TOT SC (Thailand)

TOT Sports Club are a professional football club based in the northern Lak Si district of Bangkok in Thailand. The club were formed in 1954, originally representing the national Telephone Organisation of Thailand. The club lifted the FA Cup in 1993.

The club became founder members of the Thai Premier League for the 1996-97 season, when they lost in the semi final of the Championship play off to Bangkok Bank. In 2003 the team were relegated to Division One, but promotion was won at the first attempt.

However TOT found themselves in the second tier Provincial League by 2006. They were crowned champions at the first attempt, regaining their TPL status. The club played its home games at Namkaejon Stadium in Nonthaburi to the north west of the capital. The club decided to relocate to the Kleab Bua Kanchanaburi Provincial Stadium for the 2009 to try and generate new support.

The move did not work, with a local side Muangkan FC being formed, so TOT upped sticks once more to share the then named Yamaha Stadium with Muangthong United. Crowds were once again poor with TOT fans being regularly outnumbered by visiting supporters.

Further problems hit the club by the way of an ownership dispute in 2010. Piroj Suwannachavee took over and arranged an agreement with another telecommunication organisation; CAT. The clubs name was changed to TOT-CAT FC. The FA of Thailand were called in by TOT, the original owners, to settle the dispute and they agreed that TOT still owned the club, so the name reverted back to TOT SC.

The club eventually completed a new home stadium on the premises of TOT in Lak Si, with the club moving into TOT Stadium for the second half of the 2011 season. The club began to develop its youth structure from its new home, while Somchai Subpherm took on the role of Head Coach.

TOT SC will play in the Thai Premier League in the 2013 season.


My visit

Wednesday 27th March 2013

I had a spare day on my cricket tour of Thailand, and with the majority of my team mates not arriving until the following day, I decided to get stuck into my favourite spare time hobby of adventuring and visiting new stadiums.

I had already visited the home of Regional League side Kasetsart University, when I flagged down a taxi and showed him my print from Google maps and asked him to take me to Soi 5 Watthana by Lak Si. My basic Thai and the map did the trick as we travelled along the easy route towards Don Mueng Airport, with the familiar signs of the railway to our left. I had travelled much of the route several times in the past on the way to playing cricket at the Harrow International School.

Although I'd looked at the street view on Google, I really wasn't sure as to whether I'd get access inside the stadium. I wandered through the gates of TOT smiling at the guards and keeping walking. It was easy to find the way to the arena with the tell tale signs of canvas covered tables either side of the main walkway, which no doubt furnished fans on match days.

There was sign of activity on the pitch, with the gates open. I wandered in to see the Summer Soccer School in full swing, with several parents occupying the stands. I got on with wandering around taking photos.

The Main Stand was three separate raised and covered seated structures occupying one touchline. Opposite was an open seated section, which again ran the full length of the pitch. The Lak Si end was unoccupied with just an high fence separating the pitch from the covered car and bicycle park. The TOT End was extremely basic, with a small roof covering an area back from the pitch reserved for away supporters.

A few smiles seemed to defuse any suspicion, as it often does in the wonderful country that is Thailand. I went along my way and walked up to the main road before I attempted to hail a taxi on to my next destination.