October, 2014
Reply #1 - 3/10/14
Name: Malky
Twitter: @BKKFootballBlog
This should be an interesting topic to kick the Tap Room back into action after a two week break. This is a subject that I’m sure will offer a wide variety of answers from the Tap Room regulars.
I think the three ingredients that are important for most spectators when making a trip to a Thai football stadium are comfort, view of the pitch, and the atmosphere at the stadium. As a sociable beer drinker and somebody who doesn’t own a car, the other things that are significant for me are access to stadia via public transport/taxis and whether or not alcohol is permitted inside the stadium.
I wouldn’t say that I have a particular favorite stadium. There are obviously ones I prefer over others. I’d say the best stadium in Thailand that I’ve visited is Buriram’s I-Mobile. To me it’s a proper football stadium with excellent facilities. I know that fans of visiting teams are generally impressed with their trip to the I-Mobile.
Other recently built venues that I like are PTT Rayong and Chiang Rai United. PTT is slightly difficult to get to without your own transport but Chiang Rai doesn’t have that problem. It’s on the doorstep of the Mae Fah Luang airport where there are plenty of taxis available to take you back into town. Chainat’s Khao Plong stadium is currently undergoing a facelift, yet the rural surroundings of it have a peculiar charm. It also must have the highest ratio of food vendors to fans that I’ve encountered in Thailand.
Moving into my home city Bangkok, the PAT Stadium isn’t the prettiest in the land but there is a magnetism about it that has sucked in many a western fan. The atmosphere is always electric and the close proximity of the fans to the playing surface gives you a great view of the action.
From a selfish point of view, I like the Army Stadium as it is a five minute taxi ride from my home. Also they have relaxed rules and ushering a beer into the stadium is never an issue.
Bangkok Glass and Muangthong have stadiums that I favour too but for some reason every time I go to either of them it pours down and I end up getting stuck in a traffic jam at some point.
The stadiums that I don’t like in the TPL are Bangkok United and BEC Tero. The actual stadium at Tero isn’t too bad but it’s in the middle of nowhere and getting a taxi back home is an onerous task after dusk. I wasn’t keen on their Thephasadin home either despite its central location. The lack of seat legroom and shallow vantage points made it an unenjoyable experience. The Thai-Japanese stadium, home to Bangkok United, lacks everything for me. There is no atmosphere, poor views from most areas within the stadium and no alcoholic beverages allowed inside. Other stadiums I’m not overly keen on are Police United and Ratchaburi. I think I’m reaching the conclusion that I don’t like running tracks!!
However, the worst view I’ve had at any location this season was the away end at TOT. I remember somebody describing it as a dog kennel which isn’t far off the mark. You can basically see the action in one penalty box. It was somewhat annoying too that one of the operative three stands to the left remained empty and closed to spectators.
In the First Division, I’ve never been to Korat, Chiang Mai or Phuket. Nonetheless, they are on my list of stadiums to visit. Looking at the rest in that league, there aren’t any venues that I particularly like or dislike although I must mention that visiting Ang Thong’s stadium was an interesting experience. It is literally stuck in the backwoods.
The stadiums that are least appealing to me are the university stadiums in Bangkok. I get irritated by the handful of fans at these matches who are more concerned about the cheering aspect and posing for Facebook pictures rather than watching the game. Also the grounds usually only have one stand and there are many rules and regulations to follow as you are on the university campus.
Reply #2 - 4/10/14
Name: Del Spafford
Team supported: Army Utd
Twitter: @DelSpaff
I would agree with Malcolm regarding the criteria for a decent stadium.
At Army United we meet all of these and I really look forward to the whole experience of going to the game. The fans there are very accommodating, friendly and welcome the foreign contingent that follow the team. The view we have is excellent, although it would be better without the running track, and the playing surface is great. The prices are very reasonable both for attendance and refreshments and the fact that these refreshments are allowed in the ground is ideal.
I’ve been following Army for a year and a half and try to get out to away games as much as possible. I think that the SCGStadium of MT United has been the most impressive. The atmosphere was great and it is a proper football ground. Getting there and away was fairly easy and we were given a decent view even as away fans. I also enjoyed going out to Bangkok Glass this year. The atmosphere again was great (made better by a positive result) and although there are only three sides the enormity of the stands makes it very imposing. Thai Port was a good atmosphere. Being on top of the action was impressive and I’m looking forward to returning.
On the other end of the scale my least favourite has to be Police United at Thammasat and Bangkok United in Din Daeng. Police United do not benefit from playing in such a huge stadium (Osotspa at Rajamangala deserve a mention here too) as there is a distinct lack of atmosphere. Away fans are behind the goal and although the view isn’t too bad as you can get up high, you do feel miles away from the action. Bangkok United is similar in the respect that there is no atmosphere although this is also compounded by the poor view.
