1. Army United
Formed: circa 1964 (Renamed Army United in 2011)
Stadium: Army Stadium, Din Daeng, Bangkok
Nickname: Green Army / Soldiers
Best Player: Tatree Singha
Website: www.rtafan.com
Main Sponsor: Acer
Army finished bottom in 2010, fully ten points from safety, but find themselves still in the TPL in 2011 after sailing through the relegation play-offs. There's no reason to suspect they'll do much better this season. Finishing in 15th place (one place above the relegation zone) will suit them fine.
2. Bangkok Glass
Formed: 2006 (bought out Krung Thai Bank F.C in 2009 in order to get a place in the TPL)
Stadium: Leo Stadium, Pathum Thani
Nickname: The Glass Rabbits
Best Player: Kunihiko Takisawa
Website: www.bangkokglassfc.com
Main Sponsor: Leo
BG will look to improve on their fifth-place finish achieved in 2010. They were the ante-post title favourites of many last year but they never came close to landing the TPL trophy. Close-season capture of Thai Port's Sarayoot Chaikamdee will give them more potency up front. The Glass Rabbits should do better in 2011.
3. BEC Tero Sasana F.C.
Formed: 1992
Stadium: Thephasadin Stadium, Pathumwan, Bangkok
Nickname: Fire Dragons
Best Player: Teerathep Winothai
Website: www.becterosasana.in.th
Main Sponsor: 3K Battery
Tero have signed a dozen players during the close-season as they try to assemble a squad capable of putting the club back amongst the big boys. The four-time TPL champions have faded in recent years but in 2011 they should be able to improve on their ninth-place finish of 2010. Losing top scorer Anon Sangsanoi to Muang Thong is a big blow, though.
4. Buriram PEA
Formed: 1970 (relocated and renamed Buriram PEA in 2010) Stadium: i-mobile Stadium, Buriram
Nickname: Thunder Castle
Best player: Suchao Nutnum
Website: www.burirampea.com
Main Sponsor: King Power
Mr Chidchob's purple machine will almost certainly be Muang Thong's main title threat in 2011. A strong team with a lot of money and influence at their backs, PEA are the favourite in many people's eyes (including this writer's) to end Muang Thong's recent dominance of the TPL. Most of their signings have been pretty low-key, but they've retained the services of all their best players including their talismanic striker Suchao Nutnam.
5. Chiang Rai United
Formed: 2009
Stadium: Mae Fah Luang University Stadium, Chiang Rai
Nickname: The Fighting Beetles
Best Player: Wasan Natasan
Website: www.chiangraiunited.com
Main Sponsor: Leo
Certainly not a title contender, but this remarkable club has enjoyed back-to-back promotions since joining the fledgling Regional League in 2009. Their debut in the top flight geographically stretches the division as never before. Mid-table would suit them, and the gruelling journey away teams will have to make could be their key to putting points on the board. Thirteen close-season signings have been added to aid them in their quest for survival.
6. Chonburi
Formed: 2002
Stadium: OBD Stadium, Chonburi
Nickname: The Sharks
Best Player: Ekkaphan Inthasen
Website: www.chonburifc.net
Main Sponsor: Chang
The 2007 champions were second in 2008 and 2009, and third last year. The original "big club" in the TPL, the 2010 FA Cup winners are now in the shadow of Muang Thong and PEA. The title looks beyond them but second place and another cup are realistic goals.
7. Insee Police United
Formed: 1960 as Royal Thai Police. (Renamed Insee Police United in 2010)
Stadium: Thammasat Stadium, Rangsit, Pathum Thani
Nickname: The Policemen
Best Player: John Wilkinson
Website: www.pufc.co.th
Main Sponsor: Insee
The Policemen finished eleventh in 2010, seven points above the relegation zone. A host of close-season signings suggests that they are setting their sights higher in 2011. Hugely experienced and free-scoring midfielder John Wilkinson, a Singaporean international player with 30 caps, was a surprising and inspired acquisition.
