| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Thailand |
| Dates | 9–24 November |
| Teams | 12 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Thailand (4th title) |
| Runners-up |  North Korean Army |
| Third place |  Polonia Warszawa |
| Fourth place |  August 1 |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 35 |
| Goals scored | 75 (2.14 per match) |
← 1980 1982 → | |
The 1981 King's Cup was held from 9 to 24 November 1981 in Thailand.
Most of the matches were held in the National Stadium in Bangkok, and for the first time in the tournament some of the preliminary matches were held outside the capital, in Chonburi, Lopburi and Kanchanaburi. [1]
Group 1 comprised several national teams, including Thailand which entered with a similar squad in the 1981 Merdeka Tournament, Pakistan which returned to international football after several years of inactivity, [2] Singapore, and Malaysia with a young squad captained by R. Arumugam. [3] China was represented by the August 1 team, while Indonesia entered their provincial champions Semarang. [4] [5] The match between Malaysia and Semarang was abandoned after 15 minutes due to heavy rain with the score at nil. [6]
Group 2 comprised India, along with the representative sides North Korean Army, Polonia Warszawa, South Korea Army, Wollongong from Australia, and Thailand B. [7] [4]
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 8 |
| August 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 8 |
 Singapore | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 5 |
 Pakistan | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
 PSIS Semarang | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 1 |
 Malaysia | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 1 |
| Thailand | 2–1 | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
Chitavanich  70', 82' | Report | Fandi 40' |
| Singapore | 2–0 | PSIS Semarang |
|---|---|---|
| Fandi 51', 85' | Report |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Korean Army | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 8 |
| Polonia Warszawa | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 7 |
 South Korea Army | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 6 |
 Wollongong | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| Thailand B | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 12 | −6 | 2 |
 India | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 12 | −10 | 1 |
| Polonia Warszawa | 1–0 | India |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown 83' (pen.) | Report |
| North Korean Army | 0–0 | Wollongong |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Wollongong | 4–1 | Thailand B |
|---|---|---|
| Roy Cotton 23', 35', 44' John Fleming | Report | Atphorn Pansook 19' |
| Polonia Warszawa | 3–1 | South Korea Army |
|---|---|---|
| Kim Yong Sae 43' (o.g.) Karpinski Adam 68'Sieradzski Andzwj 77' | Report | Kang Kyung Ho 65' |
| North Korean Army | 2–0 | South Korea Army |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Polonia Warszawa | 4–2 | Thailand B |
|---|---|---|
| Sieradzki Andzej Karpinski Adam Kopec Janusz | Report | Vichit Sachana Sakaarin Thongmee |
| North Korean Army | 2–0 | Thailand B |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Polonia Warszawa | 1–1 | Wollongong |
|---|---|---|
| Sieradzki Andzej 84' | Report | John Flemming 68' |
| South Korea Army | 1–0 | Wollongong |
|---|---|---|
| Ha Duk Yoon 15' | Report |
| North Korean Army | 1–0 | Polonia Warszawa |
|---|---|---|
| Li Song Ho | Report |
| North Korean Army | 2–0 | August 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Hang Kyung Ho 15' Hwang Hang Hae 44' | Report |
| Polonia Warszawa | 2–0 | August 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Корес Janucz | Report |
| Thailand | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | North Korean Army |
|---|---|---|
| Banharn Somprasong 59', ?' (pen.) | Report | Oh Yong Nam 6' |
| 1981 King's Cup champion |
|---|
 Thailand 4th title |
China are represented by a top club side, while Indonesia have entered their provincial champions, Semarang, and Malaysia are relying on their reserves.