Sports are frequently a big part of a culture. They are a way for people to bond and recreate. In Thailand, I’ve encountered a different level of enthusiasm for some sports I’m familiar with, as well as some new and different sports. But what about the world’s most popular sport? Is it also popular here in Thailand? I am of course talking about football, otherwise known to Americans as soccer.
A mere visual assessment of jackets, stickers, decals and branded accessories for Manchester United and Chelsea makes Thailand’s investment in football readily apparent. When I first moved to my site last year, one of the questions I was asked was what football team do I like. I was met with confused looks when I replied with the Portland Timbers and then re-prompted with the options of Man U or Chelsea. Last year, the English Premiere League came to Thailand for some exhibition matches, essentially a scrimmage practice for them before their season began, and a truly difficult match for the Thai team.
The team that played against the English Premier Teams was a combination of players from teams that make up the Thailand Premier League. There are two divisions in the league, with the bottom teams from the top tier being bumped down to the lower league and the top teams moving up at the end of each season. Many provinces have their own team. A friend of mine lives in Buriram, where one of the top teams in Thailand plays and has gone to a number of matches. She had invited people to join her this last weekend, and I happily took her up on the invitation.
Buriram United is one of the top teams in the country, often playing international matches. They beat Bangkok United at home in the Thunder Castle, 3-0. My friend Janet likes to put “professional” in quotes when describing the Thai teams, as she played in college and has a lot of years as a football fan, so she knows her stuff. It was still an exciting match to watch, if nothing else than to take in the natural environment of Thai enjoying soccer and a well loved and known team. I think my favorite part was watching the hardcore fan section across the way, as they banged drums and sang songs throughout the match and unfurled banners upon each goal scored.
There is a match of the Nakhon Ratchasima SwatCats on the 14th that I might try to attend, though the SwatCats are in the second tier; they are at the top of that division and may have the chance to move up at the end of this season.
One thing that is pretty pervasive here is the idea that football is a sport for boys. Girls are hesitant to play because they will be seen as mai suai, or not pretty. As I have written before, traditional gender roles are pretty engrained here, and sports is no exception to that rule. My friend in Buriram, Janet, has spent much of her service on the field with the students in her area and has made major progress and had great success with including girls in her pick-up games with the kids. I hope to get out on the field with the kids more this year and implement the Grassroots Soccer Program, which incorporates HIV/AIDS awareness into soccer practices, and try to tap into the enthusiasm for soccer among the kids here and connect it to some bigger issues.
Here’s a video of the Top 10 Goals from the Thai Premier League last year: