Football, Friends and Food in Roi Et

One of the best things about moving to Thailand in November 2021 has been the opportunity to continue following football while exploring far more of the country than I ever managed during short holidays. In October 2025, my wife Taew and I headed to Roi Et for a weekend of football, sightseeing and the chance to catch up with friends.

Through Thai football, I have made many new friends. Getting the chance to catch up with friends is something I always look forward to, as it has always been about more than just 90 minutes of play to me. I love seeing the town where games are played, learning about them, and seeing the local sights.

At the end of the 2022–23 season, my friend Dale got in touch about an idea I'd suggested - A Thai Football Podcast. Although I stepped back slightly after the first season, I still contribute match reports from games I attend. The best way I can describe the weekly podcast is that it's like an audio fanzine, with the emphasis being on information and fun.

Why We Chose Roi Et

Dale and his wife Nui have a house in Khon Kaen, which we have visited. He still lives and works in the UK, so when he comes over on holiday two or three times a year, we try to meet up. This time, we decided to meet halfway in the city of Roi Et.

Exploring the City

It was a city I’d been to before for football with my mate John, who also lives in Sisaket, and a place that had received the thumbs up from the pair of us, as we went up the tower to enjoy the view and the museum inside. Taew and I had also stopped there briefly on our trip to Khon Kaen.

She took the wheel again as we set off on a three-hour journey, stopping in Yasothon at a restaurant she enjoyed when we had an overnight stay there for the rocket festival parade. 

We arrived at our destination and headed to our hotel to see if we could check in. The reception staff at the M Grand Hotel apologised and told us to return at 2 pm. This was not a problem as I wanted to capture some footage to edit into a production for my YouTube Channel.

Roi Et is a relaxed provincial city in Thailand's Isan region, built around the attractive Bueng Phalan Chai lake. Although much quieter than Bangkok or Chiang Mai, it has a friendly atmosphere and several landmarks, including Roi Et Tower and Wat Burapha Phiram, home to one of Thailand's tallest standing Buddha statues. The towering Buddha statue, the park and the tower all provided some excellent footage.

Taew didn’t fancy going up the tower again and waited for me downstairs while I battled with the crowds, with it being a holiday weekend to celebrate the King’s birthday. A zipline had also opened, offering daredevils the chance to abseil down into the park. That was something I would certainly not be attempting.

My YouTube Video of the Stopover

Meeting Friends and Filming the Sights

In no time at all, it was time to head back to the hotel in time for a siesta, but not before an introduction to a new friend. A pal back in the UK told me he had a mate who lived in Mukdahan. I’d nattered with Oggi on the phone and arranged to meet him in Roi Et, with him a former resident and a supporter of the local football club.

We got on well from the off, as he and Dale immediately bonded through music, with him wearing a relatively obscure t-shirt from Postcard Records that Oggi immediately recognised. The five of us went for food at Keaw Store, where decent food and cheap beers were enjoyed before returning the car to the hotel and heading to the football on foot.

Walking to the Football

Oggi said it was no more than a twenty-minute walk. The positives were that we saw a bit more of the city, with lampposts decorated like wots (traditional Isan reed-pipe) instruments, which is also featured in the design of the tower, which I thought was a nice touch.

Several businesses that looked like bars and clubs looked like they were closed permanently. Like many places around Thailand, the pandemic and its restrictions had hit businesses in Roi Et hard.

The two ladies were less than impressed by how far the stadium turned out to be. At least their humour came to the fore when I told them that we wanted no dissent in the ranks, although what they were saying in Thai might have been very different.

Time for Football

Football, Beers and New Friends

The game was nothing to write home about, ending in a dull 0-1 home defeat as Udon United took the spoils in front of a crowd of 1,159. The highlight was having a chat over beers in the stands. A fuller report is available on my Thai Football Fever blog.

During the game, we got chatting to a friendly Thai supporter called Warong Thiuthas. He'd represented Thailand internationally, played professionally, and had even stood in the election to become president of the Thai FA. He wanted a selfie with us and was charming company.

A Late Night at Suki Lao

After the game, we headed, again on foot, to a restaurant called Suki Lao. Thankfully, the walk was a bit shorter. We were joined by Glen and Ta, who had also been to the game, as we sat down to enjoy some fantastic food and each other’s company, with plenty of beers. 

It was a huge venue, with plenty of covered seating as well as outdoor tables. A band played on the stage in the distance, while a huge screen showed the news channel.

It’s amazing how quickly time passes when so much fun is being had, and in what seemed like no time at all, it was midnight and the staff were closing for the night. There was the option of the Rong Beer 101 Pavilion next door for another couple of hours, but we were all about done.

Friendships Through Football

Heading Home

Some snacks were purchased by street vendors by the moat, as we headed home to the less-than-grand hotel. Not that it matters most of the time after a good night out, although a bath towel that didn’t resemble a large flannel would have been nice. 

The following morning, we ate what just about passed for a buffet breakfast before we said our goodbyes, vowing to meet again, as Taew stopped for me by the lake to get some further footage for my video

Weekends like this remind me exactly why I enjoy living in Thailand. They combine football, friendship, unexpected conversations and the chance to discover another corner of Isan. Long may they continue.

If you enjoyed this story, feel free to check out my YouTube channel, where I share videos about everyday life in Thailand, local football, and travel across the country.

If you want to find out all the information you need about Thai football, I thoroughly recommend my Thai Football Fever blog.

Thanks for reading.