I awake and have generally slept well, but there is bad news, as Chelsea have lost at home to the Villa. It's going to be a long, hard season for them now. Again, there are no firm plans for today, but there is something I need to check out as soon as possible this morning. For breakfast we know the drill, but I'd rather not have cold sausage and ham this time. Fortunately, there is Thai food as an alternative, and that seems more appetizing this morning as it is still warm. With a fried egg added, it's a good improvement on yesterday. OK, let's row the boat out and see what's in store today.
As mentioned, there is a job to do, and I waste no time in heading over the river to the Uttaradit provincial stadium. It was only yesterday that I realised there was a game on today, and no ordinary game at that. Uttaradit FC of the 3rd tier of the Thai League have been drawn at home in the league cup against BG Pathum United, one of the top teams in the country. It promises to be a David and Goliath event. At 10:00 AM there is still little action at the stadium, but we are told that tickets will go on sale soon. The issue is that the ground capacity is not much more than 3,000, so demand for tickets will be high. Finally, they set up a table and start to deal with waiting customers, but one problem arises immediately. The cheapest tickets are for the small stand on the opposite side to the main one, but during the game it will be in full sunshine. This stand is for the home supporters only. There is confusion as we ask about tickets in the covered main stand and are quoted a ridiculous price. We then notice that there is a section in the main stand for away supporters. How kind! Away supporters are always segregated and pay more at away games. It's a better option to pay the extra today, especially as we are more familiar with BG. With that sorted, we can find something to do till 3:00 PM. I should mention that this kickoff time is unusual. Normally games are played in the evening to avoid the heat of the day. Here, that's not possible, as the floodlights are not to the required standard.
When I checked what I recorded on previous visits to Uttaradit, I was surprised to find so little. It must be the least explored of all Thailand's provinces. It's one that I've only stopped in while in transit. This visit should put things right. We've already visited the Sirikit Dam area, but much of the province is mountainous. The only major settlement in the past was on the Nan River in an area called Muang Laplae, which today is a cultural centre. Uttaradit, not far away, is the main city today, but during WWII, many people moved to Laplae to avoid Allied bombing of the railway line there. It's in this district we've visited important temples in the past, but we've realised there is a lot more to see and learn there.
We find ourselves at the Laplae Gate. This striking yellow gate serves as the symbolic entrance to the district and is often the first stop for visitors. It features traditional Thai architectural elements with intricate carvings and vibrant colours, resembling an ancient fortification. Nearby, there's an open grassy area with a free small museum that recreates historical local life, along with statues and sculptures illustrating the famous legend of Laplae. Traditional wooden houses bring the past to life. Adjoining the museum is a small cultural market selling local handicrafts and souvenirs. We use the time here to have a good look around and take an affordable lunch. We have to keep an eye on the clock, but there is a short list of temples in the area we haven't visited. In an hour we manage to visit three in succession, but all, while of historical significance, are run down, almost neglected, having seen far better times.
Wat Mon Prang is an ancient temple with an impressive ubosot (ordination hall), Buddha images, and many sacred objects worth visiting.
Wat Chedi Khiri Wihan was originally known as Wat Pa Kaew and dates back to around 1519, built during the rule of Prince Hamkumarn over the city of Laplae. The temple fell into ruin over time but was restored in the early 20th century (around 1911 and renamed). The main attraction is an ancient bell-shaped chedi (stupa) in the Lanka (Sri Lankan) style with influences from Lanna and Tai Lu architecture.
Wat Don Sak dates back to around 1732 during the late Ayutthaya period. Its name comes from the viharn (assembly hall), reportedly built from a single large teak tree ('don sak' refers to a teak mound or hill). The temple's main attraction is its exquisite carved wooden doors on the viharn, considered one of Thailand's most beautiful examples of late Ayutthaya-era woodwork. We now need to return to the stadium, arriving to a very different scene than in the morning.
We manage to find a parking space, grab a drink, and head up to the away supporter's stand, finding it packed. We squeeze into spare seats, but up until today, we've never found ourselves in with the percussion department, the banging of drums and chanting being a particular feature of Thai league football. The game today is the round of 32 in the Thai League Cup. Uttaradit FC play in the 3rd Division of the Thai League, while BG Pathum are consistantly among the leaders in the premier division. It could be an easy win for BG, but with the nature of this type of fixture, there's always the possibility of giant killing. Uttaradit does have a couple of advantages in that the ground looks uneven and unpredictable and they are more used to playing in daytime conditions.
The game kicks off on time with a good atmosphere in the ground, and on their first attack, a BG player is upended in the penalty area. Matheus Fornazari steps up to convert the penalty after just 8 minutes. Undeterred, Uttaradit make things hard for BG like a terrier snapping at the heels, but that man Fornazari strikes again with a neat header from a delightful cross from the right on 22 minutes. This should signal a spell of domination by BG, but the conditions are not suitable for fast-flowing football, and Uttaradit continue to break up play and create chances of their own. It's 2 : 0 to the Rabbits at half-time.
The second half starts, but the free-flowing football we might expect from BG just doesn't happen. The game wears on, and BG seem content to sit on their lead and let the hosts come on to them. The game goes into the final 10 minutes, then a rare attack from BG sees the ball fumbled over the line by the home keeper after a good header in the 83rd minute by Surachart Sareepim following a cross from the right. It's all over now, but after a minute of extra time, a lazy pass from a home player is intercepted by a BG player, and a long shot hits the right-hand upright, rebounding into the path of midfielder Pongrawit Jantawong, who drives the ball back past the Uttaradit keeper. The game ends with the Rabbits victorious with a 4 : 0 win, but a consolation goal for effort would have done wonders for the home crowd. The score suggests a one-sided game, but it didn't feel like that for long periods of time when the hosts gave a good account of themselves. At the end of the game, the players stay on the pitch saluting the fans after a game played in a good spirit. BG supporters will go back to Pathum Thani, happy, but for us there's only 2 miles needed to get us back to our hotel, taking some snack food with us. Tomorrow is a longer day of travel, as we will leave Uttaradit after an interesting couple of days.

Source: Visit