Provincial League

The Thailand Provincial League, also called the Pro League, was a football League in Thailand. It was conducted by the Thai Sports Association, briefly SAT ( " Sports Administration of Thailand "). The League was partly in competition with the League of the Thai Football Association ( " Football Association of Thailand ", in short, FAT). In 2008, the Pro League was held for the last time and finally merged in 2009 with the leagues of the FAT.

History

The Pro League was founded by Thai Sports Association 1999. Although since 1996 there have been the Thailand Premier League, organized by the Thai Football Association, but was it mostly from clubs of Greater Bangkok. The participating clubs were also usually teams of the military, private companies or municipal institutions. Clubs in the provinces were also not supported financially by the government. For these reasons, and to the provincial associations to provide a competitive platform, the SAT decided establishing the Pro League. Since the founding of the League, there have been attempts to combine both leagues in any form. In the Pro League there was only one master, who neither had the privilege to participate in competitions of the Asian Football Confederation, nor the opportunity to advance in the Premier League. This did not change until 2005. Chonburi FC and FC Suphanburi were the first two clubs in the Pro League, which was allowed to rise as finalists in the Pro League 2005 in the Premier League. A year later, with FC Nakhon Pathom the next club in the Premier League. After the end of the 2008 season, the Pro League went completely in the leagues of the FAT and was dissolved. In the Regional League, the 3rd League of Thailand, went to almost all the clubs in the Pro League.

Known representative of the Pro League is now Chonburi FC. He is now one of the most successful and popular clubs of Thailand and Thai champion in 2007.

Championship History

• Football Competition in Thailand