From the boardrooms to government: the politics of football in Thailand ft. Arjin Thongyuukong and Matt Riley

How entwined is football and politics in Thailand? Guy and Francesco talk to Thai scholar Arjin Thongyuukong and UK journalist Matt Riley about the origins and development of the game in Thailand. Matt and Arjin discuss the rise of the national league and the presence of politicians like Thaksin Shinawatra and Newin Chidchob as football club owners. Meanwhile, Thai society has undergone dramatic change in recent decades, resulting in the emergence of a new lower-middle class enthusiastic about football and demanding greater political representation. In addition, the guests also discuss the state and development of the women's and youth games in Thailand as well as the international connections made by Thai football. Arjin Thongyookong is a doctoral student at Loughborough University in the UK and a lecturer in the Faculty of Athropology and Sociology at Thammasat University in Bangkok. Matt Riley has commented on Thai football for the Asia-wide Fox Sports Central and is the author of Thai Football Tales.