Chasing the Dream

 🚀 Opening Doors for Thai Coaches in International Football

When talking about Cambodian football, many fans might not know much beyond the headline-grabbing arrival of Keisuke Honda, the former Japanese international, as Cambodia’s national team coach.

Currently ranked 180th in the FIFA rankings, Cambodia's national team is still far from the elite. Meanwhile, the Cambodia Premier League (CPL) is ranked 31st in Asia by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

For many, moving to Cambodia for a football career might seem like a step backward.

But one Thai coach sees it differently.

Instead of focusing on rankings, he looks deeper into the reality on the ground—and what he has found tells a completely different story.

Cambodian football is on the rise.
💰 Investment is pouring in.
📊 Club management is becoming more professional.
⚽ Football is gaining massive popularity.

One of the best indicators of football’s growing fan base is social media engagement. Here’s how the top Cambodian clubs compare to some of Thailand’s leading teams:

Cambodia Premier League Top Clubs (Facebook Followers)

📌 Phnom Penh Crown FC – 340K likes • 440K followers
📌 Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC – 230K likes • 300K followers
📌 Visakha FC – 240K likes • 290K followers

Thai League Clubs (Facebook Followers, excluding Buriram United)

📌 Port FC – 380K likes • 450K followers
📌 True Bangkok United – 450K likes • 520K followers
📌 BG Pathum United – 490K likes • 640K followers

The numbers are surprisingly similar.

But here’s the real kicker:
🇰🇭 Cambodia’s population: 16-17 million
🇹🇭 Thailand’s population: 70 million

Considering the difference in total population, it’s clear that Cambodian football is growing rapidly and attracting a high level of engagement per capita.

For this Thai coach, staying stagnant is the real step backward.

Moving to Cambodia isn’t about stepping back—it’s about taking one step back to take two steps forward.

Or maybe, if fate and opportunity align, this could be a giant leap forward.

Meet Prem – The Thai Coach Making His Mark in Cambodia

Akkarapol "Prem" Onsree is that man.

At 28 years old, he is at an age where, if he were still playing professionally, he would be in the prime of his career. But life doesn’t always follow the script we expect.

From Goalkeeper to Coach

Prem’s journey started at Thammasat University, where he played as a goalkeeper for Dome FC in the Thai regional leagues.

However, despite his love for football, he realized something—being a professional player wasn’t the right fit for him.

In his final year of university, as others prepared for graduation and job hunting, Prem made a life-changing decision.

🔹 He left professional football.
🔹 He shifted his focus toward coaching.

The transition came naturally when Thammasat University invited him to become an assistant goalkeeping coach for their team in the prestigious Chula-Thammasat Traditional Football Match.

Here, he worked under Wirat Wangchan, a former Thai national team goalkeeper.

His first full-time coaching role came soon after with Dome FC, his former club.

But the challenge was steep—the club got relegated in his very first season as coach.

Despite this setback, Prem didn’t give up.

A New Path at the Thai FA

Hearing that the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) was hiring, Prem applied for any available position.

"I didn’t care what job it was—I just wanted to get my foot in the door."

At the FAT, he worked as a coordinator for coaching courses and gradually took on a lecturer role, utilizing his strong communication skills.

After years of dedication, he was eventually asked to step into a coaching role again, supporting Thailand’s youth national teams.

Prem became part of the Thailand U12 squad that stunned the world at the U-12 Junior Soccer World Challenge 2019 in Osaka, Japan.

🇹🇭 This team finished third and made headlines when they defeated FC Barcelona’s youth team, which included Lamine Yamal, now a senior Spanish international and Euro 2024 champion.

He later joined Thailand’s U16 squad, working under Coach Pipob On-mo, in the 2022 AFF U16 Championship in Indonesia.

His final project in Thailand was working with Coach Chayakorn "Chum" Tanaddernkao in the FIFA-supported FAT Talent ID project, which scouted and developed youth players for the national team pipeline.

Across all these roles, one trend emerged—
📌 Every goalkeeper he trained frequently won "Best Goalkeeper" awards in major tournaments.

After six to seven years with the Thai FA, Prem felt he needed a change.

Then, fate intervened.

An Unexpected Opportunity in Cambodia

A friend introduced him to a football agent, who informed him that a Cambodian Premier League club was looking for a goalkeeping coach.

Coincidentally, the club was coming to Thailand for pre-season.

This was the chance he had been waiting for—a chance to step out of his comfort zone, gain international experience, and prove himself on a bigger stage.

More importantly, it was a chance to improve his English, something many people had told him was the only thing holding him back.

"Prem, you’re talented, but your English needs work. If you improve it, you’ll go far."

So, he took a leap of faith.

Securing His First International Coaching Role

When the Cambodian club arrived in Thailand, Prem was called for an interview with the club’s director—a Singaporean executive.

The interview went smoothly, and the club offered him a contract.

On that day, the director told him:

"We are excited to have you. I believe bringing you here is the right decision."

He assured Prem that in Cambodia, he would be well-respected and popular, as the fans are passionate about football.

📌 At just 28 years old, Prem is part of a growing trend of younger coaches taking on bigger roles globally.

Many modern coaches achieve success at a young age, and Prem aims to be part of this movement.

"I hope you will play a role in developing Cambodian football."

And who knows? Maybe one day, he will return to lead the Thailand senior national team.

A New Chapter Begins

Today, Akkarapol "Prem" Onsree is officially a goalkeeping coach in the Cambodian Premier League, working with Boeung Ket FC.

It’s a bold move.
It’s a risk.
But most importantly, it’s a step toward something bigger.

Sometimes, to move forward, you need to take a step back.

For Prem, that step might just be the one that propels him to the next level.

📌 Follow Prem’s journey and support him at Boeung Ket FC!
🔗 Facebook: Boeung Ket Football Club