Chiangmai United

Chiangmai United FC is a professional football club from the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai that was originally formed in 2015 as Changphueak Chiangmai.

The club first competed in the 2016 Thai Division 3 Tournament Northern Region, which was the fourth tier of football in the country, but outside the Thai League setup. The team went on to win their group with home games at Chiang Mai University Stadium.

In the knock-out stage, Phetchabun, Nakhon Mae Sot United, and Chainat United in the semi-final were defeated before Changphueak beat the Institution of Physical Education Chiang Mai Campus at Maejo University Stadium to win the competition.

This led to promotion of sorts to the national league system that had been restructured for 2017, with the club changing its title to JL Chiangmai United to play in Thai League 4 Northern Region. It proved to be another successful season as ‘The White Elephants’ won the championship.

Chatchai Narkwijit topped the scoring charts to qualify for the T4 Champions League play-offs in the quest for promotion. Samut Prakan were dispatched before the side won the three-team Group B to go up to the third tier after a win against Muangkan United, and then a scoreless draw away to Marines Eureka sealed the deal.

Home matches in that stage were played at Chiangmai Municipality Stadium, with earlier league home games being played at a combination of 700th Anniversary Stadium, Chiang Mai University Stadium and Maejo University Stadium.

700th Anniversary Stadium

The Thai League 3 Upper Region title was won in 2018 under the stewardship of head coach Somchai Makmool, while Narkwijit carried on banging in the goals with Taku Ito and Anggello Machuca also coming to the party at 700th Anniversary Stadium.

Hiziel Souza Soares scored the goals for the side led by Leones Pereira dos Santos and then Surachai Jirasirichote in the 2019 season, which ended in eleventh place. The club dropped JL from their title for the 2020-21 campaign.

700th Anniversary Stadium

They also changed venue and moved to Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna Stadium (DoiSaket) for the 2020-21 campaign. The move of location worked after the new coach, Carlos Eduardo Parreira, resigned in October to be replaced by Dennis Amato.

The German formerly did a fine job at Chainat Hornbill, taking them to the T2 title. He found success once again, leading United to a runners-up place and promotion as Melvin de Leeuw and Jeong Woo-geun put away the goals.

It was a season that saw Amato replaced by Surapong Kongthep before the arrival of Ailton Silva. The Brazilian resigned before the end of the season. United started the Thai League 2 season of 2022-23 with Chusak Sriphum in charge of the team, before the appointment of his successor Somchai Chuayboonchum.

The side reached the semifinals of the playoffs, where they lost to Customs United on away goals, by which time Rungroj Thongthinphu was head coach. Surachai Jirasirichote succeeded him at the start of the 2023-24 campaign, which ended with a ninth-place finish, with Brazilian striker Mosquito scoring the goals.

Anucha Chaiyawong was appointed as head coach for the 2024-25 season, which saw the side finish twelfth with Elson Hooi topping the scoring chart. The club moved to a new home after a few games of the 2025-26 campaign, the Chiang Mai Rajabhat University Maerim Stadium.

Sarawut Wongmai was given the role of coaching the side in December 2025.

Chiangmai United will play in the Thai League 2 in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Chiangmai United 1 Rasisalai United 2 (Saturday 4th April 2026) Thai League 2 (att: 591)

I was in Chiang Mai for the International Cricket Sixes, where the event went swimmingly well. By finals day, I was ready for some live football action, drained as I was, particularly as it was available at a new ground to me.

Even better, it featured our local side Rasisalai United, who had been crowned champions after Pattani and Sisaket United drew 0-0 the night before, another match watched live in a local bar, to more bewilderment from the other drinkers. The Thai League fixture committee had been most kind.

Anyway, at 6.20 pm, it was time to exit stage left after MC duties at the cricket, and head away in the car with John driving, kindly lent to us for the fifty-minute drive to the middle of nowhere, by another mate, Martin Peters. Talk about a football connection for my reports to A Thai Football Podcast.

The Rajabhat University Stadium in Mae Rim is impressive, but in the wrong location. Never has the term “white elephant” been more apt. The main stand was huge and incredibly steep, with the opposite side, where we went, having steep open steps and lots of space.

Rasi put on a decent show, beating a reasonable home side, with goals from Wichit, just before half-time and Nattapon late on, with Woogeun Jeong scoring a penalty in between them. Once again, the pace and skill of the champions in vital areas of the pitch defined why they have been so successful.

However, it was a poor spectator experience. 90% of fans were positioned on the open side, but the club only sold tickets around the back of the main stand, meaning we missed the first few minutes as John drove around to purchase them. 

There were no food or drink concessions on our side either, with John saying there were just a couple next to the ticket desk, as well as a basic souvenir stall. Surely, a money-making opportunity was lost, as well as a good way to ensure fans would be less inclined to return.

The stewarding and customer service took me back to England; such was their lack of common sense and basic people skills. There was a huge gap between the sets of fans, who got on anyway, and a bigger one to the pitch.

Temperatures were still in the late 30’s, despite the 7.30 pm kick off, yet one of the two who’d been handed orange hi-vis tabards confiscated a plastic bottle of water from a young fan because it had a lid on. I’m not sure I’d bother returning.

John did a sterling job getting us back and finding a parking spot near OMG back in Chiang Mai before I went out to celebrate the end of another tournament, later joined by my wife, leading to a flight down to Bangkok in delicate condition the following morning.