From taking 14-hour cross-country solo train journeys as a 12-year-old to leading the attacking line for Thailand and Buriram United FC, Supachai Chaided has been honing his single-minded focus for over a decade in his pursuit of success.
On Wednesday, the 27-year-old, among the most respected strikers in ASEAN football, will seek to power Buriram United’s attempt to put the seal on a successful defence of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™, the region’s premier club competition.
The Thai League 1 champions will take a 1-0 lead over Malaysia Super League outfit Selangor FC from last week’s opening clash into the second leg and victory would provide Supachai with yet another title in an already overflowing trophy cabinet.
“This is now the second year of the competition, so every team has more experience and understands how to play against us,” Supachai says of his team’s run to consecutive Shopee Cup™ finals.
“There are also stronger and higher-quality teams involved, like Johor Darul Ta’zim FC, who we faced in the semi-finals. It was a great challenge and we’re happy we managed to get through it.”
Supachai’s resume is already among the most impressive in the regional game; he scored twice in Buriram United’s run to the Shopee Cup™ title last year while he has also won six Thai League 1 titles, three Thai FA Cups and three Thai League Cups.
He was a key member of the Thailand team that won the ASEAN Championship in 2020 while also finishing as top scorer in Thai League 1 – and being crowned the tournament’s Most Valuable Player – in 2023 and 2024.
Supachai has scored 106 times in 356 times in all competitions since joining Buriram United from Osotspa FC and credits the challenges he faced as a youngster – and the support of football-loving Thai actor Ray MacDonald – for honing a talent that has seen him rise to the top.
“I’m from Pattani,” Supachai says of his hometown in southern Thailand, close to the border with Malaysia. “Like many kids, I started playing football with dreams of becoming successful and being able to support my family.
“That’s why I moved to Bangkok to study and pursue a career as a professional footballer. I started at Pathumkongka School before beginning my professional career with Osotspa.
“I was then selected for Thailand’s U-19 national team before eventually moving to Buriram. But the real beginning of my journey was when I went to Sweden to play football at the age of 10. At that time, Ray MacDonald was my idol and he inspired me to love football even more.
“When I moved to Bangkok, I was around 12 years old. It happened after I returned from that football tournament in Sweden. I took a 14-hour train journey from Pattani to Bangkok on my own.
“At that time, all I wanted was to play football. I didn’t want to stay in the same place because I believed Bangkok offered more opportunities. I wanted to give my family a better life.
“I moved there alone when I was 12. In the beginning, I stayed with Ray MacDonald, who took care of me and helped me with everything.
“Of course, it was difficult, but I had already made my decision the moment I left home. I wanted to play football, and I believed I could build a better future for myself and my family.”
Having asked his coach to help convince his parents that his future lay in far-off Bangkok, Supachai quickly blossomed in the nation’s capital while still making frequent trips home to see his family during the holidays.
“It really started from simply enjoying football with my friends at school,” he says. “Once I realised I had some ability, I felt I couldn’t stay in Pattani if I wanted to develop further — I had to move to Bangkok.
“My coach encouraged me to do that and gave me the opportunity to continue chasing my dream there. It gave me confidence and pushed me to work even harder.
“I believe I showed my character from the moment I left home. I’ve fought through challenges at every stage of my life, and I think I’m mentally strong enough to keep maintaining high standards and stay at the top level.”
Supachai’s determination to succeed has also established him as one of his country’s premier forwards, scoring eight times in 46 appearances for the national team to fulfil a long-held ambition.
“Before I was selected for the national team, I always followed and supported the team while dreaming of one day being part of it myself,” he says. “It’s a huge honour for me, and whenever I get the opportunity, I always try to give 100 percent.”
Regional success remains important for Supachai and his Thailand team mates and they will be presented with the opportunity to re-establish themselves as Southeast Asia’s dominant force at the ASEAN Hyundai Cup™ – the jewel in the crown of ASEAN football, in July and August.
Thailand, the seven-times champions, have been drawn to face Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos in the biennial competition that was last won by Vietnam in 2024.
“Vietnam keep reminding us that they are catching up to us, so we have to show our very best in every competition,” says Supachai. “Every player selected for the national team must have the hunger to win.
“Having players coming in from many different clubs brings more variety and quality to the team. Everyone who joins the national team must be confident and hungry to win. If every club continues to build that mentality, Thailand will become even stronger and able to compete with anyone.
“We have to clearly show whether we truly are number one or not. Everyone has to give everything first, and then the results will show where we stand.
“It will be a difficult challenge because we’ll face quality opponents in every match. We’ll fight with everything we have, and for the Hyundai Cup™, we should also have our strongest squad available.”
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