PT Prachuap is a professional football club from the Thai seaside city of Prachuap Khiri Khan, whose province which is in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula on the west of the Gulf of Thailand, where the club was formed in 2009.
Initially called Prachuap Khiri Khan FC, the side finished tenth in the 2009 season, competing in the third tier Regional League Division 2 Central & Eastern Region and playing at Sam Ao Stadium.
The club was moved to play in the Southern Region but pulled out before a ball was kicked on the grounds of safety. Allocated a place back in their old section for 2011, the truncated Prachuap FC ended third from bottom of the table.
The following season saw a large on field improvement, which continued with a second place in 2013 under the leadership of ambitious and innovative chairman Mr Songkiat Lim-aroonrak. However, the ’Killer Wasps’ fell short in the playoff rounds.
The 2014 season saw Prachuap finish top of the table, in the third level Division 2 South. On this occasion, promotion was sealed as the side ended top of Group A in the Champions League playoff rounds.
Eighth place was a decent return for their first season at a higher status with Nascimento Dos Santos Neto providing the goals. Macedonian Hristijan Kirovski led the charts the following campaign, with Willen Mota the crowd's hero in 2017.
The team ended that season in third place to win promotion to Thai League 1. The club entered a sponsorship deal with a major fuel company to become PT Prachuap for the 2018 season, in which Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, which his outfit ending in an impressive sixth position.
It was another Brazilian, Jonatan Ferreira Reis who put away the goals, before fellow countryman Caion took over the mantle in 2019. This was a groundbreaking season for the club who lifted their first major honour.
In a dramatic League Cup final at Muang Thong, Prachupa defeated Buriram United 8-7 on penalties after the game ended 1-1 after extra time after Maurinho had put his side ahead. The 2020-21 season saw the Thai League adopt the European calendar, during a disjointed time owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
Prachuap ended in midtable, as they did in 2021-22 with Willen Mota continuing to enjoy his time up front for the club. He scored the goal that took his team to another League Cup final. However, this time Buriram United gained revenge with a 4-0 win at BG Stadium after Issara Sritaro had taken over the reigns as head coach.
Teerasak Po-on was out in charge in the summer of
2022, prior to being replaced by Dusit Chalermsan just before the midseason
break.
PT Prachuap FC will play in Thai League 1 in the 2022-23 season.
My visit
PT Prachuap 1 Port 1 (Saturday 28th January 2023) Thai League 1 (att: 2,023)
This was a trip that I was really looking forward to, it the company of my lovely girlfriend Taew. We set off nice and early on Saturday morning from our condo in the Bangkok suburbs, with me doing my best to give the correct directions to my partner.
As we were making good time, she suggested we stopped off at Don Hoi Lot for food. Well, I’m game for any new place, and what a place she had found. It was a small tourist village south of Samut Songkhram right on the coast.
After a stretch and some photo opportunities, we sat down to a lavish seafood lunch. Both very full, out journey continued past signs for Petchaburi and Hua Hin before we finally turned off near 4pm to head into the small city of Prachuap Khiri Khan.
Now, I’m a good walker, but my other half not so much so. Therefore, it was a shock when we spotted a temple on a mountain, that she said we would park up and walk to the top. It was extremely steep and tiring, but what a view.
The coastline with its features had immediately won me over, and so did the immediately obvious friendliness of the locals. We found our hotel, Prachuap Beach, which had a fantastic room for the 750 Baht that I shelled out. After a shower we went for a wander.
I enjoyed sitting at the open fronted Timber Hut Café with a cold beer watching the waves crash against the sea wall across the road, even if it was turning a bit chilly, or at least it felt that way. It sounds silly talking about cold Thai weather when games were being called off back in England.
It was soon time for me to try and work out how to get to the game. The helpful receptionist arranged for me a taxi, which was not what I expected. A happy old chap turned up on his motorcycle with a box attached with two planks on it. A sidecar, but not as I knew it.
Taew waved me off before she decided to use the room to its max. It was just 50 Baht to the Sam Ao Stadium. Some very friendly expats told me where I could buy my ticket for the away fans section, where a table had been set up outside giving away free food to those cheering for Port. Unbelievable.
The beer stalls were round the far side, and again all I saw was happy and nice people. I grabbed one to take upstairs to our seats, which didn’t offer much in the way of a view or legroom way back behind the curve and goal.
Not long into the game I got chatting to another Port expat. Jamie and his wife Mam, who live in Cha Am just up the coast. They had travelled down by train for their first game in three years, and it turned out that they were staying in accommodation near to us.
