The game of football was introduced to Thai people in the 19th century and has since become the number one sport in the country. Football was played semi-professionally through most of the country’s history up till 1996 when Thai League 1 was founded.
The league gave the people of Thailand a chance to watch professional games, while teams got a chance to achieve both domestic and later international success. 25 years later five teams have achieved enough glory to be called the top teams in Thailand.
Buriram United
Founded in 1970 under the name Provincial Electricity Authority Football Club, it was renamed Buriram United twelve years ago. In this period the club has had more success than any other team from the region of South Asia. It was also home to some of the most famous football stars from the country and the world.
In their first season under the new owner, they finished second in the league. This was only a small sign of big things to come. Since then, Buriram United has won six titles, five League Cups and four FA Cups.
With their second place in 2011, the club qualified for the AFC Champions League, and a year later they had one of the best performances in the competition, when it comes to clubs from Thailand, as they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. They achieved similar success seven years later when they beat clubs like Jeonbuk HM and Seongnam FC and qualified for the top 16.
Muangthong United
Since they qualified to the top division of Thai football 14 years ago, Muangthong United have been one of the elite teams. Testimony to this is the three victorious campaigns the club had in this period before they were overthrown from the throne of Thai football by Buriram United.
After the glory days where they won three titles in four years, the club was having a hard time getting to the winning path. They won only one title after that, in 2016 when their roster full of players from the national team proved to be too much for the rest of the league to handle. In the 2016 and 2017 campaigns, the club also had some success in the League cup.
When it comes to international achievement, the club reached the top four in 2010 and the top eight a year later in the AFC Cup. Their greatest international achievement came in the 2017 campaign when they defeated powerhouses like Kashima and Ulsan on their way to the top 16 where they fell short against the superb Kawasaki.
Port FC
When it comes to football fans’ passion, Port FC is second to none in Thai football. In the 50 years in which the club has been existing, part of their success came before the introduction of the professional league of Thai football. In this period, they won the Kor Royal Cup eight times.
Since the founding of the league, they spent only two campaigns away from the elite. And in recent years they have been on the rise. In 2019 they fell short in a four-way battle for supremacy in Thai football. This was the second time in a row that they were placed third at the end of the season.
The consolation prize for Port FC was the FA Cup title, which they won after defeating Ratchaburi Mitr Phol in the final. This was their second title in the competition, the first coming ten years before.
The FA achievement qualified the club for the AFC Champion league where they lost to Ceres Negros in the qualifying round. Their top eight finish in the competition, back in 2010, is still to this day their biggest international achievement.
Chonburi FC
The club had its first season in the Thai elite in 2005. It didn’t take long for them to prove that their place is among the top teams in Thailand. In what was just their second season in the competition, the club won their first and only title. In the next seven seasons, they remained one of the top contenders for the trophy but didn’t deliver.
In five of those seven campaigns, the popular Sharks were the second-placed team. Since then, they had little league success and most of the time they have finished the season in the middle of the pack. However, they won the 2010 FA Cup, after defeating Muangthong United in a dramatic fashion.
Chonburi had one appearance in the AFC Champions League, which came in 2008. Their first two games of that competition were their best performances. A late goal cost them three points against Osaka, and they defeated Melbourne Victory. Most of their international success came in the AFC Cup, where they qualified for the knockout round three times and even had one top-four finish in 2012. Which is to this day their best performance.
Chiangrai United
Chiangrai United was founded in 2009, but this hasn’t stopped them from becoming one of the best clubs in the country. Their promotion to the elite came in 2010 and since then they have established themselves as one of the toughest opponents in the competition.
Their first trophy came in 2017 when they defeated Bangkok United and took the FA Cup silverware. Their second trophy came a year later in the same competitions, the same year they were victorious in the league cup by defeating Buriram United in the final match. These three trophies are the sign of Chiang Rai’s readiness to take the next step and challenge the big dogs of Thailand football.
Betting on football in Thailand
Now when you have more information about some of the best football teams in the country, you are ready to try and cash in this knowledge. The best way to make money on football is sports betting on Parimatch. For bettors coming from Thailand, Parimatch is the best choice when it comes to sports wagering. Great odds, excellent interface and some of the best bonuses and promotions are just a part of all the cool benefits this site has to offer.
Conclusion
Before you start enjoying the excitement of football betting in Thailand, try to become familiar with the top teams, their rosters and their achievements. Remember, the more information you have the better your chances of making a winning wager.
