It gives you the chance to visit new grounds and new towns
For many fans, the opportunity to visit grounds and towns they've never been to before is this competition's biggest appeal. It's always nice when you're drawn away against a lower league side who are based in the middle of nowhere. Giantkilling is relatively uncommon in Thailand (although we've been on the end of a couple recently!) so it's generally approached as a risk free day (or couple of days) out and the chance to relax and enjoy a game in a ramshackle stadium. And the trip to an unfamiliar location is often more entertaining than the match.
Clubs don't take the competition seriously
The modern trend of fielding "weakened" teams in cup ties certainly extends to Thailand. A lot of top flight clubs appear to treat this competition as an inconvenience rather than a chance to bag some silverware, and an AFC place. The theory being that a second string TPL side will still be too strong for one further down the pyramid so let's "rest' our best players. On the whole, this appears to be true. Thankfully (?), Chonburi don't subscribe to this premise and will always put out a competitive starting XI.
The FA Cup lacks glamour
For anyone who grew up in England pre 1980, the phrase "FA Cup" will send shivers down your spine and make the hairs on your arms stand up. It was always a big deal and 3rd Round Day was the biggest of the lot. It didn't matter who you supported or how slim your team's chances were of progressing, the competition was important. Sadly, this appears to be no longer true. Even more tragically, it has never been the case here. When the tournament was revived in 2009 - to cash in on the domestic boom - it was with great fanfare, but after the initial excitement had died down, the cup lost its sheen. Why, even the TV channels can't be bothered showing the matches.
A day at the final is a good day out
For all its faults and the apparent lack of interest, it is all worth it when your team gets to the final. You're always guaranteed a ticket and a day out in Bangkok with your mates. The FA pull out all the stops for the showpiece game - and are probably asking themselves why they bother with the earlier rounds and not go straight to the final. These are the type of events they excel at in this country and you are sure to have a good time. Especially if you win!
Fans don't take the competition seriously
It's true that crowds are traditionally low for FA Cup ties. Even the semi finals struggle to attract decent numbers. However, as most of the matches are played midweek, it is not really all that surprising, especially when long distances are involved. I haven't had the chance to compare Wednesday night league attendances with Wednesday night cup games, but I'm willing to bet that they're not that different at most clubs.
The draw is a farce
Yes. It is. And it takes for forever - even when there are only four names in the "hat". If you've never seen a Thai FA Cup draw, you haven't lived. And it is something you need to do once (and probably only once!) in your life. The event usually involves hundreds of people - men in suits, ladies in formal dress, blokes in football kit, scantily clad females and just about every other Tom, Dick and Somchai you can think of - and none of them appear to know what they're doing. The process itself is also very complicated. All in all, it's a great example of how to turn something simple into something incomprehensible. Just pull the balls out of a bag!
There is very little communication about the FA Cup
Getting information about Thai football can be quite difficult - although it's a zillion times easier that it was 25 years ago. However, for some reason, the FA Cup seems to be shrouded in mystery. No-one appears to know when the draws will be taking place and quite often, this is also true of the ties. Dates always appear to be hazy, locations change and as for kick off times...well! The main lines of communication seem to be an outdated Facebook page and word of mouth. Quite frankly, it's just not good enough. We shouldn't be relying on the bloke down the pub for our updates.
Thanks to Phil, Alec, Rob & Jamie
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