CHIANG RAI – A night full of tension, drama, and frustration ended in a 1-1 draw for Chiangrai United against local rivals Lamphun Warriors, despite strong backing from the home crowd. What looked like a precious three points late in the second half was taken away after a highly debated VAR call.
The mood before kick-off was electric as the home fans pushed their team on in search of an important home win, and Chiangrai started by rewarding that support.
Early Lead, Late Frustration
Chiangrai United began on the front foot and soon turned their pressure into a goal with a slick attacking move. Carlos Ivari threaded a perfectly judged pass into the path of Helio Montero Batista, who calmly finished to give Singha Chiangrai a well-earned 1-0 lead. The fans erupted, and the Beetles carried that advantage into the break.
The game shifted after half-time. In the 69th minute, Lamphun clawed their way back. Striker Willen Mota fired a powerful shot from just outside the box, beating the keeper and bringing the score back to 1-1.
VAR Turns Joy Into Despair
The real flashpoint, and the biggest talking point of the night, arrived just four minutes later in the 73rd minute.
Chiangrai United won a free-kick in a threatening area. The delivery was swung into the penalty area, where Gabriel Henrique climbed highest and headed the ball past the Lamphun goalkeeper. The stadium exploded again, this time in sheer relief, as fans thought the winning goal had arrived for a 2-1 lead.
Then came the twist. The referee paused the restart and signalled a VAR check. After a long and nervous wait for everyone inside the stadium, the decision finally came: goal disallowed. The video review judged that a Chiangrai player had committed a foul earlier in the build-up to the free-kick, so Henrique’s header was ruled out.
The decision hit the players and fans hard. Many had already celebrated what they believed was the decisive goal. Instead, the score stayed at 1-1, and the chance to seal the win disappeared.
The referee’s final whistle confirmed the draw. For Singha Chiangrai United, it counts as a point on the board, but it felt more like two points dropped, especially at home and after the emotional rollercoaster of the cancelled winner. The squad now has to regroup quickly and turn this frustration into motivation for the next fixtures.
It was a real nail-biter from start to finish. In the end, Chiangrai had to settle for one point instead of three.
Here is Singha Chiangrai United’s current position in Thai League 1 after that result, using the latest data available (as of 13 December 2025).
Singha Chiangrai United League Position
| Position | Team | Matches Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Chiangrai United F.C. | 14 | 4 | 7 | 3 | +2 | 19 |
| 14 | Lamphun Warrior FC | 15 | 1 | 8 | 6 | -13 | 11 |
Note: The 1-1 draw with Lamphun Warriors took Chiangrai United to 19 points in total.
Thai League 1 Mid-Season Update: Battle Tightens In The Table
Chiang Rai, 14 December 2025
As the 2025–26 Thai League 1 campaign reaches the halfway stage, defending champions Buriram United continue to set the pace at the top, while northern clubs such as Singha Chiangrai United and Lamphun Warriors are fighting for every point in the middle and lower parts of the standings.
Current Table Snapshot (After Chiangrai United 1-1 Lamphun Warriors on 12 December)
Following the dramatic draw at Singha Chiangrai Stadium, where a late VAR intervention denied the Beetles a home victory, the table looks roughly like this as of 14 December 2025 (most sides have played around 14 or 15 matches):
| Pos | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buriram United | ~14 | High wins | Few draws | Few losses | Low GA | High GF | Strong GD | Leading |
| 2 | Port FC | ~14 | Close behind | ||||||
| 3 | Ratchaburi FC | ~14 | |||||||
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 7 | Singha Chiangrai United | 15 | Mid-table | ||||||
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 15 | Lamphun Warriors | 15 | 1 | 7 | 6 | Low GF | High GA | Negative | 10 |
| 16 | Uthai Thani FC / Others | ~14 | Low wins | High losses | Relegation zone |
Main Talking Points From Recent Matches
- Buriram United still looks like the dominant force, sitting clear at the top with strong attacking numbers and a solid defence.
- Singha Chiangrai United are sitting in a safe mid-table spot, roughly between 7th and 11th depending on other results, but dropping points at home to Lamphun has annoyed both supporters and staff.
- Lamphun Warriors picked up a valuable point on their travel, but are still stuck near the bottom. With only one win so far, they remain in danger of getting pulled deeper into the relegation fight with sides such as Nakhon Ratchasima and Kanchanaburi Power.
What Comes Next
There is still plenty to play for in the second half of the season. The northern clubs will want to climb higher in the standings over the next run of fixtures. Chiangrai United face some tough tests ahead and need to turn draws into wins, while Lamphun must start picking up victories soon if they want to avoid the drop.
Stay with Chiang Rai Times for more updates and full coverage of local teams in the Thai League 1.
