Thai League 1
The Thai League 1, often referred to as T1, is the top level of the Thai football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Thai League 2. Seasons run from February to October, with each team playing 30 games. It is sponsored by Toyota and therefore officially known as the Toyota Thai League. In the Thai League, most of the games are played during Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played on Wednesdays and Fridays.
History
Origins
Thailand has had league-football competition since 1916. Before the inception of the Thai League, the highest level of club football was the semi-professional league Kor Royal Cup which was contested in a tournament format from 1916 to 1995.Foundation
Thai League was introduced in 1996 by the Football Association of Thailand under the name Thailand Soccer League. Eighteen clubs who earlier competed for the Kor Royal Cup were registered to play in the first edition of a double round-robin league system. Thai Farmers Bank was crowned as the first champion of the 1996–97 Thailand Soccer League.The Thai League originally had 10 to 12 clubs each season until 2007, when it was expanded to 16 clubs. At the end of each season, the three bottom placed clubs are relegated to the Thai Division 1 League.
Leagues integration (2007)
Most of Thai League clubs in that time were the organisation of government authorities club that based in Greater Bangkok and Metropolitan. Meanwhile, the other local clubs had competed in the semi-pro league called the Provincial League. Thai Premier League faced the issue of low attendance and lack of local loyalties while the Provincial league suffered the financial issue. In 2007, Thai League was integrated with Provincial League completely. Chonburi from the Provincial League was the first champion of the new Thailand Premier League in 2007 season.Modern era (2009)
In 2009 season, there were significant changes in the lead to the new era of the Thai Premier League. Asian Football Confederation declared the regulations for the associations that have the intention to send the clubs to compete in AFC Champions League starting from 2011. Football Association of Thailand had to establish Thai Premier League co.ltd and forced the clubs in the top league to complete AFC Club License Criteria otherwise Thai clubs will not eligible to play in the Champions League. Clubs were forced to separate themselves from the parent organisations and registered as the independent football authorities.The massive changes occurred in that season. Thailand Premier League renamed to Thai Premier League. Two times league champion Krung Thai Bank failed to complete the new regulations. The organisation decided to sell the club. The club was acquired by Boon Rawd and rebranded to be Bangkok Glass. Bangkok University had expelled their football club section. The club rebrand itself to Bangkok United since then. The organisation-based clubs had to relocate to find the local supporters to backup the clubs. Osotspa changed their home stadium to Saraburi Province, TOT moved to play in Kanchanaburi, Royal Navy played in Rayong Province while Thailand Tobacco Monopoly integrated to Samut Sakhon Province and rebranded to TTM Samut Sakhon.
Muangthong United were promoted from Thai Division 1 League in that season and won Thai Premier League in their first year in the top league.
Thailand Clasico
Thailand Clasico or The Classic Match of Thailand is the matchup between Muangthong United and Chonburi. It is the matchup that presents Thai football in the modern era. The name was given to the encounter of two teams due to the hype and massive atmosphere around the match. The first encounter between them happened in the 2009 Thai Premier League season. On 30 May 2009, Chonburi that was regarded as the best club in Thailand at that moment hosted the new powerhouse who were just promoted from Division 1 Muangthong United. The match was played at Nong Prue Stadium, Pattaya. Before the match, Chonburi was the leader in the table after 10 matches of the season while Muangthong followed in second with one less point. Chonburi made the lead by 2–0 in the first thirty minutes but Muangthong bounced back to win by the 5–2 result at the end. The match was full of the exciting and dramatic moments. Then, it was considered as one of the most classic matches in Thai League history. The Muangthong versus Chonburi matchup was dubbed as "Thailand Clasico" ever since then.The first invincible
In 2012 season, Muangthong United under Serbian head coach Slaviša Jokanović, had become the first club in the league history that completed the season with an unbeaten record. Muangthong finished at the top of the final standing with 25 wins and 9 draws.Buriram dominance
The Buriram Dominance refers to the 2013 to 2015 season, which Buriram United won Thai Premier League in three consecutive seasons as the first club in the league history. The three titles in that period included two invincible titles which Buriram United completed Thai Premier League campaign unbeaten in 2013 and 2015 season.Rebranding (2017)
In 2017, Football Association of Thailand decided to rebrand Thai Premier League into Thai League 1. Since its inception in 1996 the Thai Premier League has relied upon local sponsorship. Re-branding initiatives seek to foster an international identity for the Thai and elevate the league globally through commitment to world class level management and marketing which incorporates multifaceted promotion through various media in order to draw attention to league competition and cups. This rebranding earned the Good Design Award in the Brand Identity branch from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion.Champions
| # | Year | Winners | Runners-up |
| 1 | 1996–97 | Bangkok Bank | Stock Exchange of Thailand |
| 2 | 1997 | Royal Thai Air Force | Sinthana |
| 3 | 1998 | Sinthana | Royal Thai Air Force |
| 4 | 1999 | Royal Thai Air Force | Port |
| 5 | 2000 | BEC Tero Sasana | Royal Thai Air Force |
| 6 | 2001–02 | BEC Tero Sasana | Osotsapa |
| 7 | 2002–03 | Krung Thai Bank | BEC Tero Sasana |
| 8 | 2003–04 | Krung Thai Bank | BEC Tero Sasana |
| 9 | 2004–05 | Tobacco Monopoly | PEA |
| 10 | 2006 | Bangkok University | Osotsapa |
| 11 | 2007 | Chonburi | Krung Thai Bank |
| 12 | 2008 | PEA | Chonburi |
| 13 | 2009 | Muangthong United | Chonburi |
| 14 | 2010 | Muangthong United | Buriram United |
| 15 | 2011 | Buriram United | Chonburi |
| 16 | 2012 | Muangthong United | Chonburi |
| 17 | 2013 | Buriram United | Muangthong United |
| 18 | 2014 | Buriram United | Chonburi |
| 19 | 2015 | Buriram United | Muangthong United |
| 20 | 2016 | Muangthong United | Bangkok United |
| 21 | 2017 | Buriram United | Muangthong United |
| 22 | 2018 | Buriram United | Bangkok United |
| 23 | 2019 | Chiangrai United | Buriram United |
| 24 | 2020–21 |
Wins by club
The Invincibles
Unbeatable champions:- Muangthong United in 2012
- Buriram United in 2013 and 2015
Clubs
They were replaced by, BG Pathum United, Police Tero and Rayong from Thai League 2.
