Sports
Stadium Riot Occurs After Pattaya United Loses to Chiang Rai [Video]
PATTAYA – Thailand’s Pattaya United have announced that the club could be disbanding at the end of the Thailand Premier League (TPL) season.
The announcement came after a riot occurred in their last match against Chiangrai United, where Pattaya supporters blocked the stadium for two hours after they were provoked following the award of a controversial penalty to Chiangrai.
Pattaya’s general manager, Sombat Pinyasiri, revealed that the referees were switched just before the match with no official reason given. This, along with a series of unfair treatment towards the club, has made the board feel that it is time to move on.
“Pattaya sits at the bottom of the table with a very slim chance to survive, but we’ll give it our all in the last match against Insee Police United,” Sombat said.
“However, if we’re relegated, our president, who’s in the same holding that manages Chonburi FC and Sriracha Suzuki FC, may merge all the clubs into one Chonburi club, which will cut costs and allow the striving of only one club, which is the most intense.
“For Pattaya, we would let anyone who has what it takes to run it to take our place.”
The TPL has fined Pattaya 100,000 baht in total and suspended all team staff involved for the four matches as a result of the riots.