8. Khon Kaen F.C.
Formed: 2005
Stadium: Khon Kaen Sports Stadium
Nickname: The T-Rex
Best Player: Surachet Singngorn
Website: www.khonkaenfc.net
Main Sponsor: Chang
Automatically promoted after finishing second in Division 1 in 2010, Khon Kaen are the second Isaan club to be promoted to the TPL, Sisaket being the first to make it to the top flight in 2009. They have signed a couple of Laotians and Chinese players during the close-season but will struggle to attract any big names. A cup run is possible, but in the league a relegation battle looms.
9. Muang Thong United
Formed: 1989
Stadium: Yamaha Stadium, Nonthaburi
Nickname: Twin Qilins
Best player: Kawin Thamsatchanan
Website: www.mtutd.tv
Main Sponsor: Yamaha
The 2009 and 2010 TPL champions are still the team to catch, but fans and the Thai football world were rocked by the shock sacking of head coach Rene Desaeyere in early January. Clearly, he can't have been sacked for what happened on the pitch. It's been suggested there were behind-the-scenes disagreements over transfer policy. Whatever the reasons, he's gone, and retaining the title in 2011 will be a stiffer challenge for MTU without him. The capture of the prolific Anon Sangsanoi was an important signing. If he can continue his scoring feats then MTU could yet be celebrating another championship come the 2nd October.
10. Osotspa Saraburi F.C.
Formed: 1977 as Osotspa F.C (Renamed Osotspa Saraburi M-150 in 2009)
Stadium: M-150 Stadium, Saraburi
Nickname: M-Power
Best Player: Jetsada Puanakunmee
Website: www.osotspafc.com
Main Sponsor: M-150
Mid-table in 2010, and that's probably the best they can hope for in 2011. Not much activity in the transfer market, but the signing of PEA's Pipat Tonkanya looks useful. One of the best sides in Thailand a few years ago but have been completely left behind in this new era despite the move to Saraburi during the 2009 season.
11. Pattaya United
Formed: 2008 (Took over TPL team Coke Bang Phra)
Stadium: Chonburi Sports College (IPE) Stadium, Chonburi Nickname: The Dolphins
Best Player: Kengne Ludovick
Website: www.pattayaunited.com
Main Sponsor: Ocean 1 Tower
A decent sixth-place finish for the Dolphins in 2010, mainly thanks to the goals of TPL leading scorer Ludovick. He has put pen to paper for another two years, but they've lost the talented Anucha Kitpongsri to neighbours Chonburi. Very ambitious when they arrived on the TPL scene, Pattaya have become strangely inert. Mid-table beckons.
12. Rajnavy Rayong F.C.
Formed: 1937 as Royal Thai Navy F.C. (Renamed Rajnavy Rayong in 2009 and Siam Navy in 2011)
Stadium: Chonburi Sports College (IPE) Stadium
Nickname: Dragon Horses (as Rajnavy Rayong; no details on new nickname)
Best Player: n/a (see below)
Website: www.nvryfc.com
Main Sponsor: PTT (as Rajnavy Rayong; no details on new sponsor)
The Navy, one of the best supported sides in Thailand (when they were playing in Rayong), haven't given their fans much to cheer about in the past couple of seasons. That looks unlikely to change in 2011. The close-season has been marred by a dispute between the club and the Royal Thai Navy and by revelations that players haven't been paid. The upshot is that the club has left Rayong and changed its name to Siam Navy. Their best players have been sold - ten in all to date - and none have come in the other direction. They've been involved in relegation battles for the last two seasons; this season, just remove the word "battles".
13. SCG Samut Songkhram F.C.
Formed: 2004
Stadium: Central Sports Stadium, Samut Songkhram
Nickname: Crazy Mackerels
Best Player: Phanuwat Yimsanga
Website: www.scgsamutsongkhramfc.com
Main Sponsor: SCG
The little club from the smallest province in Thailand have continually punched above their weight since promotion in 2007. Investment from cement giant SCG at the start of 2010 was a huge boost to a club struggling financially. The controversial sacking of coach Somchai Chuayboonchum in December didn't go down well with players, ten of whom went on strike, and then followed their coach to Chantaburi F.C. Shrewd signings have been made since, though, and we reckon that the Mackerels will still be swimming with the big fish by the season's end.
