Feature

Saringkan Promsupa: From family's gambling debt to SEA Games gold | Main Stand

“Let me put it this way, if it weren’t for football, I wouldn’t have anything. I’d be living from hand to mouth. I didn’t start from zero. I started from negative. Everyone told me I wouldn’t be able to pay off this huge debt.” - Saringkan Promsupa

 

Few players have significantly impacted Thailand’s U-23 national team in recent years more than Saringkan Promsupa. He won gold at the 2017 SEA Games, helped the War Elephants reach the quarter-finals of the U23 AFC Asian Cup for the first time and even captained the side on occasion. The Sukhothai FC central defender still has a promising career ahead of him. 

His achievements are even more impressive when considering how far he has already come. In his youth, Saringkan’s family was in gambling debt to the point they had to sell everything they owned. Before graduating from school, he did everything from driving trucks to working as a security guard to support them.  

What keeps this footballer going despite all the obstacles in his way and how has it helped him in his career? Learn all about Saringkan Promsupa’s story with Main Stand. 

 

Starting from negative

Saringkan grew up in a family of farmers that owned a chum shop (a small grocery store) in the northeastern province of Sisaket. However, during his early school days, he had to start a new life in Rayong after his family lost everything due to being heavily in debt. 

“My parents were heavy gambling addicts to the point that our family was bankrupt. We sold our house. We sold our car. We sold everything. My parents and I had to move to Rayong because we had nothing left,” Saringkan recalled the turning point of his life. 

But the most crucial thing after falling is to get yourself back up. Both of Saringkan’s parents found their way up again. His father became a truck driver. Meanwhile, his mother worked as a maid. 

Although the jobs earned them some money, it was far from enough. The situation forced Saringkan to have to help his family make a living at just the age of 13. He began by helping his dad drive trucks and even signed up to be a security guard. Both jobs were unsuitable for a child, but he had no other choice at the time. 

“I started by helping my dad carry stuff into the car,” said Saringkan. “As time went by, I learned from my dad. He taught me how to drive when I was 14. By 15, I could drive a truck on my own.”

“I helped my dad drive trucks until about 11th Grade, and I did the security guard job during the summer of grade 10. I had some time, so I decided to find a part-time job with a friend.”

Despite needing to provide for his family, he decided it was time to find his path. 

He started going out to play in amateur football tournaments throughout Rayong to help put food on the table for his parents. Little did he know that this hobby would become his profession. 

“I started playing in amateur football tournaments also during grade 10,” he said. “It opened many doors for me as I met many people in the football industry. But, more importantly, it was another source of income for my family. I would earn 200-500 baht a game. However, at the time, my focus was still coming back to help my dad drive trucks.”

 

The football journey 

Saringkan’s love for the game goes back to when he was just in grade 4. He made the school’s team during his early days at Sisaket and achieved the same at Pluakdaeng Pittayakom in Rayong. 

As he grew older, Saringkan started to come across more people in the industry. One of them was Sahapob Naoboot, a senior footballer from Sisaket, who became his mentor. 

“He told me that football can help me make a living,” said Saringkan. “Ajarn (Saringkan’s way of addressing Sahapob) played professionally and studied simultaneously. This made me consider football as more than just a hobby but a profession. However, I didn’t dare dream of playing at the Thai League 1 level. For me, playing in the lower leagues and earning 10,000-20,00 baht a month was enough.”

But Saringkan didn’t settle for just the bare minimum. His mentor’s insight motivated Saringkan to turn his attention entirely toward becoming a professional football player and all the sacrifices that would entail. 

“Once I made Rayong’s provincial team, I had to ride a motorbike to go train every day. I would skip the day's last class to train from 3-6 p.m. Then, it would take me another hour to ride my motorbike back home.”

“By the end of my senior year in high school, Rayong FC decided to give me a contract. I was excited at the time because it was my first-ever salary. I’ve worked several jobs before, but they didn’t pay me a regular paycheck.”

“At the time, I earned 4,000 baht a month. It was a lot to me. I was still in school and didn’t always train with the team. I used the money to help pay for school, gas and other fees to help ease the burden on my family,” reflected Saringkan. 

Saringkan was over the moon when he signed his first professional contract with Rayong FC. It was proof that he could make a living doing what he loved. After that, however, his football journey wouldn’t be a cakewalk. 

 

For club and country 

Being a high school student on a team of grown men was no easy task, and Saringkan struggled for minutes at the club, which were fighting for promotion to Thailand’s third tier at the time. During that difficult transition period, another critical turning point in Saringkan’s life would arrive; tryouts for Thailand’s U-19 national team. 

Despite not getting regular time at the club level, Rayong FC’s head coach Chusak Sriphum advised the young defender to give it a shot. 

