Here is a look at the 17 championship clubs that Samut Prakan City will face in the upcoming 2023/24 campaign. 

Before we go any further, I'm not concerned with predicting where clubs will finish or the strength of their squads, etc. That kind of stuff is much better left to other more knowledgeable expat football followers. I'm coming at this purely from a football travel angle. So without further ado, here are the 17 clubs in alphabetical order with distances from Samut Prakan, stadium capacities and overall thoughts, etc.  

Ayutthaya United

Distance from Samut Prakan: 97 kilometres

Stadium: Ayuthaya Province Stadium (6,000)

The old Thai capital of Ayutthaya, which almost feels like a suburb of north Bangkok, is undoubtedly one of our easier away trips and the club's tidy provincial stadium can be reached in just over an hour by car. With plenty of historic ruins to poke around and a good choice of riverside restaurants, it's arguably worth a one-night stopover: however, heavy traffic and a confusing road system combine to lessen the city's overall appeal. Ayutthaya United have some of the most passionate fans in the division and it's the only ground where I've witnessed any sort of 'trouble' between rival supporters. Also worth mentioning is that at 200 baht a ticket, it is among the most expensive places for an away fan to enjoy second tier Thai football. Despite losing, we enjoyed our visit there last season. 

(Pricey away tickets at Ayutthaya's provincial stadium)

Chainat Hornbill

Distance from Samut Prakan: 220 kilometres

Stadium: Khao Plong Stadium (9,000)

The two and a half hour drive north to Chainat is made considerably more pleasurable by one of Thailand's better and less congested highways. Although first impressions of the town are quite positive, once you have ambled around Chainat's ageing Bird Park (its only real attraction), there isn't an awful lot else to do. It's a town whose population goes to bed early and Chainat has the distinct feel of a stopover on the way to somewhere else. Accommodation options near the stadium are decidedly thin on the ground and to find somewhere half decent, you'll probably need to venture out of town. With everything just that little bit 'spread out', you'd be well advised to have your own wheels in Chainat. You'll find enough to do if you want to make a long weekend of it, but you'll certainly have your work cut out. The very open-plan Khao Plong Stadium is pleasant enough and you get an excellent view from the away zone, but the stadium's biggest selling point is the choice of food available before and during the match. It knocks the spots off anything else I've seen in the second division. I mean how often do you see fresh strawberries on offer?      

Chantaburi FC

Distance from Samut Prakan: 260 kilometres

Stadium: Chantaburi Provincial Stadium (5,000)

The Wild Rabbits were promoted from T3 last season and this will be Samut Prakan's first visit to Chantaburi. Coming in at around four hours, it's a fair old drive, but the stadium is conveniently located near the old town and riverside areas, and Chantaburi has long been one of our favourite provinces. Famous for its tropical fruits and gemstones, you can see the moment you hit town that the locals are immensely proud of it. The old riverside community is particularly delightful for an evening stroll. Chantaburi probably makes for the perfect football weekend but I certainly wouldn't argue against the case of breaking the journey in Pattaya either. Either way it's a fixture we are looking forward to.  

Chiang Mai FC 

Distance from Samut Prakan: 711 kilometres

Stadium: Chiang Mai Municipal Stadium (5,000)

We've fallen out of love with Chiang Mai. It's busy, it's overpriced, it's commercial, and Chiang Mai Airport is a nightmare (at least that was our experience last year) If there is one away trip that we almost certainly won't be doing, then this is it. That said, I took in a game at the Chiang Mai Municipal Stadium last season (as a neutral) and thoroughly enjoyed it, mainly because of the good company and the fact I stood with the home supporters. If you are an away fan, it's a totally different story, unless you enjoy cheering from a rickety stand, surrounded by trees and miles from the action. No seriously, it has to be the worst away section in the entire Thai football league. Even the Chiang Mai FC fans are embarrassed and think it's a cruel way to treat visiting supporters. One saving grace is that the stadium is in the middle of town and of course Chiang Mai has more guest houses and hotels then just about any other similar size city on earth. There are plenty of folks who adore the place...but it's just not for us. 

Chiang Mai United

Distance from Samut Prakan: 720 kilometres

Stadium: 700th Anniversary Stadium (25,000)

Chiang Mai's other club play at the cavernous 700th Anniversary Stadium, which is about a 15-20 minute taxi ride north of central Chiang Mai. The stadium is too big, it's too hot, it has zero atmosphere, extremely limited food and drink options, a crappy view from the uncovered away end, and generally needs a good going over with the jet wash. In short, it is a pretty miserable match day experience. It was my plan to swerve both of the away games in Chiang Mai this season, but my wife has suddenly got the idea to do the return journey by overnight train instead of taking the one-hour flight. Watch this space is all I can say. We may be taking in this fixture after all, but more for the train journey than anything else. 

