Officials Attend Pattani-Buriram Match, Criticize Referee Bias
Pol. Col. Thavee Sodsong and former football executive Worawit Makudee led citizens to watch the Pattani United vs Buriram United match, which drew nearly 22,000 fans and ended 0-1. They praised the team's effort and fan loyalty while criticizing the referee's decisions, especially VAR usage, as showing clear bias. Worawit also advocated building a community sports centre to address social issues in Thailand's deep south.
The atmosphere at Tinsulanon Stadium was lively and excited, with 21,898 fans filling the stands in Pattani FC’s yellow‑green colors. Although Pattani lost 0‑1 to Buriram United, the match was competitive and the team fought with honor. Prominent figures in attendance included Pol. Col. Thavee Sodsong, a party‑list MP and leader of the Prachachat Party, and Worawit Makudee, former president of the Thai Football Association and former FIFA executive committee member, now deputy leader of the same party, along with other party executives. Before kick‑off, Pattani FC officials arrived smiling, greeted staff and coaches, visited the locker room and gave the players a pep talk led by a foreign import. During the game, Thavee and Worawit watched closely from the sideline as the contest remained tense. Several heated verbal exchanges occurred between players, prompting the referee to intervene multiple times. One Pattani player suffered a serious head wound that required stretcher‑borne first aid, worrying fans, yet the referee only showed a yellow card to the opposing player involved, drawing criticism. After the match, Worawit praised the effort, noting that despite far lower investment than the multi‑time champion Buriram, Pattani performed well and said spectators had no regrets. He lauded the fans, comparing their loyalty to that of English club supporters, and condemned the refereeing, especially VAR use, as clearly biased, citing earlier tough matches against Prachuap FC and Port FC where the team showed fighting spirit even reduced to ten men. Worawit also reiterated his call for a community sports centre to help solve social problems in the deep south.
