Soidawgz: Ultimate Frisbee in Bangkok

We live in a world where all aspects of our lives are dependent on an outside authority figure enforcing established rules. From school life and parenting to politics and sports, there’s always a teacher, a parent, a judge, or a referee who tells the “players” what’s right and what’s wrong, who’s to be blamed and who should walk free, whose turn comes next and who should take the penalty. The fact of the matter is that, in sports, we rely so much on referees that, these days, we often refuse to take any responsibility for a bad pass or a lost match and would rather put all the blame on the ref, who “was obviously paid off in that fixed match” or “he was clearly biased in all those decisions he made.”

Still, it’s nice to see that there are some communities of sport lovers who take matters into their own hands and play games that don’t require referees to decide who scored or who made an illegal move. Meet Soidawgz Bangkok, an enthusiastic group of both foreigners and Thais who all love outdoor games and who, over the years, have managed to establish a strong base for the sport of Ultimate or, as it is more widely known as, Frisbee. The name “Soidawgz” is a play on pronouncing the two words “soi dogs” – those dogs that live wild and play hard in the streets! Hence, the logo of their website page, which is a dog running fast with as disc held between its teeth.

Ultimate Frisbee is considered to be a “free spirit sport” as it is self-refereed and relies on the players’ honesty and sportsmanship to take all the decisions that partake in the smooth flowing of the game. Ultimate is played by throwing a disc from player to player and the most recognizable brand of the disc is, obviously, Wham-O company’s trademark toy, the Frisbee: a flying disc which glides through using the dynamics of physicsby spinningand skimming through the air.

A long-time member of Soidawgz Bangkok, the local branch of a worldwide movement of Ultimate lovers, is Tri Le, a 41 year old American who teaches at a school in Nonthaburi. He has been living in Thailand for ten years and has been playing Ultimate Frisbee for as many years.

Think of soccer, basketball, American football and netball all combined into one game. That’s Ultimate for you. The game is played on a field roughly the size of a soccer field with seven players on each side. The aim of the game is to catch the disc in the opposing team’s “end zone.” Players cannot run with the disc in their hands so, once they catch it, they have to stop and then pass it on to their teammates. If the disc is not caught, then the team on the offense turns over the disc and starts playing in defense.

To be played in the intense heat and humidity which is very characteristic to Thailand, Ultimate Frisbee might not be your immediate choice of an outdoor activity. However, it must be remembered that, apart from being great fun, the game also gives its players a good workout. “Ironically, it’s a non-contact sport but it can be tiring and hard on your body,” Tri noted. “It depends how hard you play. It involves a lot of running and cutting. However, you can go at your own pace as there are many people at different levels of play. So, you can match up almost evenly on any given point.”

Soidawgz has currently 40 to 50 members but there is also a strong community of Ultimate Frisbee enthusiasts in the north of Thailand too. “In Chiang Mai, the game has grown rapidly in the past two years. They have more players and scheduled game times than we do in Bangkok. Many new, young, incoming expats there have playing experience from overseas so there’s a lot of positive energy up there right now,” admitted Tri.

Also, a former Soidawgz Bangkok member moved to live in Phuket where he is trying to start the movement there, for it to become active in the south too. “Basically, here in Bangkok, we have a good group of diverse people. We play mainly for fun and the social aspect of it, not so competitive compared to other communities in the region,” Tri explained.

Referring to the popularity of Ultimate in Thailand, Aeoy, a core member of Soidawgz, believes that “it could grow larger if the locals wouldn’t be so afraid of outdoor activities.” That being said, there are no official membership costs because players chip in before each game or tournament, to cover the expenses for renting the field.

For example, a contribution of just 100 baht per session is collected for the pick–up games held every Sunday but, if it’s your first time, then you’ll get to play for free to see if you really like it or not. League games, which take place over a longer period of time, require the players to contribute between 1,500 to 2,000 baht although, apart from playing seven to ten games, they also get a team jersey. A full day tournament with lunch and non-alcoholic drinks would cost about 400 baht per player.

“We also hold an annual international two-day tournament called ‘Bangkok Ultimate Hat Tournament’ (also known among players and sponsors as ‘Bangkok Hat’) which sees the participation of more than 300 players from ASEAN countries. Some teams would travel all the way from Europe, the Middle East and North America to take part in the tournament!” added Aeoy.

“While the game in the West is more competitive and it is being played at a higher level of skills, games in Thailand are much more relaxed,” Tri declared. “Anybody and everybody can play this game! We have high school players to folk who are in their 60s. It’s a great way to get a work–out and a chance to meet many fun and good people from all over the world.”

The Soidawgz Bangkok meet to train and play every Sunday on a pitch located on the grounds of an army base at Sanam Tor Bor on Vihavadi Rangsit Road. They usually play 7-on-7 with 4 guys and 3 women in each team, but this depends entirely on who shows up for training. For detailed directions by bus, taxi, and BTS check out their website or contact them via email at bangkokultimate[at]gmail[dot]com. For more live interaction with other likeminded people, find them on Facebook.