Datsakorn Thonglao

Datsakorn Thonglao (, , , born 30 December 1983), simply known as Go (, , ) is a Thai former footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder. He was known for his deadly free kicks and set-pieces.

Club career BEC Tero Sasana The young midfielder joined a Thai Premier League club, BEC Tero Sasana in a 2001-2002 season and eventually won the league title with the club at the end of the season. It was his first senior silverware.

After a successful season with BEC Tero Sasana, Datsakorn was given a chance to play for 1. FC Kaiserslautern on a season loan deal. The Bundesliga club also expressed their interest in permanently signing him. However, it was reported that Datsakorn refused to extend his contract with them as he was homesick.

Datsakorn returned to BEC Tero Sasana for the 2002-2003 season and led the team to the AFC Champions League final but lost to Al Ain FC of the UAE 1-2 on aggregate. The same season, his team became the runners-up in another 3 competitions: the ASEAN Club Championship, the Kor Royal Cup and the Thai Premier League.

Hoàng Anh Gia Lai In 2007, Thonglao joined Hoàng Anh Gia Lai in V.League 1 and became a fan favourite despite not winning any silverware.

Muangthong United In 2010, Thai Premier League champion Muangthong United signed Datsakorn for a reported fee of $200,000 (6.6 million baht as of 2010 exchange rate). It was speculated that, due to the deal, he became the highest paid Thai footballer at the time. He led Muangthong to win the 2009 Thai Premier League and became one of their key members. He won in 2010, 2012 and 2016.

International career

Datsakorn made his debut for the Thailand national team in 2001. He was first called up for the U-19 and U-23 squads for a short period and became a regular member of the senior squad soon afterwards. Datsakorn played for Thailand from 2001 to 2014, making 98 official appearances and scoring 11 goals.

He was criticized in his early years with the national team for his violent behavior, which led him to several sending-offs.

In 2007, he played again and scored two goals in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Macau. This was not the only goal that he scored in the qualifiers. The other came in a 1-1 draw against Bahrain.

He won the T&T Cup with Thailand in 2008.

In the second round of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, Datsakorn scored 2 goals for Thailand in a 2-2 draw against Palestine.

He was one of Thailand's key players in the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup. Despite suffering a groin injury, he played until the end of the tournament.

In October 2017, he made his 100th appearance for Thailand in a match against Kenya.

International goals Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition1. November 10, 2003 Tashkent, Uzbekistan 1-2 Lost 2004 Asian Cup Qualification2. November 17, 2003 Bangkok, Thailand 4-0 Won 2004 Asian Cup Qualification3. February 16, 2003 Bangkok, Thailand 2-2 Draw 2003 King's Cup4. January 24, 2007 Hanoi, Vietnam 2-0 Won 2007 ASEAN Football Championship5. October 8, 2007 Bangkok, Thailand 6-1 Won 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification6. October 15, 2007 Macau, Macau 7-1 Won 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification7. June 7, 2008 Riffa, Bahrain 1-1 Draw 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification8. July 28, 2011 West Bank, Palestine 1-1 Draw 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification9. July 28, 2011 West Bank, Palestine 2-2 Draw 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification10. February 24, 2012 Chiangmai, Thailand 3-0 Won Friendly Match11. January 26, 2013 Chiangmai, Thailand 2-2 Draw 2013 King's Cup Correct as of 13 January 2017

Honours

Clubs BEC Tero Sasana Thai Premier League (1): 2001-02 Kor Royal Cup (1): 2000

Muangthong United Thai League 1 (3): 2010, 2012, 2016 Kor Royal Cup (1): 2010 Thai League Cup (1): 2016

Uthai Thani Thai League 3 (1): 2021–22 Thai League 3 Northern Region (1): 2021–22

International

Thailand U-23 Sea Games Image:Med 1.png Gold Medal (3); 2001, 2003, 2005

Thailand T&T Cup (1): 2008

Individual ASEAN All-Stars: 2014

Royal decoration