The image of a student football team squeezed into the two rows of seats in the back of a modified pickup truck is winning hearts across Thailand. It was captured as the team was travelling back to Chachoengsao province after winning a match this week.
“Our truck may be slow, but we’ve overtaken many,” reads the message on Monthong Wittaya School’s social media page.
No one could have imagined the team’s rise to fame in the recent interschool football tournament — the 7-Person Team, 7 HD Champions Cup 2025.
Those advancing to the final rounds are predominantly major teams from prestigious schools, but Monthong Wittaya has beaten the odds against stronger and better-known opponents.
They are now set to compete in today’s final against Chainat’s Provincial Administrative Organization School.
Monthong Wittaya’s coach, Sakol Kliengprasert, also doubles as the team’s driver. The 40-year-old truck, dubbed by Thai netizens as the “dream carrier,” may be run-down, but the students consider it their lucky vehicle. Sakol says he has no plans to replace it anytime soon.
Now in his 60s, Sakol says his coaching spirit is stronger than ever. His teaching experience spans four decades with many prestigious schools and awards — but Monthong Wittaya is the complete opposite.
The sub-district school has about 500 students, 90 percent of whom are Muslims. Its youngest football players are in Grade 7. According to Sakol, some team members were raised by single parents, and others come from broken homes.
“I take pride in being able to take those shattered pieces and fuse them back together. No matter how small they are, once they step onto the field, there’s no such thing as stopping or being afraid,” Sakol said.
Lack of funding is a common challenge for small schools in Thailand, but with its rise in popularity, Monthong Wittaya is now receiving more financial support for its football team.
File photo: Sakol Kliengprasert
The final playoff is set for today at 4.15pm, where Monthong Wittaya will face Chainat’s Provincial Administrative Organization School at Suphachalasai National Stadium.
The two teams met previously in 2023, when Chainat won 4–3. The message on Chainat’s PAO social media page reads, “Monthong has a ‘dream carrier’ truck — we have a truck that carries champions.”
What began as a small competition has now become a phenomenon in Thai youth football.