(Waving the flag at Chiang Mai United's 700th Anniversary Stadium)

Customs United FC

Distance from Samut Prakan: 20 kilometres

Stadium: Lat Krabang 54 Stadium (2,000)

Customs United are one of our two 'local derbies' making it an extremely easy ground to get to; However, that's where the niceties end. How can you possibly have any respect for a club that got to last season's play off finals and then half way through the two-legged final decided that due to licensing issues, they didn't really want to get promoted so more or less forfeited the tie (and kind of knew they were in that position all along) With barely a couple of hundred supporters to cheer them on from its rickety stands and its portakabin changing rooms, this club always strikes me as quite lucky to have division two status. But we'll go...and we'll go because it's nearby. Can I end on a positive note? Yes, the view from the away end is good, there is no running track to contend with... and outside there's a woman who sells the most delicious meatballs.    

DP Kanchanaburi FC

Distance from Samut Prakan: 160 kilometres

Stadium: Kleeb Bua Stadium (13,000)

Another one of the clubs promoted from the third division last season and a total unknown quantity. It's been donkey's years since I was last in Kanchanaburi (or Kan) - back in the days of the 150 baht a night fan room and a dog-eared Lonely Planet guide. I wonder if the town has changed much? Truth be told, it was never ever my favourite place in Thailand and it always got unbearably hot. Still, it's the chance to tick off another ground (which doesn't look too far from the centre of town) and I'm sure it's worth an overnight stay, even if it means visiting the bridge over the River Kwai for the tenth time.  

Kasetsart FC 

Distance from Samut Prakan: 35 kilometres

Stadium: Insee Chantarasatit Stadium (3,275)

Another one of our local derbies and an easy away ground to reach on the BTS Sukhumwit line. Once at Kasetsart University station you can then opt for the 10-minute stroll through the campus or hop on a cheap motorcycle taxi. Being a studenty area, there are a number of cafes and coffee shops around if you need to kill time before a game. The Insee Chantarasatit is a tidy, compact stadium with friendly staff but unbelievably quiet fans. They don't even wear replica shirts! Take enough away support and you can crank up the noise level and turn it into a home match, as we did last season. 

Krabi FC

Distance from Samut Prakan: 785 kilometres

Stadium: Krabi Provincial Stadium (8,000)

There was much talk of Krabi FC folding and calling it a day but The Andaman Eagles have survived for another year at least. Last season, it was probably the away game that we looked out for first, with Krabi being such a beautiful place for a short break and all that. Alas, it wasn't to be as the fixture coincided with my return to England for a family visit and became one of the few games we missed. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the September monsoons turned the pitch (and the game) into a complete farce. Hopefully we'll make the trip this season but it's certainly a game best avoided during the rainy season. Krabi Airport is just 8 kms from the provincial stadium with plenty of accomodation options in-between, so although you're travelling half the length of the country to get there, it's all fairly convenient once you hit town.   

Lampang FC

Distance from Samut Prakan: 625 kilometres

Stadium: Lampang Province Stadium (5,500)

Although going to see Samut Prakan play at Lampang will certainly require a return flight, the airport and stadium are both near the centre of town, there are plenty of hotel options and Lampang is an interesting town that makes for an enjoyable short break. You will certainly need a rental car though if you want to tick off the low-key tourist attractions. Last season, on our road trip between Chiang Mai and Phrae, we stopped off in Lampang for a couple of nights and also popped into the stadium. It was a typical provincial affair, a rusty fence here, an overgrown patch of grass there, but Thai stadiums never look their best in the cold light of day. Perhaps on match day with a few hundred fans inside, it might all feel different. It's a long way to go for a football match but what I would class as a very doable trip.

(Watching the match for free at Grand Andaman Ranong FC. Unfortunately relegated so we won't be going there this season)

Nakhon Ratchisima FC

Distance from Samut Prakan: 280 kilometres

Stadium: 80th Birthday Stadium (25,000)

I had rather mixed feelings about Nakhon Ratchisima being relegated from the top flight. In all honesty, I would have preferred PT Prachuap so we could've at least enjoyed a nice away trip to the seaside. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with Nakhon Ratchisima away but it's a stadium I've been to several times already and it isn't the most inspiring of four-hour drives to get there. Although the 80th Birthday is quite impressive, it lacks atmosphere with just 2,500-3,000 fans (their average attendance last season) rattling around in a 25,000 capacity stadium and the wide running track means that from the away end behind the goal, you'd be well advised to take a good pair of binoculars. The city itself seems to get bigger and busier with each passing visit and it suffers from horrendous traffic jams during peak periods. There is however a good selection of places to stay within a five-mile radius of the ground, although from previous experience, getting away from the stadium if you are car-less and relying on public transport can be tricky. It's an away trip we would do but not one to particularly relish.

