'I want them to feel what I feel when I'm in the stadium, that's why I create content'

Achiraya Sinprasertkool tells Lara Alsaid the remarkable journey that took her from her roots in Thailand to her current status as a prominent football influencer in the UK.

In a flat located in the heart of Thailand, a girl named Belinda was born. Her parents are Tottenham fans, so when she is a teenager, her father takes her to Singapore to watch them play in their preseason games. Belinda’s eyes glimmer, taking in the thrill of seeing football live when she enters the stadium. Little does she know that right here, the heart of football, where the cheers and the chants in the football stadium welcome her home, is the start of a journey where over 118,000 fans follow her life in the UK, having Premier League football only a 20-minute walk from her doorstep.

Born in the bustling streets of the capital city of Thailand, Bangkok, everything started with football for Achiraya Sinprasertkool, who in the UK goes by the name Belinda. Her parents raised her in a Tottenham kit so when she grew older her father took her to their preseason games in Singapore.

Belinda in a Tottenham kit as a child, photo taken by her mother

When Belinda was in high school, she started uploading pictures on her Instagram posing with the Tottenham shirt. Her social media grew, and she gained over 10,000 followers on Instagram. People liked her personality and beauty but realised soon that there was more to her.

She turned 18 and wanted to do a bachelor’s abroad, so she thought of places such as China, Taiwan, and Singapore. However, due to COVID-19, she had to reconsider her options and that is when fate guided her to exactly where she needed to be. England.

England wasn’t such a bad option, she realised she would be able to watch the football live and after LCFC won the title, Leicester became very heard of a city in Thailand plus she could travel down to London easily to watch Tottenham. So that’s where she went to do her Business and Marketing degree at De Montfort University.

When she first arrived in the UK, she went to watch Tottenham away against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. However, since then she has been at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium multiple times. Her favourite moment was the first time she watched her team win at home.

 “I was so happy, it was like a dream come true, the team and players I support are within meters away from me.” she says reminiscing about the great day.

Last year she had an interview with Tottenham, they knew that she was a big fan and reached out, she got a stadium tour around the Tottenham Hotspur stadium while they were asking her questions about how she became a Tottenham fan, which streamed all over Thailand.

Now, the opportunity to watch Tottenham comes her way often. When none of her friends can go with her, she makes her way to London all by herself to watch the games.

“Once when I was alone, on the way to the stadium, I watched all the fans and realised how far I had come,” she says.

“I now travel alone, in an unfamiliar country to watch football, which is something I never thought I'd do.”

Belinda had come a long way to Leicester leaving her family and friends behind at 18 years of age to grow and learn, it was a massive step for her. So, in her first year, she never intended to get a job. But when LCFC was looking for a football-interested translator who could translate their media from English to Thai, she didn’t want to let it slide, it was a perfect job for her, so she applied and got the job.

Photos on this page are all taken by Great Thanadon

Due to the owner being Thai, the fanbase is strong in Thailand and only after a few months in her role as a translator, she was given the opportunity to produce content for their social media pages like TikTok and interview their players at Seagrave, LCFC’s training ground. She uses her channels to share her life in Leicester and the football scene in the UK with her audience in Thailand.

“People in Thailand are interested in football on the inside and behind the scenes.” She explains.

The summer after her first year in England, Belinda went back to Thailand and got introduced to the football industry. She learned a lot and got inspired and gained a following from that. She started live streaming, collaborating with famous YouTubers and people started to recognise her more and more in Thailand. In the summer of 2023, she gained over 118,000 Instagram followers. When she went to the football stadiums in Thailand, people would come up to her for pictures. But now her platform has spread across the UK and other countries such as Japan and Philippines and Germany.

The challenge for Belinda was that she came into the public eye as a young adult, still figuring her own life out, there would always be trolls online who would send negative comments about her character or being a woman posting about football or being scrutinised for supporting Tottenham.

“At first, I asked myself what I was doing wrong,” she says.

“But now I know what I’m doing, I like that I can give an insight to my fans in Thailand on what I experience over here.

“The trolls don’t know anything about me, I know myself and I have good people who support me.”

Although English football has taken a big hit in Thailand, not many Thai people can travel to the UK to see it in person, which is why Belinda’s content has become more interesting and creative for her Thai fanbase. She understands that not everyone has the chance to see what she has been seeing in her two years in England. Through her social media channels, she gives her fans an insight into the football culture in England, so they can somewhat feel a part of it.

“I want them to feel what I feel when I'm in the stadiums, that's why I create content.” She adds.

Belinda spends her weekends travelling around the UK to watch football. She has been to Anfield, Etihad, Old Trafford, Elland Road and many more stadiums across the UK.

Belinda left her family behind and moved across the globe to be where she is now, watching the Premier League live makes her think of all the late nights of editing and the leaps of faith she has taken along the way. Everything she has done has led her to this position and she’s grateful to cross this path in her life journey.