Chainat PAO lifts the 7HD trophy after defeating Monthong Wittaya

The dream run of Monthong Wittaya School’s football team came to an end today when they lost 2-1 to the Chainat Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) School in the final of the 7HD Football Championship 2025 at Suphachalasai Stadium in Bangkok.

The 20,000 seats was filled to capacity, with fans and supporters even sitting beside the pitch, a testament to the immense popularity of the team from Chachoengsao province.

Chainat PAO Football Club members

The match began with an early strike from Akanee Phusudsung of Monthong Wittaya, who scored from a free kick in the third minute.

Chainat PAO fought back with determination with Teerathep Thongkham equalising in the 35th minute and Chanthawat Katib sealing the comeback with a goal in the 42nd minute, putting Chainat ahead 2–1.

Despite three minutes of injury time, Monthong Wittaya failed to find an equaliser. The final whistle confirmed Chainat PAO’s first-ever championship title, a redemption after losing in the 2023 final.

The underdog team from Chachoengsao captured nationwide attention earlier this week after photos of their coach, Sakol Kliangprasert, driving the seven-member squad to Bangkok in a modified “song thaew” pickup truck for their semi-final against Assumption College Chonburi went viral.

He called the truck the “Dream Bus”

Monthong Wittaya stunned fans by defeating Assumption 6-3, earning a place in the final for the first time in the school’s history. Earlier, they edged past Bangkok’s Thepsirin School in an edge-of-your-seat 7-6 victory.

“Our vehicle is not powerful, but we managed to overtake several others and dethroned the 2022 champions. Monthong Wittaya has shaken Thailand’s student football circles like no other,” wrote the school’s alumni club on its web page. The team believed the “song thaew” bus brought them luck, so they used a fleet of them to bring their fans to the semi-final.

Sakol, a former coach of Bangkok’s Surasak Montri School, which won three 7HD Championship titles under his guidance, said he named the team’s bus “The Dream Bus,” believing it symbolised hope and perseverance.

He described Monthong Wittaya, in Bang Nam Priew district, as a small school with limited resources but a big heart.

“To make a good footballer, you must first make a good person,” he said, adding that he looks after his players both on and off the field.

The team’s fairytale journey drew overwhelming public support. Celebrities, such as TV personality Kachapa Tancharoen and actress Patcharapa Chaichua, both from Chachoengsao, donated 350,000 baht to the team, while popular online vendor

“Pimreepai” contributed 100,000 baht and pledged to build a football field for the school.

Although Monthong Wittaya fell just short of the title, their grit and spirit have earned them national admiration.