"Making money is important, but we want to give back to the community," club Chairman Pamuke Atchariyachai, who has spent about B45 million to build the Republic Phuket complex, told The Phuket News.
With three football fields built to European standards – two of which have artificial grass – a fully-functioning concession area, bleachers, fitness area, offices, and a shop, Phuket FC management plan to use the facilities as not only the training ground for the team, but a hub for the community at large.
Located in the Chao Fa Thani housing subdivision, which the Atchariyachai family calls home, almost every inch of Republic Phuket has already been used for different sporting events.
A martial arts academy rents out a room on the far side of the complex, while the Asian Cricket Sixes played their international tournament on the large grass field on the opposite side.
The concession area has hosted the finals of the VNEA Phuket Pool League, and the two artificial fields in the middle are brimming with local football matches every night.
"We see great opportunity in the whole facility. Everybody who has walked in in the last few days has been very impressed," said Michael Maher, chairman of the Asian Cricket Sixes Tour, at a press conference.
"Using state-of-the-art facilities like this gives us a huge opportunity to boost tourism in the island," he continued.
An extension of the new grounds is a Thai mobile lifestyle app, also called Republic Phuket, that highlights the different aspects of Phuket life.
Chairman Pamuke says that he had been approached in the past to sell the then empty land for commercial ventures, but he had other ideas.
"I can walk from my house to here, I could see the kids playing in the area. I wanted to keep this to create something that can help build the community and eventually give it to my son, my nephew, my family," he says.
Prior to Republic Phuket, the Ronins would switch between training sessions at Surakul Stadium and the FIFA Tsunami Memorial Football centre on the way to Cape Panwa.
The new facilities are a step toward Phuket FC eventually building their own stadium in the future, though they still have work to go with this initial venture.
The clubhouse, which was originally part of the housing complex, is getting a makeover complete with a renovated pool and restaurant, possibly bumping up the total to B50 million upon completion.
And there’s much more to come, says Phuket FC President Pariyawat Atchariyachai. The island’s football club plans to use the facility as the headquarters for their Saksee Academy – a fully-fledged Phuket FC youth club.
"We want to bring people together. Phuket is quite scattered, people live far apart," says President Pariyawat, "Republic Phuket is our effort to bring people together."