The floating pitch

The history of Panyee FC

Passion and ingenuity

in 1986, a group of young foot­ball fans in the island fishing village of Koh Panyee started their own foot­ball team. Reco­gni­zing that their island provided no open space for sports, they built a floa­ting pitch from scrap wood and old fishing rafts in the middle of the ocean to serve as their foot­ball field: the Panyee FC stadium.

 Their passion and inge­nuity, combined with the tech­nical skills they deve­loped through prac­tice on such a small, rough field, were the start of history. The team began to enter compe­ti­tions on the main­land. After making it to the semi-finals in an inland tour­na­ment, all the village were inspired to take up the sport. They built a brand new pitch, although the wooden one still remains and is popular among tourists.

 The boys who built the first pitch back in 1986 are now grown men. Their success turned the Panyee FC into what is today: one of southern Thailand’s known foot­ball clubs, having won the youth cham­pions of southern Thai­land’ several times.

 The video is part of an ad campaign by Thai Mili­tary Bank and high­lights the story of Koh Panyee and Panyee FC.