Reply #3 - 5/10/14
Name : Brian Enever
Team supported: Chonburi
Like Malky, I think the view and comfort are probably the most important things I look for in any stadium, with the atmosphere and facilities coming a close second.
Being teetotal I'm not bothered about getting drunk inside the ground but it would be nice to enjoy the odd bottle of water in my seat.
My pet hate are the stadia that have running tracks round the outside of the pitch. While when sitting at the side the view is acceptable I think the lack of interaction between the players and spectators caused by the running track is a big loss, sitting behind the goals is far worse. We (Chonburi) will be behind one goal at the away match at the Army Stadium today (Wednesday) and, for me, it'll be difficult to watch the match properly because of the distance we'll be from the pitch.
So it's no coincidence that the stadia I enjoy going to most are generally dedicated football stadia that don't have running tracks. I also like the I-Mobile Stadium at Buriram. It's a real football stadium with very good views while the atmosphere is electric. The general facilities take some beating as well. I just wish, if they've got 1000 away seats available, they'd only sell 1000 tickets. If they really want to get the extra income and sell 2000 tickets can somebody please explain to them that they must make 2000 seats available, not force everybody to block the access stairs. Muang Thong's stadium also comes into this category, good facilities where the large fan base are on top of the pitch giving a great atmosphere. Unusually, away fans are on one side of the ground, not behind one of the goals. But, for friendliness, probably the best ground I've visited is Bangkok Glass. Very good seating and views where, again, the supporters are on top of the pitch while the general facilities are excellent and you can even take food and drink to your seat. A club that seems to go the extra mile to make sure the fans, both home and away, enjoy the whole experience of their visit and not just the football match.
As for least favourite, there are one or two. I agree there's no atmosphere at Bangkok Utd and the view is lousy but is just beaten by TOT. with their abysmal support not even capable of filling half of one of the sides, instead of giving us part of a side, we were consigned to a rickety old wooden stand behind the goal that felt like it would collapse every time one of us moved. We laughed at the netting behind the goal that was meant to protect the supporters from wayward shots, it was made with holes larger than the actual football, but in reality it shows the utter contempt that TOT FC have for the visiting supporters.
But my number one worst ground has got to be one that has hopefully now been consigned to the history books, and that is the swimming pool at Samut Songkhram. I'm convinced that, on matchdays, the groundsman was instructed to saturate the pitch using the sprinkler system, with the club then praying for a rain storm to follow. On the occasions I visited, the pitch was that badly flooded you could almost count the blades of grass poking through the surface water. And the away supporters stand didn't fare much better, with the steps to climb up it at least two feet high. On one occasion one of our supporters fell through a gap while trying to climb up and ended up in hospital.
And how do I rate our own Chonburi stadium? Better than average but not as good as the better, dedicated football stadia.
On the plus side it's all seater, covered on both sides, with good, unrestricted views from those sides, and, generally, reasonably good facilities both inside and out of the stadium. BUT, with the running track round the pitch the view from both uncovered stands behind the goals is not so good. Add the fact that we can't take either food or drink into the stadium and I think the club could do much better for its faithful supporters.
Reply #4 - 6/10/14
Name: Dominick Cartwright
Team supported: Thai Port
Twitter: dominick@dominick_1975
Muangthong and Bangkok Glass have impressive grounds but try to get back from either to central Bangkok at any time and you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere. I've waited for ages at both places trying to get a taxi back home. Even if you do have a ride Muangthong is gridlocked for ages after the game. Only adding to the amonut af really annoying fans who leave before the final whistle to beat the traffic, why not beat the traffic completely and stay at home that way you'll definitely be home in time for tea.
Buriram is bigger and shiner than anywhere else with proper swanky turnstiles, 24.000 decent seats and CCTV keeping an eye on you. It's a purpose built ground that really comes closest to a proper Football stadium and I really enjoyed going there. But there is a massive section of dedicated on the payroll cheerleaders they muck around like a bunch of American high school cheerleaders to choreographed dances like the worst sort of plastic paid for fans. I know genuine Buriram fans who also shake their heads when they see this sort of nonsense. There is genuine support for the club and a good atmosphere in the other sections of the ground save your money Karuna and lets have real fans in a real footy ground.
Anywhere with a running track is out, not that this is always an atmosphere killer some of the best stadiums in Europe have running tracks but they also have 80,000 cheering fans to create the atmosphere. Of the running track stadiums Chonburi comes closest to making you forget there is a track there. I've not been to Korat yet but I'm looking forward to heading there next year to see if their crowd can make me forget about the track there too.
So where is easy to get to with no running track and great atmosphere? In my own completely unbiased opinion the PAT Stadium is top, shocking choice I know. Obviously I go there every week and can't really be objective but speaking to some away fans this year "Singhtarua AWAY" is a fixture everyone looks forward to for one reason or another. Being 100% honest the netting which obscures the view in Zone B and now sad to say Zone C too is a big thing you could fault us for but when a last minute winner is scored in front of Zone B and the whole stand erupts there's no other place I'd rather be.