14. Sisaket Muang Thai F.C
Formed: 1999
Stadium: Sri Nakhon Lamduan Stadium, Sisaket
Nickname: Dangerous Koupreys
Best Player: Piyawat Thongman
Website: www.sisaketfc.com
Main Sponsor: Muang Thai Insurance
Lucky, lucky, lucky! Or was it something other than luck? Either way, Sisaket find themselves still in the TPL in 2011 after coming through the impromptu relegation play-offs. However, those handy play-offs have left the Isaan club behind in their preparations. No signings of note yet, and they can't expect anymore favours in 2011. Hard to see them not struggling again but their year's experience in the top flight, and their ten new signings, should help.
15. Sriracha F.C.
Formed: 2005
Stadium: Sri Maharat Suzuki Stadium, Sriracha, Chonburi Nickname: The Blue Marlins
Best Player: Sujarit Jantapon
Website: www.srirachafc.com
Main Sponsor: Chang
Sriracha are fast becoming Thai football's yo-yo club. Relegated from the TPL in 2009, they immediately came back up in 2010 as Division 1 champions. The signing of Chula United hitman Aron Da Silva could be crucial to their chances. In 2011, Sriracha find themselves in an expanded division with several teams which appear considerably weaker than themselves. We reckon their yo-yoing days are over, for a season at least.
16. Thai Port F.C.
Formed: 1967 as Port Authority of Thailand F.C. (Renamed Thai Port in 2009)
Stadium: PAT Stadium, Khlong Toey, Bangkok
Nickname: Port Lions / Khlong Toey Army
Best Player: Jirawat Makarom
Website: www.thaiportfc.com
Main Sponsor: FB Battery
There's never a dull moment at Thai Port. The 2009 FA Cup and 2010 League Cup winners have been plagued by crowd trouble and distracted by a financial dispute between the club and the Port Authority. They finished fourth in 2010 largely thanks to Sarayoot Chaikamdee's goals. But "Jo Five Yards" has moved on to Bangkok Glass, and TP have lost several other key players. With their vociferous support, the orange and blues can beat anyone on their day - it's why they're such a good cup team - but they may have to settle for a lower league position in 2011.
17. TOT-CAT F.C.
Formed: 1957 as Telephone Organisation of Thailand F.C (Renamed TOT-CAT in 2010)
Stadium: Chaeng Wattana Stadium, Lak Si, Bangkok / Yamaha Stadium, Nonthaburi)
Nickname: The Phoenixes
Best Player: Tomas Kozar
Website: www.tot-catfc.com
Main Sponsor: TOT-CAT
Similar to Samut Songkhram, TOT is another club which seems to defy the laws of gravity in the TPL. Unlike Samut Songkhram, TOT can expect to seriously struggle this season. They've lost their president and some of their best players; they've signed no one (and don't appear to have any cash to spend) and still don't know where they're going to be playing in 2011. Definite relegation candidates.
18.TTM F.C Phichit
Formed: 1963 as Thailand Tobacco Monopoly F.C (Renamed TTM Phichit in 2010)
Stadium: Phichit Stadium
Nickname: Northern Tigers
Best Player: Kraikitti Inutane
Website: www.ttmfc.com
Main Sponsor: TTM
TTM finished just one place above the relegation zone on 2010, and responded by sacking their coach just before the end of the season. Korean Ho Myeong-Bae was installed and links have been established with Korean club Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. A couple of (you guessed it!) Korean players have been signed and many more are likely to follow. It's a novel way of trying to turn around a club's fortunes. Success or otherwise depends on how the men from "Kowlee" settle.
Please note that all information was correct at the time of writing. However, due to the very nature of Thai football, circumstances may have changed at some clubs. Thank you.
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