Bad news for Thai team, go-go bars:Chelsea ordered to behave

The world sees Thailand as (a) a top holiday/drinking destination and (b), when it comes to politics, a very sober place indeed. So it's good thing that Thais know how to make fun of the truly serious things in life - like sports.

Chelsea Football Club pulled into Bangkok on Thursday, streaming English Premier League glory and ready to take on the Thailand All-Stars in a friendly today. A sizeable mob of fans was on hand at Don Mueang airport to greet coach Jose Mourinho, captain John Terry and the rest, with "citizen journalists" dutifully posting footage of their every move on the social media.





Easily stealing the limelight, though, was one particular fan of team member Eden Hazard, the Belgian superstar. The woman wore a mask with Hazard's handsome likeness and carried a sign saying "Free hug from Hazard" (asking, not offering).

At the requisite press conference that followed, Terry promised that today's match would be entertaining but insisted Chelsea wasn't "taking it lightly". The international press and the Twitterverse was absorbing all this very soberly when all of a sudden the Mourinho mask showed up again, this time worn by a reporter asking a question. While BleacherReport.com wondered if the coach's already substantial ego was becoming bloated further, Mourinho just smiled at the mimicry.

A little later the "Chelsea in Thailand" Facebook page (Chelsea.in.th) revealed that Mourinho had barred his players from venturing anywhere near Bangkok's infamous red-light areas, lest the press get some incriminating snapshots. This noble command was met with derision from online commentators, who lamented tongue-in-cheek that Terry in particular - who has a reputation as a ladies' man - was going to "miss the chance". Someone named Odery Job imagined Terry saying, "I love muay thai, I like Patpong."

Next came pictures of Mourinho doing a little shopping at MBK and elsewhere, wearing a Chelsea shirt (of course) as he grazed the booths selling smartphones and other gadgets. The ensuing comments included "Buying an iPhone charger?", "Did you bring your phone to be unlocked?" and "Easier to find a counterfeit Chelsea shirt back home!"

Due to the boss' restrictions on their nocturnal pursuits, most of the footballers spent the evening chilling out by their hotel pool, although one photo circulating online showed that striker Diego Costa had got far enough afield to have his picture taken with a police officer. Naturally some wag posted that he'd been busted - maybe because of the jaunty cap he was wearing. At any rate, Costa was out roaming around after dark, so had he broken the no-go rule? No, it turned out he was heading to another hotel for dinner at a Japanese restaurant (not a ringing endorsement for Thai cuisine).

Heartier rumours made the rounds about some of the players sneaking out of the hotel late at night but, as much as we'd like to believe boys will be boys, we have no confirmation of this, and certainly no incriminating snapshots. The claim that Hazard visited the RCA dance club Levels, wearing sunglasses at night because his future's so bright, was however confirmed by "eyewitnesses", who also said he was only soaking up the atmosphere, not any booze.

As of press time yesterday, the lads were out browsing around Central Embassy, still apparently behaving themselves and still taking today's friendly match "seriously". It's a shame they're not all suffering hangovers, though, because the Thailand All-Stars' chances against the English League champions otherwise depend entirely on the current withering temperatures.
Bad news for Thai team, go-go bars:Chelsea ordered to behave - The Nation