An honorable mention to PTT who look like they are on their way out this year. Nice ground well designed but why didn't PTT build in town? There is support for the club there, but driving way out to your own home ground is just wrong. Also they have netting but the holes in the netting are a lot wider we should ask them where they get their netting from.
In terms of the worst pretty much in agreement with previous comments. TOT's chicken shed stand is dire. You really feel they've done it out of spite because their tiny dwindling crowds were dwarfed by travelling fans sad but true.
Thai Japanese stadium is poor but the banning of drinks at the away end did lead to one of the best sights this year. The normal away end is fairly locked down but the overspill of fans went to the other end of the ground this season. And with the slightly lax security Port fans managed to rig up a pulley system to lower money to beer sellers and then hoisted up beer and ice aplenty. Out of the problems of a poor ground comes the genius of an instant beer delivery system.
Reply #5 - 7/10/14
Name: Paul Murphy
Team supported: Army Utd
Twitter: @PaulmurphyBKK
Given their standing as among the best stadia / atmospheres, I should start by pointing out that I have yet to visit Buriram, Bangkok Glass and Suphanburi so they have to be excluded from my selections.
Atmosphere
Best
It’s difficult to look past Muang Thong. You go there expecting a tough game and they usually have a decent crowd. There’s a lot of singing, some tension and the stadium is set up for football. They also allow beer in, albeit only in an MTU embossed plastic cup…
Worst
Undoubtedly, Bangkok United. When choosing a team to follow, I expected it to be BKK United as it was fairly local and the idea of following an Army team was a bit uncomfortable. However, after attending games at both grounds, the choice was easy. BKK United fans are fairly reserved, there’s no beer in the stadium, visiting fans have to go to a strange community centre to pee and the views are awful. If True Vision wants BKK United to fulfil potential, they need to consider a new stadium.
Honourable mention
As mentioned above, when it came to choosing a team to follow, the choice was between the two closest to home. My first visit to Army United was a very pleasant surprise. There was a lively but friendly atmosphere and a nice communal area outside the ground where people could drink and relax before and after the game.
Food
Best
PTT Rayong had the best range of food outlets outside any ground. Most follow the heart disease diet of fried chicken and processed meat on sticks. It was a pleasure to find a proper range of options just outside the PTT Rayong stadium. There was even plenty of fruit.
Worst
Unfortunately, it has to be Army United. There is meat on a stick (mostly processed) and little else. Last season, we had freshly made omelettes and grapao, but these have sadly disappeared. Hopefully, we’ll see them again next season.
Design
Best
Chiang Rai, MTU, Thai Port and PTT should all be given a mention. These are all proper football stadiums, with good views from almost any angle. Always a pleasure to visit them.
Worst
Once again, it has to be Thai Japanese stadium for BKK United. Obviously, it has several purposes but it just isn’t made for watching professional football.
Honourable mention
TOT’s stadium is eccentric in its design, but I quite like it. It’s fairly accessible and you’re close to the action.
A stadium is important to the fans, so clubs should give a lot of thought to where they establish their homes, the facilities they provide and the design of their stadium. If people like me are looking for a team to follow, they will base their decisions on similar criteria.
The Final Word - 8/10/14
Name: Malky
Twitter: @BKKFootballBlog
The two conclusive things that we can draw from this week’s Tap Room discussion are that running tracks are largely disliked and that it’s a ‘toss up’ between TOT and Bangkok United for the least popular TPL venue.
To balance out the argument regarding running tracks, I’d like to point out that all the contributors to the debate this week were British. It is generally regarded that traditional British football stadia don’t have running tracks so that’s probably why we all dislike them. Had the question been posed to five American, German or Japanese football fans then we could have seen differing responses in the debate.
As I have the last say on this matter, I’ll award the worst stadium award to Bangkok United. In the past I’ve actually enjoyed visits to TOT. It’s only since they shifted the away end that I’ve began to dislike it. I can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed any trips to the Thai Japanese stadium, but I will point out that the aerobics class outside the stadium at 6pm can attract some young ladies that are easy on the eye.
The facilities at the Buriram stadium gathered the best feedback although the choreographed cheering and ticketing distribution prompted some negative remarks.
There were no surprises that Derek and Paul spoke positively about the Army stadium and likewise Dominick about the PAT. They highlighted the reasons why they’ve adopted their Thai clubs and the reasons given show why Singh Tarua and Army United have attracted many foreign supporters to their ranks.
Brian gave a passable appraisal of Chonburi’s home despite the running track and food & beverage ban inside the arena.
Just before I sign off, I must mention the Samut Songkhram stadium. I forgot about it in my opening statement. I have to agree with Brian and say that it has the worst facilities of any top flight stadium that I’ve been too. However, I’ve enjoyed both my trips there, yet it’s blatantly obvious why the stadium hasn’t fulfilled the safety requirements.
