Monthong’s fairytale ends, but its spirit lives on

The meteoric rise of Monthong Wittaya School, a little-known school in Chachoengsao province, continues to be the talk of the town even after its heartbreaking fall at the last hurdle on Saturday.

The final of the schoolboy football competition, in which Monthong played against Chainat Provincial Administrative Organisation School, attracted an overflow crowd that far exceeded the capacity of the venue located in the heart of Bangkok.

Video clips and photos capturing the Suphachalasai Stadium packed to the rafters dominated social media platforms, as people buzzed over the sights not seen for decades at the venue long hailed as the cathedral of Thai football.

Such was the overwhelming interest in the fixture that the organisers were left with no choice but to allow hordes of fans, unable to find seats in the stands, to occupy the running track surrounding the pitch.

The last time a crowd flocked into the Suphachalasai Stadium beyond its capacity was during the King’s Cup match between Thailand, led by Piyapong Pue-on — arguably the finest striker the country has ever produced — and South Korea 32 years ago, when the kickoff was delayed for hours as authorities struggled to handle the heavy influx of fans.

Nevertheless, such scenes of overcrowding drew heavy criticism, with many voicing deep concerns over the safety of everyone involved, not just the athletes themselves.

It prompted the organisers to issue a public statement apologising for what happened and pledging to learn from this year’s event to improve security measures in the future.

The craze over the Monthong team stemmed from its Cinderella-like story — an unfancied side that managed to fight its way to the final of the 7HD Champions Cup 2025, the annual seven-a-side competition organised by Channel 7.

Monthong’s unexpected run began turning heads when they stunned Debsirin School and Assumption College Sriracha, two household names in schoolboy football, en route to the title decider.

What really caught the public’s attention about Monthong was the fact that the side was made up of players deemed surplus to requirements or dismissed from other schools or academies due to poor conduct.

Yet this group of outcasts was moulded into a competitive team by veteran coach Sakol Kliengprasert.

Prior to the showdown, the hype intensified when several celebrities and social media influencers — including veteran media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul and TV actress Patchrapa “Aum” Chaichua, who once studied in Chachoengsao — joined in the excitement by offering personal incentives, taking the total amount to more than 1.7 million baht.

Unfortunately, there was not to be a happy ending to Monthong’s fairytale campaign, as they let a one-goal lead slip before losing to Chainat 2-1 in a pulsating match played amid a raucous atmosphere.

Monthong’s extraordinary run may have hogged much of the spotlight, but that should not take the shine away from Chainat’s triumph. In fact, the team’s perseverance proved equally inspiring, as they finally won the trophy at the fourth time of asking.

Chainat PAO FC

“We wanted to exorcise the ghost of 2023 (losing the final). It’s something that haunted me for two years. We went out in the last 16 last year. This is the fourth time we’ve fielded a team in the competition. I’m very proud of everyone after we worked hard together for our shared goal,” said Anusorn Parnsuntia, the Chainat team coach.

People are now hoping that the exploits of these two upcountry football teams, which captured the imagination of the entire nation, will lead to greater efforts from all relevant parties to develop the sport at the grassroots level — if the Kingdom is to realise its long-held dream of reaching the World Cup finals.