Thailand Invests Millions for Son Heung Min’s Return Match

Thailand’s Unique “Sonny Love”
Full Pitch Turf Replacement
March 26 Group C Round 4 Match

Thailand’s affection for soccer player Son Heung Min is exceptional.

South Korea takes on Thailand in Bangkok tonight at 9:30 PM KST. The match will be played at Rajamangala Stadium in the fourth round of Group C qualifiers for the 2026 North Central America World Cup.

To ensure a top-notch playing surface, the Thai Football Association reportedly invested millions (USD) to replace the turf at Rajamangala Stadium.

This is the first full replacement in 26 years since 1998. Tottenham Hotspur was scheduled to play at this stadium last July, but the match was canceled due to heavy rain.

“We remember the heavy rain that forced the Tottenham Hotspur match to be called off last year,” a Thai Football Association official explained. “There was concern that Sonny might never play in Thailand again, so we secured the budget to improve the pitch conditions.”

He continued, “Even in the heavy downpour, Son still greeted Thai fans. Sonny is a popular player with star quality.”

“Our goal was to create a stadium worthy of Son’s return,” the official continued. “To our knowledge, this is Son’s first official match in Thailand. We’re confident the new turf will allow him to showcase his full potential.”

The Thai Football Association went above and beyond a simple resurfacing. They completely removed the existing ground and installed a new drainage system, all to create a state-of-the-art “carpet-level” turf pitch.

Son’s star power was fully displayed as his arrival in Thailand drew 20-30 Thai journalists to the packed press conference room.

The World Cup qualifier clash between South Korea and Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium rapidly sold out its 50,000 seats. Tickets are sold at nearly ten times the price on the black market.