Villa Arrive in Thailand After Jakarta Win
Aston Villa touch down in Thailand this week for the second stop of their pre-season ASEAN tour, facing Thai League 1 side BG Pathum United on Tuesday, August 4, at True BG Stadium in Pathum Thani. Kick-off is set for 7.30pm local time, with the match streamed on VillaTV rather than shown on traditional television. The fixture follows a 3-1 win over an Indonesia All Stars side in Jakarta on August 1, where Unai Emery used 22 players across the match and saw Emi Buendía, Ross Barkley and Brian Madjo get on the scoresheet.
Emery has used the Asian leg of pre-season to rotate heavily and integrate a squad reshaped by a busy summer transfer window. Alejandro Garnacho made his first start in a Villa shirt in Jakarta after going three months without starting a match, and is expected to feature again in Bangkok as the club manages his return to full fitness ahead of a tougher test against Bayern Munich in Hong Kong later in the week. Younger players such as academy midfielder George Hemmings and forward Brian Madjo have also pushed their claims for more minutes after strong pre-season showings, while defender Kosta Nedeljkovic has used the tour to make a case for a bigger role at right-back.
BG Pathum Have Beaten European Sides Before
BG Pathum United, who play their home matches at the 16,000-capacity True BG Stadium, are considerably more experienced opposition than an assembled all-star XI, fielding a squad that includes overseas players such as Gakuto Notsuda and Patrik Gustavsson alongside established Thai internationals. The Thai club have previous history against high-profile European visitors: they beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 at the same stadium during Dortmund's own Asian tour in 2024, a result that serves as a reminder that pre-season fixtures against Thai opposition are not always straightforward for Premier League sides, even when the result is ultimately treated as secondary.
Conditions are expected to be a factor for the visitors, with forecasts pointing to hot, humid weather and periods of rain around 34°C in Pathum Thani. After facing BG Pathum, Villa's tour continues with a high-profile meeting against Bayern Munich in Hong Kong on August 7, part of the inaugural Audi Football Summit, before the squad returns to Europe to begin preparations for the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain.
