Sucheo Nuchnum recounts playing football in Indonesia, visiting a team that used lard to grease the goalposts, and discloses earning 1 million baht over four months.
On 8 June 2026, Sucheo Nuchnum, a legend of the Thai national football team, shared a strange story from his playing days during a Thairath Sport live broadcast. He talked about playing in Indonesia and encountering a team from Papua New Guinea, including an interesting detail about using lard to grease the goalposts to make them slippery.
Sucheo said, "I asked Pee Tee (Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakool) when we visited Papua New Guinea why the goalposts were so slippery. He said they used lard. Indonesians are mostly Muslim, but the people in Papua New Guinea are not—they are tribal."
Sucheo also shared his experience playing football abroad, saying it taught him many things and gave him a new life. "The 4 months I spent in Indonesia were great. I played with Persib Bandung; the fans were huge. Honestly, Indonesian football back then wasn't as intense as Thai football, but we had to show professionalism and wanted to succeed with the team. The income was quite good. At that time, I spent 4 months there and earned 1 million baht. In the Thai League, I was 25 years old on the national team, earning 28,000 baht per month."
"When Buriram did it, and Muangthong did it, all teams started creating buzz and becoming more professional. Everything changed (for the better). Football gave me everything—a new life, income, and a career."