Character at Thai Football Games - Part 3 (The Best of the Rest)

The inbetweeners

UnKool and the Gang

UnKool and the Gang can come in two forms of groups. The first is a group of teenage boys, and the second is a mixed group commonly in their 20’s. They usually turn up 15 minutes into the game and always seem to end up somewhere in my vicinity. The initial 5 minute discussion is to decipher which team they’re supposed to support. Once that’s been decided, they will talk loudly and try to impress all around them with their witty repartee. I’ve got no idea what they do after half-time as I’ve usually moved to the other side of the stadium by then.

The Cheerleaders 

TOT Cheerleaders

Most of us Westerners would normally associate cheerleaders as being young scantily clad female dancers waving pom-poms. Yes, they can be seen in Thailand too, but there are several other kinds of people ready to enliven the crowd. You might have a nerd chanting into a megaphone, the Thai equivalent of Freddie Mercury prancing in front of the crowd, a young drunken shirtless lad who thinks he's the hardest man in Thailand or even an overly enthusiastic club owner trying to motivate the crowd. No matter which one it is, they all have one thing in common. None of them watch the game!!

(nydailynews.com)

The Tattooed Nutter

To the outsider, the Tattooed nutter appears to be a scary man. His eyes are bloodshot and he looks like he’s been drinking Thai rice wine since 7am in the morning – which he most likely has. He’s getting on a bit in life and has mellowed after spending half of his adult life in jail. In spite of that, he will gladly welcome farangs following his team with warm handshakes.

The Screamer 

(mirror.co.uk)

The Screamer is a young lady aged between 20 and 40 years old. She probably has no idea what the offside rule is, but, nonetheless she’s very enthusiastic about watching her team. She will get overly excited during the game and will let out a loud screech anytime her team approaches the opposition box. The winning of a throw in for her side or a yellow card for an opposition player are also greeted with much fervor. She tends to base player’s ability on their looks, and as a consequence she thinks that Leesaw and Peter Lang are the best players in Thailand. 

 

 

 

Chinese Looking Dude with the Glasses

Before the match begins, the Chinese looking dude with the glasses comes across as an intellectual man. He has a reasonable grasp of English and enjoys chatting with fellow farang football fans. Once the game starts though, he turns into a vociferous lunatic with the referee usually being the target of his angst.

The Middle Class Couple 

The Middle class couple give the impression that they know everybody of importance in attendance. Before the game starts, they will spend most of the pre-match smiling and ‘wai-ing’ at fellow Thais. They are always well prepared with plenty of food, drinks, waterproofs and umbrellas. They never get angry during the game and when their team scores, they will let out a light ripple of applause to show their appreciation.