Chonburi F.C.


Chonburi Football Club is a Thai professional football club based in the city of Chonburi, Chonburi province, that competes in the first division in Thai football, Thai League 1, after promotion in the 2024–25 season. The team lifted the league title in 2007 which became the most successful season in their history.
Chonburi were founded in 1997 and their main rivals were Sriracha who were also based in Chonburi Province prior to their move and subsequent dissolution. The team is widely known by their nickname "The Sharks" which can be seen in the crest of the club.
The club has won 1 Thai League 1 title, 1 Thai League 2 title, 2 Thai FA Cup, 1 Thai League Cup and 4 Kor Royal Cup.

History

Early years (1996–2000)

In its early years, Chonburii-Sannibat Samut Prakan Football Club was Assumption College Sriracha's football team. The team was managed by Annop Singtothong, Thanasak Suraprasert, Sontaya Khunpluem, and Wittaya Khunpluem. The team competed and were victorious in many youth tournaments, one of them including the Institute of Physical Education's youth football tournament.
In 1996, Sannibat Samut Prakan Association competed in the Khǒr Royal Cup and came in second place. The directors of the football team then negotiated for a merger which resulted in the creation of Chonburi-Sannibat Samut Prakan. The team then competed in Thai Division 1 League or Thai League 2 today.

Provincial league

Later, the Chonburi Sports Association had been given the chance to compete in the Provincial League in 2000. As a result, Chonburi's provincial football team was separated from Chonburi-Sannibat Samut Prakan thus renaming themselves as Chonburi Football Club which competed in Thai Division 1 League. The team that competed in the Provincial League acquired their players from Assumption College Sriracha and Chulabhon's College Chonburi. They ended their first season in the Provincial League in third place.
In 2005, Chonburi won the Provincial League title by beating Nakhon Ratchasima at the Nakhon Ratchasima Municipal Stadium, and gained promotion to the 2006 Thailand Premier League with the Provincial League runners up, Suphanburi. This title was the first major success of the club.
In 2006, Chonburi were invited by Football Association of Singapore to play in the 2006 Singapore Cup and reached the cup final, defeating local sides Home United, Albirex Niigata and Balestier Khalsa along the way. In the final, they lost 2–3 to Tampines Rovers in extra time after leading 2–0. Chonburi then finished 8th in the 2006 Thai Premier League season.

First major success (2007–2014)

Top flight league title

In 2007, Chonburi were again invited to participate in the 2007 Singapore Cup, but were defeated in the first round against Balestier Khalsa, in a replay of the previous season's semi-finals where Chonburi lost 3–2. Chonburi than went on to win the 2007 Kor Royal Cup. Coming to the end of this season, Chonburi went on to become Thailand Premier League champions for the 2007 season. This was the first trophy in major league for the club and head coach Jadet Meelarp won the 'Coach of the Year' awards and Pipob On-Mo got 'Player of the Year' awards. The club than qualified to the 2008 AFC Champions League after winning the league.
In July 2008, Chonburi made another important big step into the future. In addition, the previous sponsor, Hemaraj Land and Development PLC signed a major sponsorship deal which comes into force from 2009. The contract will run for three years and will amount to the sum of 18 million baht. This may indeed be the largest completed sponsorship of a Thai football club which was ever completed.
At the end of the 2008 season, there was only enough for runner-up. The main reason for this was certainly the profligacy. With two games left in the season you still on the first place in the table, but a 0–0 draw against Samut Songkhram made to naught in the penultimate round of the dream title defense. Jadet Meelarp was dismissed. His successor is officially announced in mid-December 2008. Kiatisuk Senamuang was appointed the head coach of Chonburi.

AFC Champions League debut

In 2008, Chonburi make their debut in the 2008 AFC Champions League season being drawn in group G alongside Japanese club Gamba Osaka, Australian club Melbourne Victory and Korean club Chunnam Dragons. Chonburi than played their first game against Gamba Osaka on 12 March, where the team was seconds away from their first ever win on their debut match in the tournament, however opponent Lucas Severino scored the equaliser for the opponent equalising it at 1–1 which would see Chonburi registered their first point in the tournament. On 20 March, the club achieved its first victory in the AFC Champions League against Melbourne Victory. The game was clouded by controversy when Melbourne Victory scored their only goal whilst a Chonburi player was down injured and his teammates were calling for the ball to be played off the park. It mattered little when Cameroonian striker Jules Baga scored a goal from 35 yards out and then followed it up with a second goal in extra time to condemn Melbourne Victory to their first loss in the competition 3–1. Chonburi than finished the campaign with 5 points finishing at the bottom of the group stage thus knocking out from the tournament. Chonburi then went on to finished as the league runners-up in 2008 thus seeing the club qualified for the 2009 AFC Cup.
In the 2009 season, Chonburi played in the 2009 AFC Cup and was drawn in group G alongside Vietnamese club Hanoi ACB, Hong Kong club Eastern and Malaysian club Kedah FA. Chonburi manage to record 5 wins and only lost 1 game which was against Eastern at the Mong Kok Stadium on 5 May 2009. The club than see themselves qualified to the round of 16 facing off against Indonesian club PSMS Medan which Chonburi thrash them 4–1 and qualifying to the quarter-finals where they would face Vietnamese club Bình Dương. However Chonburi suffered a 4–2 lost on aggregate thus knocking out from the tournament. The game against Medan was also the last game of star studded player Surat Sukha, who moved to Australia to signed with Melbourne Victory. Chonburi than finished the 2009 season being league runner-up again where they won the 2009 Kor Royal Cup.

