Football league system in Thailand
Below is an overview of the Thai league system in the course of the Thai football championship from 1916 to today.
Current system
| Level | League (s) / Division (s) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Thai Premier League 16 clubs |
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| 2 |
 Thai Premier League Division 1 16 clubs |
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| 3 |
Regional League Division 2
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| Lower Leagues | ||||||||||||
| 4th |
Khǒr Royal Cup (ถ้วย ข.) 15 clubs |
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| 5 |
Khor Royal Cup (ถ้วย ค.) 25 clubs |
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| 6th |
Ngor Royal Cup (ถ้วย ง.) 60 clubs |
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Earlier systems
Before the top division in Thailand , the Thai Premier League, was founded in 1996, the Royal Cup was the generic term for the competition in which the Thai Football Championship was played.
1916-1962
In the same year that the Thai Association was founded, the Association installed a championship. There was the Yai Cup (ถ้วย ใหญ่) and the Noi Cup (ถ้วย น้อย)
| Level | Royal Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yai Cup (ถ้วย ใหญ่) | |||||
| 2 | Noi Cup (ถ้วย น้อย) | |||||
1963-1995
Due to the increasing number of clubs in Thailand, the association was forced to reform in 1963. Two more leagues were introduced and the two previous ones were renamed. The Yai Cup was renamed Kor Royal Cup and the Noi Cup was renamed Khǒr Royal Cup. The Khor Royal Cup and the Ngor Royal Cup were added.
| Level | Royal Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kor Royal Cup (ถ้วย ก.) | |||||
| 2 | Khǒr Royal Cup (ถ้วย ข.) | |||||
| 3 | Khor Royal Cup (ถ้วย ค.) | |||||
| 4th | Ngor Royal Cup (ถ้วย ง.) | |||||
1996-1999
In 1996 the Thai Premier League was introduced as the country's top division. It replaced the previous Kor Royal Cup. From then on, this was only held as a Supercup between champions and runner-up. From the relegated teams of the first TPL season, the new second division, the Thailand Division 1 League, was formed .
| Level | League (s) / Division (s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thai Premier League | |||||
| 2 | Thailand Division 1 League | |||||
| 3 | Khǒr Royal Cup (ถ้วย ข.) | |||||
| 4th | Khor Royal Cup (ถ้วย ค.) | |||||
| 5 | Ngor Royal Cup (ถ้วย ง.) | |||||
1999-2006
From 1999 to 2006 there were two separate soccer championships in Thailand. The Thai Sports Association, SAT, founded its own league, the Thailand Provincial League , in 1999 . It was almost exclusively attended by associations from the provinces of Thailand. The champions of this league were not allowed to participate in the Thai Premier League until 2005. Only the participants in the Premier League were allowed to qualify for the Asian continental competitions.
| Level | League (s) / Division (s) | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thai Premier League |
SAT Championship Playoff (champions and runners-up in each region)
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| 2 | Division 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Division 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4th | Khǒr Royal Cup (ถ้วย ข.) | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Khor Royal Cup (ถ้วย ค.) | ||||||||||||||||
| 6th | Ngor Royal Cup (ถ้วย ง.) | ||||||||||||||||
2007-2008
From the 2007 season, the Provincial League was integrated into the FAT league system and hung below the first three leagues. In 2009 the Provincial League was dissolved and fully integrated into the restructured Third League.
| Level | League (s) / Division (s) | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thai Premier League | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Division 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Division 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Low division | |||||||||||||||||
| 4th | Khǒr Royal Cup (ถ้วย ข.) |
SAT Championship Playoff (champions and runners-up in each region)
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| 5 | Khor Royal Cup (ถ้วย ค.) | ||||||||||||||||
| 6th | Ngor Royal Cup (ถ้วย ง.) | ||||||||||||||||