Sun always shines in Chidchob Land

If Newin Chidchob has said it before, he might as well say it again: He’s through with politics. For some strange reason, people find it impossible to believe, so Let’s Talk About magazine asked him again. Newin seems adamantly adamant. “I’m not going back to Hell anymore.”
That’s because he’s in Heaven now, as in iMobile Stadium, where he’s the angel in charge of Buriram United Football Club, although Newin defers to his wife Karuna as “his boss”. “She’s the real owner,” he says. “No, I’m just the maid,” she tells Lips magazine, which has devoted most of an issue to the mighty Chidchob Empire of the Northeast.
In Heaven, of course, you can do whatever you want. Newin races around on an expensive KTM motorcycle. Karuna enjoys keeping the fans happy while keeping one foot in Hell as president of the provincial administrative organisation.
“My weekdays are for public work and my weekends are for football. My responsibilities include taking care of about 30 footballers and over 100 wannabes at the academy.” A manager, a maid and a full-time cheerleader, too. She hasn’t missed a match in almost four years, home or away.
Buriram United supporters take some stick for being unsophisticated – “they’re farmers and hawkers”, Karuna acknowledges – so she’s got them wearing the same colour, blowing whistles instead of booing and applauding as a unit. “Now people say they’re robots!” she laments. “I’m just glad most of them aren’t on the social media to hear the criticism.”
Meanwhile Newin gets teased about spending more time with his bike than Karuna. “Don’t try to get me in trouble!” he laughs. He’s racing toward a conclusion, though – he plans to establish a Bt2-billion Buriram International Circuit for fast bikes.
So both of them are finding a place on the tourism map for a province that’s short of stuff to look at. “We want everyone to use the stadium,” Newin says, “so we have spaces for other sports, all lit for free as late as 11pm.”
That’s something else they have in Heaven.