PTT Rayong was dissolved due to financial problem so they were replaced by Suphanburi, 14th place in 2019 season.
Stadiums and location (2020)
| Team | Province | Stadium | Capacity |
| Bangkok United | Pathum Thani | Thammasat Stadium | 19,375 |
| BG Pathum United | Pathum Thani | Leo Stadium | 9,000 |
| Buriram United | Buriram | Chang Arena | 32,600 |
| Chiangrai United | Chiangrai | Singha Stadium | 13,000 |
| Chonburi | Chonburi | Chonburi Stadium | 8,680 |
| Muangthong United | Nonthaburi | SCG Stadium | 12,505 |
| Nakhon Ratchasima | Nakhon Ratchasima | 80th Birthday Stadium | 24,641 |
| Police Tero | Bangkok | Boonyachinda Stadium | 3,550 |
| Port | Bangkok | PAT Stadium | 8,000 |
| PT Prachuap | Sam Ao Stadium | 5,000 | |
| Ratchaburi Mitr Phol | Ratchaburi | Mitr Phol Stadium | 10,000 |
| Rayong | Rayong | Rayong Provincial Stadium | 7,500 |
| Samut Prakan City | Samut Prakan | Samut Prakarn SAT Stadium | 5,130 |
| Sukhothai | Sukhothai | Thung Thalay Luang Stadium | 8,000 |
| Suphanburi | Suphanburi | Suphan Buri Provincial Stadium | 15,279 |
| Trat | Trat | Trat Provincial Stadium | 5,000 |
Stadiums (2020)
| Bangkok United | BG Pathum United | Buriram United | Chiangrai United | Chonburi | Muangthong United |
| Thammasat Stadium | Leo Stadium | Chang Arena | Singha Stadium | Chonburi Stadium | SCG Stadium |
| Capacity: 25,000 | Capacity: 16,014 | Capacity: 32,600 | Capacity: 11,354 | Capacity: 8,680 | Capacity: 15,000 |
| Nakhon Ratchasima | Police Tero | Port | PT Prachuap | Rayong | Ratchaburi Mitr Phol |
| 80th Birthday Stadium | Boonyachinda Stadium | PAT Stadium | Sam Ao Stadium | Rayong Province Stadium | Mitr Phol Stadium |
| Capacity: 24,641 | Capacity: 3,550 | Capacity: 12,000 | Capacity: 2,700 | Capacity: 7,500 | Capacity: 10,000 |
| Samut Prakan City | Sukhothai | Suphanburi | Trat | - | - |
| Samut Prakarn SAT Stadium | Thalay Luang Stadium | Suphan Buri Provincial Stadium | Trat Province Stadium | - | - |
| Capacity: 5,100 | Capacity: 8,000 | Capacity: 15,000 | Capacity: 6,000 | - | - |
| - | - |
Records
All-time top scorers
| Rank | Player | Period | Goals | Apps |
| 1 |  Cleiton Silva | 2010–2014, 2015–2017, 2018–2019 | 141 | 193 |
| 2 | Heberty | 2014–2016, 2017– | 122 | 170 |
| 3 |  Teerasil Dangda | 2009–2014, 2015–2017, 2019 | 117 | 270 |
| 4 |  Dragan Boškovic | 2013– | 110 | 182 |
| 5 | Pipob On-Mo | 2006–2019 | 108 | 404 |
| 6 | Leandro Assumpção | 2011– | 105 | 203 |
| 7 | Diogo | 2015–2019 | 101 | 105 |
| 7 | Sarayuth Chaikamdee | 2001–2004, 2007–2012, 2013–2014 | 101 | 233 |
| 9 |  Mario Gjurovski | 2012–2019 | 93 | 197 |
| 10 |  Mohamed Koné | 2003–2007, 2009, 2010–2014 | 87 | 177 |
Figures for active players.
