubs to make income and create training academies.

It is wishful thinking.  “These days, the Association does almost nothing, leaving clubs to manage things on their own,” Kittipong said.

Thanat Thammakaew, co-founder of Khunhan United FC in Sisaket Province,  agrees that state agencies should play a part in improving the industry, beginning at the academy level. This could include supporting children who like sports and hiring quality coaches with a knowledge of nutrition and physiology.  He believes that if academies and clubs get sufficient support, they could turn out a steady stream of quality football players - good for the national team and good for a country with lots of coaches seeking jobs.

Thanat believes that football fields and football-related activities in rural areas create economic opportunities for local districts. Putting a field in Khunhan United’s home district and helping them to establish an amateur league which competes the whole year round would see people coming to watch matches every week. And around the stadium, people would be buying and selling things. State planning and action could help local economies and lift local players into the big leagues.