It might be a surprise, but a few leagues go from barely getting any television coverage, even locally, to getting included in Pro Evolution Soccer, arguably the best soccer game out there, second only to FIFA. The Thai Premier League is now hot news, and intelligent bettors worldwide are starting to realize the sheer amount of value and potential hidden in this space. Here’s a brief story of how one of the least-known leagues in the world became an international sensation!
The Evolution Of Thai Premier League – How It All Started
The Thai Premier League (TPL) started in 1996. However, while the world quickly heard about teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal, Thai Farmers Bank FC and Bangkok Bank FC in the TPL remained largely unknown, even locally.
Becoming a Giant
Many would opine that one of the reasons that the Thai League 1 remained unpopular for so long was that the competition seemed like a stock exchange listing. Examples of names of clubs that populated the league included the Stock Exchange of Thailand FC, Thailand’s National Telecommunications Company (TOT FC), and Bangkok Bank. Things started to reach a turning point when BEC-Tero Entertainment entered the mix. Under the ministrations of Jason Wilthe, this club would go on to win this domestic league in style twice, attracting local and national attention in the process. It would earn the side a spot in the 2002-03 Asian Champions League. Things start to look up from here.
Nakhon Ratchasima vs. Buriram United (2015) – The Derby That Changed Everything
Between 1996 and 2015, it poured considerable effort and resources into Thai League 1 (the TPL). However, that investment wasn’t enough to fully push this tournament into the limelight. And then the Isan derby happened. Part of what made this competition so fierce was that it featured Buriram United, the then reigning champions, against the newly promoted side, Nakhon Ratchasima. The result was that more than 34 000 fans tried to squeeze themselves into a ten thousand-capacity stadium to watch the action.
Thankfully, there were no records of casualties. However, this showed how much the league had grown, prompting further efforts to expand its capabilities.
The TPL Today
Over the last decade, innovative policy-making and efficient execution of these decisions have ensured that this league has only continued to grow from glory to glory. So much so that it isn’t as fashionable to only support European teams; you won’t have to walk far to see a local spotting the jersey of their TPL team proudly these days. With this league set to become even more popular than ever, there’s no better time to get in on the action!