Most appearances
| Rank | Player | Position | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | Rangsan Viwatchaichok | MF | 439 | 49 |
| 2 | Pipob On-Mo | FW | 402 | 108 |
| 3 | Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakool | GK | 353 | 1 |
| 4 | Siwarak Tedsungnoen | GK | 345 | 0 |
| 5 | Pichitphong Choeichiu | MF | 340 | 62 |
| 6 | Nattaporn Phanrit | DF | 335 | 19 |
| 7 | Narit Taweekul | GK | 315 | 1 |
| 8 | Apichet Puttan | DF | 262 | 7 |
| 9 | Kittisak Rawangpa | GK | 254 | 0 |
| 10 | Jetsada Jitsawad | DF | 253 | 4 |
Figures for active players .
Player statistics
- Youngest player: Suphanat Mueanta – 15 years, 8 months and 22 days
- Oldest player: Somchai Subpherm – 51 years, 7 months and 25 days
- Youngest scorer: Suphanat Mueanta – 15 years, 9 months and 25 days
- Oldest scorer: Therdsak Chaiman – 40 years, 8 months and 24 days
- Fastest scorer: Nirut Kamsawad – 9 seconds
- Most consecutive matches scored: 10 games – Diogo Luís Santo
- Most consecutive unconceded matches: 6 games
- * Siwarak Tedsungnoen
- * Kawin Thamsatchanan
- * Kawin Thamsatchanan
- All time most clean sheets: 815 minutes – Siwarak Tedsungnoen
- Most goals in a season: 38 goals – Dragan Bošković
- Most assists in a season: 19 assists – Theerathon Bunmathan
- Most titles won: 7 times – Jakkaphan Kaewprom
- Most seasons appeared: 19 seasons – Amnaj Kaewkiew
- All-time record for highest football transfer fee Thai players: 50 million baht – Tanaboon Kesarat
Awards
Prize money
- Champion: 10,000,000 Baht
- Runner-up: 2,000,000
- Third place: 1,500,000
- Fourth place: 800,000
Trophy
- 2011 – 2016 trophy: In 2010, Football Association of Thailand and Thai Premier League Co. Ltd considered to improve the image of Thai Premier League Trophy. The trophy itself was designed by Glue Creative from England and produced by British Silverware of Sheffield. The trophy was crafted by silver with the European style of a crown. Three divas are holding up the trophy and three golden elephants are standing on the base. The trophy is 75 cm tall and weighs more than 30 kg. The production used 250-man hours of work and the finished trophy worth 2 million baht.
- 2017 – current trophy: In 2017, Football Association of Thailand order the trophy produced from England that was created by Royal Jewellers Asprey of London to be new champions trophy. The trophy reflecting Thai identity by the use of Kranok pattern mixed with modern pattern and sculpt it pieces by piece.
Top scorers
Player of the Year
Coach of the Year
Competition format and sponsorship
Competition
There are 18 clubs in the Thai League. During the course of a season, which lasts from February to October, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 34 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then head-to-head, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion. If points are equal, the head-to-head, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The three lowest placed teams are relegated into the Thai League 2 and the top three teams from the Thai League 2 are promoted in their place.Qualification for Asian competitions
In the past the champions will play in AFC Champions League playoffs and AFC Cup for the champions of Thai FA Cup. Due to reforms from the AFC for the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup format, there will be no more a direct qualification spot for the AFC Champions League for that Thai Champion, for the time being. From 2012 Thai clubs has 1 automatic spot to the group stage and 1 playoff spot for the Thai FA Cup Winners and 1 playoff spot for the thai league runner-up.Ranking
As of 20 October 2018Thai League All-Star Exhibition game
Sponsorship
The Thai League has been sponsored since 1996 until 2003 and has been sponsored again since 2010. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. The list below details who the sponsors have been and what they called the competition:- 1996–1997: Johnnie Walker
- 1998–2000: Caltex
- 2001–2003: Advanced Info Service
- 2003–2005: None
- 2006–2008: None
- 2009: None
- 2010–2012: Sponsor
- 2013–present: Toyota
Match balls
Youth League
Like the reserve league, the youth league is open to all the youth teams of all professional clubs in Thailand.Other tournaments
;Domestic tournaments;International tournaments
- AFC Champions League
- AFC Cup
- Mekong Club Championship
- ASEAN Club Championship
- Kor Royal Cup
- Khǒr Royal Cup
- Khor Royal Cup
- Ngor Royal Cup
- Toyota Premier Cup
Ranking Asian
Asia Football / Soccer Clubs Ranking
| Current Rank | Points | Team |
| 12 | 1533 | Buriram United |
| 17 | 1514 | Muangthong United |
| 43 | 1422 | Chonburi |
| 45 | 1417 | Bangkok United |
| 68 | 1374 | BG Pathum United |
| 88 | 1350 | Chiangrai United |
| 91 | 1348 | Ratchaburi Mitr Phol |
| 100 | 1338 | Port |
| 108 | 1325 | Suphanburi |
| 116 | 1320 | Police Tero |