Prime Bangkok (Thailand)

Prime Bangkok FC is a professional football club that has a long and interesting history, at least in terms of Thai football. The club was originally formed in 2006 as Bangkok North Central ASSN, before being granted a place in the second tier Thailand Division 1 League the following year as members of Group B.

Their debut season ended in relegation to the third tier Division 2, again performing in Group B which ended in an approved performance with home games being played at North Bangkok University Stadium before the club was shifted to Division 2 Bangkok in 2009.

The club changed their title to North-Sarawitaya FC, finishing bottom of the table using Chaloem Phra Kiat Stadium, otherwise known as Khlong 6 Stadium, then later retitled Queen Sirikit's 60th Anniversary Stadium, followed by playing under the name of North-Central in 2010.

Home games were staged at 72nd Anniversary Stadium in Minburi as the team finished joint bottom of the table. The club missed a season before returning in 2012 to the same competition this time as Central Lions when three home venues were used in a season that ended in relegation.

Widespread locations, RMUTR Stadium in Nakhon Pathom province, Thupatemi Stadium in Don Muang, and BEC Tero Sasana Nong Chok Stadium all staged games before the club dropped down to compete in Khǒr Royal Cup football.

2016 saw the club reform as Air Force Central Robinson playing at Ratchakram Stadium in Ayutthaya province as the goals of Patcharapon Usmali led to promotion after winning their section of the Thailand Amateur League in 2017. The reward was a place in Thai League 4 Bangkok in the restructured national competition setup.

Ramkhamhaeng University Stadium, a former home of Prime

The club moved into Thupatemi Stadium before moving to Ramkhamhaeng University Stadium near to Rajamangala in the capital in 2019. after Air Force had set up their own B team, with Somprat Inthaphut leading the scoring charts.

Further restructuring of Thai football saw a move to realign with the European calendar, with a place in Thai League 3 Bangkok Region being awarded. Moussa Abakar led the scoring for the club now called Prime Bangkok as they ended the 2020-21 season in fifth place.

Jatuporn Pramolbal had been appointed as head coach prior to stepping back into a role as club manager and being succeeded by a short spell under Chaiporn Ngampravatdee and then later in the season Wajee Kertsombun. These were difficult times for Thai football’s lower reaches while dealing with Covid restrictions.

Prime played home games in 2021-22 behind closed doors, first at Kasem Bundit Stadium and then Thai-Japanese Stadium, eventually finishing seventh with Japanese forward Omae So supplying the goals.

Thai Japanese Stadium, temporary refuge to Prime during Covid restrictions

Thidarat Wiwasuku took charge of the team in 2022-23 which saw an improved fourth place finish, thanks to the goals of Tishan Tajahni Hanley despite having to play home games at Kasem Bundit and then Thonburi Stadium before Ramkhamhaeng University Stadium was available once more.

Thanyaphon Khlaykam took over as head coach at the start of the 2023-24 campaign prior to Jatuporn Pramolbal taking over at the mid-season break. The side finished sixth with Chawanwit Sealao top scoring.

The club changed location to Boonyachinda Stadium as tenants of Police Tero from the start of the 2024-25, adopting the same kit as their landlords, while being placed in Thai League 3 Central Region as Thanyaphon Khlaykam returned to coach the side.

Prime Bangkok FC will play in Thai League 3 Central Region in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

Prime Bangkok 3 Saraburi United 0 (Saturday 31^st August 2024) Thai League Cup 1st Round Qualifiers (att: 256)

It was my final day of the latest trip to stay at our condo north of Minburi in the capital and I was on the lookout for a game. The options were down to watching Prime in action in a home game for the first time or watching Customs United take on BFB Pattaya in the same competition.

Prime swung it for me with their 3pm kickoff, rather than 4.30 at Customs, and the fact that my mate Marco, another groundhopper from the UK was going to be in attendance. My original lunchtime appointment in Chachoengsao sealed it, especially as my wife offered to drop me near to Minburi monorail station.

After grabbing some food and putting my inexpensive mini cool bag to good use with some small cans of beer for later, I set off, slightly underestimating the time my journey would take. In hindsight it may have been ambitious walking from Lak Si station to the stadium in the hot weather.

The Tero team bus passed me as it headed off to their evening game at Ayutthaya United while I wandered round to the main stand, which was the only part of the ground which was opened and paid my 50 THB for a ticket. The teams were lined up observing the King’s Anthem as I walked up the steps.

My pal had chosen a good view near the back in the section I’d watched a couple of Tero games from in the past. While the view was fine, the drummers and rather portly and out of tune on the megaphone caused a real cacophony which made conversation difficult.

Saraburi took the initiative in the early stages, forcing Prime keeper Phijak Donwithai into a fine tip over, and then created another good half chance. I was expecting the visitors to win the game, on little more evidence than them being a bigger provincial club. How little I knew.

The hosts went 1-0 up just gone the half hour mark after growing into the game and threatening to take the lead. They did so through the extremely impressive Chawanit Saelao, who Marco commented had been the star man when he saw them in action the previous season.

At the interval we adjourned out the back after the man on the PA decided to outdo the volume of the fans by playing music at full blast. We nattered while finishing the beers before returning to see a polished home performance.

They were helped massively four minutes after the break when a weak back pass was pounced upon by Aekkaphong Phlmankasemsri to round goalie Ittikorn Kularb to roll the ball into the empty net. From then on it was aways going to be a struggle for Saraburi.

They thought they had got themselves back into the game when a header from giant forward Santiago Corral, who had been brought on as sub ricocheted off a combination of woodwork and keeper, with the linesman claiming that the ball stayed out. It’s fair to say that the Argentinian saw things differently.

That was as good as it would get for his side, with Chawanit adding the third twelve minutes from time with a fine finish. We didn’t hang around for the applause for both sides as with respect, we had more enjoyable plans to execute, which began with an entertaining walk through the communities to Bang Bua station.

I had suggested we say our farewells for a few months over a couple of beers. There were no arguments from Marco, but the issue as ever was finding a bar in the vicinity that had previously drawn up blanks. We crossed the busy main road but found nothing.

That was until we ventured down the narrow soi, Phahon Yothin 46 and spotted a bar down an alley and one that was open right on the corner with open fronts and wooden chairs and stools. It was my perfect kind of establishment, as we watched the bustling street life carrying on while we enjoyed cold beers.

It was certainly one to add for further reference, as it had a TV showing the early kickoff from the UK, great background music and a young and happy client base. When we had done, I grabbed some chicken from a stall for back home and headed off by a couple of sky trains and then a taxi before watching some football.

It had been another wonderful few hours of enjoyment seeing some new places and being entertained. My app said that I’d completed over 10km on foot, which certainly explained me sleeping so well before our ten hour meandering journey back to Sisaket the following day.