Nakhonsi United FC

Distance from Samut Prakan: 780 kilometres

Stadium: Nakhon Si Thammarat Province Stadium (5,000)

Nakhonsi United is a one-hour flight south and a long way for a football match, but it's a great destination if you're looking to combine football with travel. We loved our trip to Nakhon Si Thammarat last season (made even better by beating the league leaders 2-0) Although the town of NST is nothing special and goes very quiet after dark, there is plenty to see in the surrounding province during the daytime hours and some breathtaking coastal scenery. Once again, you'll need a hire car to make the most of your time. Perhaps best to organise a rental to pick up at NST's sleepy airport, which is around 15 kms north of the city. As for your football match, the smallish 5,000 capacity stadium won't be far from any town centre hotel and you can pick up decent 3-star digs for around a thousand baht a night. What stuck in my mind most about NST though was the crazy drivers. Driving standards are appalling all over Thailand, but they sink to a new low in this part of the world. 

Nongbua Pichaya

Distance from Samut Prakan: 540 kilometres

Stadium: Pichaya Stadium (12,000)

"A really cute stadium with a lovely scenic backdrop and friendly home supporters" is how I've heard the Nongbua matchday experience described by anyone who's been there, and I've been longing to sample Nongbua's 'pink stadium' for a number of years. Will this finally be the season? There's little doubt it's the trickiest and most complex of all our away trips, requiring a flight to Udon Thani and then a 45-minute drive to the small town of Nongbua. Unless you fancy that same drive back To Udon Thani after the match along dark north-eastern B-roads (and we certainly wouldn't) you're going to need to spend a night in Nongbua, and to say it isn't blessed with accommodation options is an understatement. We'll look on this one as a challenge but definitely a ground I'm determined to tick off.    

Pattaya United FC

Distance from Samut Prakan: 130 kilometres

Stadium: Nong Phrue Stadium (5,500)

The newly-branded Pattaya United find themselves in T2 due to MH Nakhonsi failing to obtain a licence and I'll confess that when the season's fixtures come out, this will be the first one I look for. Given the history and 'bad blood' between the two clubs - and I won't go into detail right now - this is surely going to be a fixture with a little bit of extra spice to it. Hopefully time has been the great healer and Pattaya fans are only focused on getting behind their own club. Located some 8 kilometres outside of Pattaya, my impressions of the Nong Phrue Stadium have only been from what I've seen on TV. It actually looks a very similar ground to Samut Prakan's, both a 5,000 capacity and both a bit ramshackle in places. I'm looking forward to seeing the stadium, enjoying a hard fought football match, and needless to say, Pattaya is always worth a night or two.  

(A terrific crowd at Nakhon Pathom for the final game of game of last season)

Phrae United

Distance from Samut Prakan: 600 kilometres

Stadium: Huai Ma Stadium (2,500)

We adored Phrae on our visit there last season. To quote from my blog - 'Although our first impressions as we drove into town were not great, we soon warmed to it. It was like stepping back in time to a Thailand of yesteryear with peaceful streets, very little in the way of traffic, a town boasting an adorable and enviable slow way of life" And with its provincial airport sitting right on the edge of town, what's not to love? There are plenty of attractions in town as well, many of which can be done on foot. In keeping with Phrae's overall cuteness, the Huai Mai Stadium is 16 kilometres out of town, in the proverbial middle of nowhere. As you drive down twisting country lanes, passing rice fields and inquisitive buffaloes, you think 'surely there can't be a football stadium at the end of this'...but there is. And quite splendid it is too, with super-friendly staff and food vendors and a close-up pitchside view from the away section. Go and take in a football match at Phrae...you'll love it! 

Rayong FC

Distance from Samut Prakan: 160 kilometres

Stadium: Rayong Provincial Stadium (7,500)

It's no more than a two-hour drive down to Rayong but mile after mile of soulless grey highway has you counting every minute. Traffic can get particularly heavy in the last stretch with daytrippers heading to nearby Pattaya. There isn't a great deal to to keep you in Rayong for more than 48 hours but it's worth an overnight stop if you don't fancy the drive home after the game. The well-maintained Rayong Provincial Stadium is appealing from the outside but away fans are once again let down by being shoved in an open section of the stadium that's too far from the action. Rayong is one of those away trips you neither dread nor particularly look forward to.

Suphanburi FC

Distance from Samut Prakan: 140 kilometres

Stadium: Suphanburi Provincial Stadium (15,000)

In Samut Prakan City's four seasons as a football club, Suphanburi is the only team we have played in every single campaign. So this will be our fifth visit to Suphanburi's great big provincial stadium in the centre of town. I was praying Suphanburi got promoted last season just so we didn't have to go there again. I suppose we've become a little jaded by the whole Suphanburi experience and become terrible creatures of habit. We head for the same restaurant as soon as we roll into town and stay at the same resort, just a few kilometres from the ground. Suphanburi itself is seriously 'naa yoo' (a town worth living in) The friendly, soft-talking townsfolk are fiercely proud of its roadside flora, well-kept footpaths and general calm pace of life. I can't knock the town for its football weekend potential, but it's such a shame the stadium is so soul destroying. It is totally unsuitable for a football match. It has one of the worst views of any ground in the division, over-zealous security staff, and peculiar fans that seem to look down at the ground whenever you walk past. Perhaps it's just their inherently quiet nature.