Thai FA Cup champions

In the 2010 season, Chonburi finished the season in third place in the league in which the club went on to advanced all the way to the 2010 Thai FA Cup final facing off against Muangthong United on 28 November. The match were levelled at 1–1 bringing the game to extra time where Pipob On-Mo scored in the dying minute of the match in the 120th minute to bring the match to 2–1 thus helping Chonburi to win the 2010 Thai FA Cup.
In the 2011 season, Chonburi than played in the 2011 AFC Cup as the Thai FA Cup champions which see the club drawn in group H alongside Indonesian club Persipura Jayapura, Indian club East Bengal and Hong Kong club South China. Chonburi managed it with 4 wins, 1 draw and 1 lost thus qualifying to the round of 16 as group leaders. In the round of 16, they faced off against another Indonesian club Sriwijaya where Chonburi won 3–0 and qualifying to the quarter-final meeting against Uzbekistan club Nasaf Qarshi. As both team were on a 1–1 aggregate over two leg, the game went on to penalties shootout in the second leg at the Markaziy Stadium in which the opponent went on to win 4–3 on penalties thus seeing Chonburi knocked out from the tournament. Chonburi than finished as league runners-up again in 2011 where they also won the 2011 Kor Royal Cup.
Chonburi than started off the 2012 season where they played in the 2012 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off against Korean club Pohang Steelers but lost 2–0 thus being place in the 2012 AFC Cup group stage instead. They were than drawn in group G alongside Myanmar club Yangon United, Singaporean club Home United and Hong Kong club Citizen. Chonburi managed to pick up 4 wins and 2 draws finishing at group leaders and seeing themselves advanced to the round of 16 where they would faced Iraqi club Al Zawraa. Pipob On-Mo scored the only goal in the match helping Chonburi with the win to advanced to the quarter-finals facing off against Syrian club Al Shorta. Chonburi managed to picked up a 5–4 on aggregate over two legs and qualifying to the semi-finals. However, Chonburi hopes of being in the final was crushed after they lost 8–2 on aggregate to Iraqi club Arbil. Chonburi than finished off the 2012 season as league runners-up and also won the 2012 Kor Royal Cup.

Relegation and second division champions

In the 2023–24 season, Chonburi finished in 14th place by sitting in the relegation zone 2 points away from escaping relegation. The club was than relegated to the Thai League 2 ending a 19-year tenure in the top-flight. Chonburi than played in the Thai League 2 ahead of the 2024–25 season where the club went on to become Thai League 2 champions gaining promotion back to the top flight after spending a season in the second division.

Team image

Former crest

Video games

In August 2013, Top Eleven, a popular football management simulation developed by Nordeus, introduced official club items for Chonburi to its in-game club shop. These items included the club’s official logo and home and away jerseys, allowing Top Eleven managers to purchase and represent the Thai club within the game’s virtual environment.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Academy development

Chonburi is well known for producing football talent as well as using their youth players in the first team. In the 2007 Thailand Premier League in which they have been crowned champions, over 80% of their first-team players came from their youth program. However, in the past, their youth players stayed at boarding schools in Chonburi province such as Assumption College Sriracha and Chulabhon's College Chonburi.
Today, Chonburi has a football academy where academy players train and live every day at. The idea of creating a football academy was spearheaded by former Chonburi head coach and current technical director Witthaya Laohakul, who stressed the importance of creating and producing quality football players for the first-team. In 2009, Chonburi decided to remodel its academy and youth program by building an actual football academy in Ban Bueng District. The new academy is located far away from Chonburi surrounded by paddy fields and was once rented out to JMG Academy. In addition, this new football academy includes a dormitory and football training facilities for the academy players.
Chonburi recruits academy players by scouting them from tournaments as well as offering trials. Worachit Kanitsribampen is one of the first successful players to come out of Chonburi's newly restructured academy. As of 2025, Chonburi Academy are one of only four academies in Southeast Asia to be conferred a Two-Star academy status alongside Johor Darul Ta'zim Academy, NFDP Mokhtar Dahari Academy in Malaysia and Lion City Sailors Academy in Singapore.