On the Ball.....We've only just returned from an overnight trip and thoughts of attending a football game seems to have disappeared after Katoon attended a party last night. There are no fixtures today in or around Bangkok but if we drive for three hours we could easily reach Uthai Thani Provincial Stadium where the local team are playing Chiang Rai. After some debate I get the nod and book overnight accommodation in Uthai. The plan is to have lunch at the residence first.
We're away at 1.30 pm and head north. The good news is that once we reach the main highway it's clear passage all the way to our destination and one rest stop is all that's needed. That occurs while we're still in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.
Maharat Buddhist Park, Luang Pu Thuat....This Buddhist Park is easily reached from Highway 32. The attraction here is the beautifully laid out park around a lake with the largest golden image in the world of Luang Pho Thuat, arguably the most famous monk who ever lived in Thailand. However, at weekends there is a market held here with some 130 shops selling everything from food to handicrafts and souvenirs. The location is perfect for us not only to take a light snack seated beside the lake but to buy food to eat tonight and the following morning. While we can't stay long, others could happily spend all day here.
Suitably refreshed, we continue north and head directly for the accommodation I booked in the morning. On the subject of accommodation, I had to compromise. Uthai Thani simply does not have the modern apartment blocks that we're so used to booking so a resort style will have to do. We approach Uthai Thani from the east and see that we are close to the stadium but still some 20 km from the resort. How has that happened? It pays to double check these plans I know, but there is still time to check in and consume food we bought earlier.
Numhom Resort....We haven't time really to settle in at Numhom Resort but there are indications that we will have to adapt to a lesser level of convenience. We now have to backtrack and head for the stadium still pondering it's distance from the resort, but we arrive in good time after just 20 minutes.
Uthai Thani Provincial Stadium....This is the second time I've been to this stadium and found it a nice little stadium and easy to reach, We park on the road which it's an issue here and take the short walk to buy tickets which are most reasonable at 120 baht. On this occasion we simplified things be eating something before arrival but of course there are plenty of food vendors here but all we need is a drink.
The game today is between Uthai Thani FC and Chian Rai FC. The home team are favourites and in a respectable position in the league, but Chiang Rai have just 4 points are second from bottom. This fixture won't set the world alight but the home fans are just crazy for a win. In the stadium they state their intent with the percussion department doing their best to awaken the gods. Well, they certainly keep their players awake who go on the score one goal in the 1st half and adding two more in the 2nd. It finishes 3 : 0 and Chaing Rai go away empty-handed again. It's a pity really as the province has suffered so badly with flooding but there's no consolation in football. The only good news for them is that they have fixture to catch up due to cancellations during the floods. They are not in deep trouble so early in the season. I wish them luck; they have a nice little stadium too.
We now face that 20 km drive back to the resort, but we're out of the stadium in no time and the 20-minute drive seems like nothing. Now let's see how organised we can be and surprise surprise, all is good with a decent internet connection and I don't really care about the potty choice of the colour of bathroom tiles. However, we see ants are not concerned too. This is certainly not Bangkok. In Thai there say 'ban auk' meaning up country.

Source: Visit