I know Chang are expecting the team to be in here Thailand in July and assumed that would be a stop off on the way to / from Australia. But the Asian Cup appears to be taking place in Indonesia this year so they may be stopping off at Thailand on the way to that.

The club can't win either way here John.

No pre-season tour and yourself and other like-minded folk will blast the club for there not being a tour.

Go on tour, and as you may have seen in previous years, there's going to be those who think they are a waste of time.

For me, I'd like to see us in one of those pre-season 4 club tournaments against some of the better sides in Europe plus a token Chinese team thrown in to cream the tv revenue it would create. This to me is more appealing that an away trip to Motherwell, or another attempt at making America like us.

As far as expensive overseas tours prepare us for the start of the season we could not do worse by taking my earlier advice and do all our pre season preps on Southport sands.

Going on tour is just a holiday for the players etc. Unless they are invoved in a competetive tournament the games become meaningless except to gain fitness or give a run out to some newer players which can be done just as well back in Britain.

I hope they head to Thailand or Indo. Be the only realistic chance for me to catcha game live for the foreseeable future!

Jim what's our support like in Thailand these days, see a couple of you guys posting as regulars on here.

Peter, for expats not much in the way of support, I've only seen a couple of Everton shirts around Pattaya in 18 years here.

Even in the Chang Sports Bar where I used to go to watch our games I was the only Blue and always outnumbered by the opposition supporters. Sometimes there's some tourists in to watch the matches though.

Don't know about Bangkok.

There seems to be an active group of Thai Everon supporters judging by their website. All the locals cars have RS and Utd bumper stickers on them though.

Having lived for four years in Bangkok and now for three years here in Bali Indonesia and having worked all over Asia for over 20 years, I can tell you that Everton's profile here is close to INVISIBLE. Tim Cahill is recognised but for his Australian connection ? not his Everton one.

The predominant team is Man U; in downtown Kuala Lumpur virtually every Bus Shelter is a Man U shrine. Arsenal had a football store In the biggest Mall in Asia in Bangkok, before the Taksin's Red Shirts burned it down, the Mall I mean not the Arsenal shop.

But, as with everywhere you go here, people have heard of the Red Shite but know nothing of Everton and if they have heard of us they don't even know we come from the same city.

So well done BK and all you Everton Marketing boys ? you are doing a fabulous job... NOT!

I bought a FAKE Everton shirt in one of the big clothing discount centers in BKK once but it was out of date as well as being fake.

I remember back in the day, around 1996-97, when Everton played in a 4-team tournament with the likes of Ajax and still wonder why we don't do this on a regular basis now. They are more competitve and also give the travelling fans a treat when it is against the better teams.

No disrespect to Motherwell but going up there to watch the Blues just doesn't appeal to me! Now if it was Barca, or Inter somewhere? That's another thing...

I have been coming to Thailand since 1979, visited 19 times before moving here permanantly seven years ago. Like Eric I also live in Pattaya and agree we are way behind RS and MU in terms of support. The Thai Evertonians group is very strong and active, especially in Bangkok and particularly near Nonthaburi. They are really active on Facebook and other social media outlets. When Elstone was here recently he met them. They also had the new Everton Nike shirts for sale weeks before they were advertised in the UK. I think this is all thru the Chang connection, thats why now you see more Thai people than ever wearing Everton shirts.

Just last week the fan groups here had their yearly football tournament. Everton beat Barcelona 1-0 in th final. It was reported on Thai TV. Prior to every live broadcast of a Premier league game here, Chang sponsers a TV show that previews the match. The studio backdrop is a large Everton badge and images of the Everton players. Of course this is only seen on Thai cable TV so most expats dont get to see it. Overall you would have to say Chang has improved our branding in Thailand, sadly tho' we are still way behind the shite and ManU.

I quite often get stopped by scousers and or Evertonians who see my Everton crest tattoo or I've got my Everton shirt on. I used to watch the match years ago at the Outback Bar in Soi Arunotai. There was always a handful of blue fans there but its closed down now.

Last week I went to one of the local markets to buy one of the new RS shirts for my dads birthday. Now get this... the new logo RS shirt was 200 baht (£4) but the new Nike Everton shirt was only 120 baht (£2.40) guess we are the poor relations ;o)

The Indovision/SKY coverage of the English Prem is sponsored by Chang and they show a short intro and Chang advert featuring Everton before during and after every game.

I have also heard rumous that it was to be Indonesia, but if that falls through it would be Malaga, for all the other blues living in Spain, let´s hope it is Malaga
It would be a great party with a couple of thousand bluenoses in the sun.

I used to love going to European pre-season games. I remember playing in Holland '78 and Belgium '79 ? loads of Blues went.

Tony X,

was it you I said hello to all those years ago when you were walking down Soi 6 with an Everton shirt with OSMAN on the back of it?

I used to watch the matches in the Chang Sports Bar on Soi Diana and they gave away Everton freebies.

Dick (862) couldn't agree more.

Eric
no mate that wasn't me in soi 6.
My EFC shirt has no name on the back,
and besides that, good catholic boys don't go to soi 6 ;o)