English Premier League club Manchester City, led by their under-fire manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, landed in Thailand without the expected enthusiasm yesterday.

City, owned by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, are on their post-season Asia tour and will play an exhibition match against the Thailand Premier League All-Star team on Saturday.

Given their Thai connection, the visit of the Blues was expected to draw substantial attention, even though the club is not a favourite in the soccer-crazy nation.

However, their arrival did not stir public interest, with the first set of club officials and players being greeted by just eight supporters at the airport.

Had it not been for the big contingent of mediapersons, the visitors would have even passed unnoticed.

"We'd made plans to receive them at the airport. However, some were unable to join us because they were in other provinces, while the others had work," said Krittidech Chaisingharn, the Manchester City's Thailand Fan Club president.   

Panthongtae, Thaksin's son, emerged at the VIP lounge building along with the players, including former England striker Darius Vassell, to the flashes from cameras of waiting photographers.

Former Liverpool player Dietmar Hamann was the only City player who obliged autograph hunters before boarding the bus carrying the players to the hotel.

The City players might have felt more cheered by the sight of a big crowd at the hotel.

Given the intense speculation surrounding his future at the club, Eriksson, who arrived with the second group in the evening, caught everybody's attention, but he refused to take questions from journalists.