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. One such trip came in October 2025, when my wife and I headed to Roi Et for 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 and learning about them, while also seeing the local sights.
At the end of the 2022–23 season, my friend Dale contacted me about an idea I had suggested, which was starting A Thai Football Podcast. The first episode appeared in June 2023, with the two of us fronting the show.
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, remembering that football is 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 and include a game of football. On this occasion, we decided to meet halfway in the city of Roi Et.
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. My wife Taew and I stopped briefly on the Khon Kaen trip, also going up the tower.
She took to 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 went to the 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 video some film 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 temple gave me some excellent footage, as did the park and the tower.
Taew didn’t fancy going up 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.
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, with him and Dale immediately building a bond 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 its lampposts decorated in the style of wots, the Isan pipe instrument, 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 amused by how far the stadium was. 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.
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| 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. It turned out he had played professionally, represented Thailand internationally 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 superb establishment with a huge capacity, most under cover and some outside. 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.
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| 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.
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