“At the time, I had to convince an older friend to drop me off in Bangkok,” said Saringkan. “I remember once he did, he drove back right away. I arrived at dawn and waited hours before the tryout began at 3 p.m. After the trial, I was one of the last ones to leave because I didn’t know my way home.”

“I sat around and decided to share a taxi to the bus transit station with another friend from the tryout. The coaches told us that those who made it would get a call, and we both thought we didn’t make the team, so I headed back to Rayong.”

“But, as the bus reached Rayong, I got a call telling me to come back the next day, because I made it to the next round. I quickly rang up my parents, who decided to rent a pickup truck to drive me back. I woke up as early as 5 a.m. to make it in time for the morning tryouts. From then, I kept progressing to the next rounds until finally making the final 23 squad to compete in the U-19 ASEAN championships in Laos.” 

Being a part of the Thailand U-19 team was another critical moment in Saringkan’s rise to success. He received plenty of game time in the 2015 AFF U-19 Championships, where Thailand won gold. Many journalists covering the tournament mentioned Saringkan as a crucial man anchoring the Thai backline. 

The hype around Saringkan reached the point that Thai League 1 side BG Pathum United were willing to sign him after the tournament. The type of deal was unheard of in Thai football, given how Saringkan was a no-name player just months before the competition commenced. 

“You know, nobody knew who I was on the first day in the national team camp,” he shared. “Most of the players on the team played youth football together, so they were accustomed to each other. They were thinking, ‘who the hell is this guy?’” 

“To be completely honest, I was still shocked by how I got there. It’s surreal how I didn’t even get regular game time at the club level and still managed to make the national team. I take pride in what I accomplished at the time.” 

His meteoric rise continued as he established himself as a regular starter in Thailand’s U-21 and U-23 teams. By 2017, he was yet again a key figure in a gold medal-winning side. But it wasn’t just any ordinary tournament. Saringkan commanded the Thai defense as the nation claimed its third-straight SEA Games crown, beating host nation Malaysia 1-0 in the final. 

His success at the national team level soon paid dividends at the club level. Soon after, four-time Thai League winners Muangthong United decided to buy him from Rayong FC halfway through the 2018 season. 

“I was so happy to finally play at the Thai League 1 level,” said Saringkan. “So many [members of the senior national team] played at Muangthong at the time. This would be a wonderful opportunity to take my game to the next level. I was excited to train with first-team players. I didn’t know if I could get regular minutes, but it was beneficial to my career.” 

 

Overcoming more obstacles

Saringkan’s suggestion turned out to be even more accurate than he thought. Life in Thai League 1 was grueling. Higher quality of opponents, competition within the team, and the strenuous training schedule all took a toll on him. 

“At first, I felt that I was behind everyone,” he said. “The speed of play, the system, it was all new to me. When I was playing in Thai League 2, it was just about jockeying my man and intercepting balls. But the tactics in Thai League 1 were much more in-depth. I had to be precise in everything that I did.”

“My goal at the time was to do everything in my power to be in the starting 11. I knew we had one foreign center back on the team, so the two other spots in [coach] Alexandre Gama’s back three were up for grabs. My efforts paid off as I slowly got more game time and even saw my name on Thailand’s 50-man first-team list at one point.”

“It was difficult, and I had to train hard every day. I did whatever the coach told me to do. I had to always make myself ready for when the opportunity arose. That’s all I was thinking at the time.”

Although he put his heart and soul into everything he did, unfortunately, the word that best describes his three years at Muangthong is ‘inconsistent.’. He featured in just a little over 40 games in all competitions, leading him to wave goodbye to the club. 

However, his time in Thailand’s top tier was not over. Saringkan joined Suphanburi FC on loan for the latter half of the 2021-22 season, making 12 appearances for the club in a desperate and failed bid to avoid relegation. Now heading into the new campaign, he has been picked up by newly promoted Sukhothai FC, who will be making a significant impact upon their return to the top tier. 

Saringkan’s name might not be renowned among Thai League fans compared with top-tier superstars such as Chanathip Songkrasin, Teerasil Dangda, or Supachok Sarachat. However, the talented youngster has already surpassed all expectations. 

His childhood years have been a huge factor that has instilled grit, determination and a fighting spirit in him for the rest of his life. 

“My life is much better than it was all those years ago,” he said. “Whether in terms of the wages or the football I play, it’s been going well. I was able to pay off all my parent’s debt while I was at Muangthong. Also, I bought a house for them too.”

“I ensured my parents would never have to be in debt again. I still remember the day everyone around me didn’t give me a shot at living a normal life. Football was the reason I’ve been able to claw my way back. It’s not only helped me return to where I once was but has allowed me to do things beyond my wildest dreams,” concluded Saringkan. 

Author

Nattanan Chankwang

Love is not blind – it sees more, not less.But because it sees more, it is willing to see less.

Photo

Watchapong Duangpang

Main Stand's Backroom staff

Graphic

Anop Sata

Main Stand's Graphic designer