There were several others from the expat Port support, in a turnout of around 150. TMost of the home fans, and particularly the more vocal element, were down the far side, with the main stand a long way from the pitch being sparsely populated.
The game was extremely open and quick in the early encounters, and I thought we could be in a for a high scoring encounter. As bookies around the UK will be quick to tell you, once again I called it wrong.
In the first couple of minutes a shot from well outside the box Port’s Sergio Suárez brought keeper Chatchai Bootprom into action with a flying save. Visiting skipper Tanaboon Kesarat looked lively alongside William Weidersjö in midfield as their side made a good start.
The home side were not slow in putting in challenges which fired up away coach Matt Holland, and tested referee Mongkolchai Pechsri. The nearest Prachuap came in the first half was when Port tried to be too cute playing their way out of defence. Chakkit Laptrakul pounced but dragged his shot wide.
At the break I wandered back around and grabbed another Leo for the second half. Plenty of tailgate parties were in evidence among home and away fans throughout my procession. Not all the stadiums are top class in Thailand, but the experience of a matchday is fantastic.
Not all the Port fans were back in position and missed the highlight of the game, at least as an away fan. A cross to the far side of the box found Bordin Phala who teed up Kevin Deeromram whose delicious bending cross was headed down into the net by Suphanan Bureerat in front of our section.
I was most happy, as I honestly could not see Prachuap scoring. Port were playing very well. Inevitably enough the hosts decided to do something about the goal, and it was not long before away keeper Somporn Yos was forced to pull off a superb point blank save from a header from Brazilian forward Samuel Rosa.
He was then called into action to push away a shot through a crowded area from Laptrakul. The same two players again saw action with again the goalie stopping an effort on target as the visitors were forced further back by the minute, when they could have offered more offensively.
A clever one two inside the Port box saw Yos smother a cross with his legs that was destined to be tapped in behind him, with Thanaset Sujarit the frustrated player seeing his hard work being denied.
Port were using one or two naughty tactics of their own, which saw them pick up four yellow cards after the interval. The board indicated that there would be five minutes additional time, but we still felt confident.
Kesarat made a couple of poor efforts to clear, which saw the ball land at the feet of sub Nattawut Suksum who screwed wide. With a minute left, a deep corner found the head of Samuel home headed down throw a crowd to grab a last gasp equaliser.
No, I was not amused. Still, it’s only a game as the saying goes. We hung around to say thanks to the players who had put in a shift. 1-1 was the right score in the end, but Port should have won it, if the right tactics had been employed. In my opinion anyway.
On the final whistle Mam had phoned the same guy who had taken them in his sidecar to the game, and he arranged for a friend to pick us up from outside the main gate. I telephoned Taew who was waiting by out hotel when we returned ready to go for food and drinks.
Several fans had used the Blue Monkey bar adjacent to where we stayed before the match and were gradually returning. The pair of us headed to the night market set up in front of the Muang Prachuap Khiri Khan District Office.
I was ready for some food, having tried just a couple if sticks of tasty small meatballs in sauce at the stadium, since lunchtime. My trusted partner chose the food, which was tasty and cheap, before we returned to the bar for a couple of drinks and a chat.
In no time at all, the chill and a long day decreed that we were ready to crash out. However, that meant that we were up at 7am the following morning to be greeted with the dramatic view up the coast as we enjoyed coffee and pastries in our room.
Taew certainly isn’t one to hand around, perfectly suiting my nature, so we were soon heading north ready for a stop at Sakhon Nakhon where we bought a ton of seafood to take home to enjoy on Sunday evening.
The market is partly built right alongside the railway tracks around Maha Chai station. It is a smaller version of the experience I thoroughly enjoyed a few miles away at Mae Klong in Samut Songkhram on my visit some years previously.
The excitement was far from over, as we headed to Fashion Island, not too far from base after we somehow managed the quickest route. I was on top form, despite doubts from my pilot. We met my lady’s son who was advising me on a new phone.
Back at home I then spent what seemed like an eternity transferring data before he arrived to share the lovely food and then carry out a full transfer in just over half an hour. Well, he does work in IT, and I'd got my wires crossed not realising he was on his way.
So, overall, a great weekend. A fair result, even if a late dropping of a couple of points wasn’t ideal. Beautiful places and company, new friends, excellent hotel stunning food and a few drinks, and a 57 year old got to play with a new phone. Perfect!
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