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BANGKOK, May 17 (Reuters) - Manchester City suffered an embarrassing 3-1 defeat by a Thailand league all-stars side on Saturday during their end of season tour.
Weakened by the absence of several top players, the Premier League team struggled in the Bangkok humidity against a tenacious Thai side whose relentless attacking yielded three superbly taken goals.
The defeat was the latest setback for City, whose manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has yet to be told whether he will keep his job next season, despite having steered the team to the UEFA Cup via the Fair Play League.
The loss in his home country will also be a disappointment for controversial owner Thaksin Shinawatra, who has ambitious plans to make City "Asia's Premier League team".
City took the lead after 21 minutes when Felipe Caicedo slotted home from seven metres after the unmarked Darius Vassell headed down a Martin Petrov cross.
Ney Fabiano Oliveira lifted the ball over the advancing Kasper Schmeichel to level on 37 minutes before Tawan Sripan put the Thais ahead on the stroke of halftime, coolly rounding Schmeichel to score from close range.
Tana Chanabut sealed the victory on 73 minutes with a well taken header into the bottom right corner.
City's fans are incensed by reports that Thaksin, the ousted former Thai prime minister, will sack Eriksson after the tour.
Asked how his relationship was with Thaksin, Eriksson smiled and said "good".
Thaksin, who has made it clear he was unhappy with the club's performance in the second half of the season, insisted the defeat was not a setback.
"It's a friendly match," he said, mobbed by scores of his own supporters. "This is not a problem for Manchester City."
