Promotion was won into the Thai League in 2006. The side were successful with the club returning to the Chonburi Municipality Stadium with AFC Champions League matches switched to the Suphachalasai Stadium in Bangkok.
The Sharks had success in the Asian Champions League in 2008 as they defeated Melbourne Victory as reigning Thai champions.
Matches were shared between the Municipality and Princess Sirindhorn Stadiums until the club moved to the Institute of Physical Education Chonburi Campus Stadium (IPE Chonburi Stadium). Chonburi FC continue to be one of the country's most prominent football clubs with a large following.
The 2014 season could have ended as one of the greatest in Chonburi's history. However, it ended in disappointment and in tales of what might have been. With just two league games remaining The Sharks led the table. They could only muster draws as Buriram United overtook them. A week later they went down 1-0 to Bangkok Glass in the FA Cup Final.
New boss Therdsak Chaiman replaced Meelarp for the 2016 campaign. Cunha departed to Port, while Brazilian striker Rodrigo Vergilio replaced him. The Sharks ended the 2016 campaign in fifth position.
The goals of Renan Marques fired the Sharks to a seventh place finish in 2017 under Chaiman, who was replaced for the 2018 season by the German, Goran Barjaktarević, who in turn was replaced by Jukkapant Punpee during the season as the Sharks ended in ninth position thanks in part to the goals of Worachit Kanitsribampen.
Caion top scored as the side reached the final of the FA Cup, going down on penalties to Chiang Rai United on penalties at Thammasat Stadium in a match played behind closed doors owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.The 2021-22 season saw Yoo Byung-Soo leading the scoring as Chonburi’s league placement improved with the club maintaining continuity with their off-field appointments.
However, the 2022-23 season saw serious issues off the pitch which were not addressed. Coach Sasom resigned before the end of the campaign after a League Cup semifinal defeat with the side ending the season in sixth. A lack of investment in 2023-24 would end in relegation to T2. Makoto Teguramori began the season as coach before being replaced by caretaker Nattawut Vichitrawetakan.
The fact that he oversaw the final four months of the season was seen by many fans as a sign that the club were gearing itself up for the drop. The owners apologised at the end of the season and installed former playing hero Pipon On-mo as head coach.
Chonburi FC will play in Thai League 2 in the 2024-25 season.
The train transport system in Bangkok is first class if a little sparse. Once it is eventually extended it really will be something to behold. My destination was the old National (Suphachalasai) Stadium near Siam Square.
OK, I admit it. I’m guilty of overdoing things at times and I provided conclusive evidence the next day. Steve (my good friend and host) didn’t have a spare key for me, so I needed to be at the house for him arriving home at 4.15pm.
I was in a bit of a quandary before I decided it would be an innovative idea to have a half day out in Chonburi to visit the reigning champions’ home stadium. Just before my arrival Chonburi FC had won the ACL game against Melbourne Victory which had given me a bit of a laugh when among my Victorian friends at the cricket.
I should have pulled out after the taxi to the bus station was held up owing to an accident further up the road, before I got lost trying to find the bus station, eating up more valuable time. However, my stubbornness meant I continued onwards.
The bus fare was cheap, costing about £1.50 return for a 90-minute each-way ride, and I had thoughts of crossing off the ground and enjoying an ice-cold beer and lunch in a beach bar. The journey was OK, but it was taking slightly longer than anticipated. I should have known better as a regular to the city, but the traffic was horrendous.
On arrival in Chonburi, I realised I would have just over an hour in town before my return journey. Then I realised that Chonburi is not a very touristy place despite being on the coast and I don’t think I saw another westerner during my short stay. Well, at least Google Maps showed it was by the Gulf, but as on other occasions, I’d miscalculated the size of the town I was visiting.
A 7/11 shop assistant told me that any songthaew, or small local bus to the uninitiated, outside would take me to the beach. I was soon on board the next service and spotting the promising signs of floodlights ahead. I rang the bell and enthusiastically sprinted up the steps which gave passengers a safe crossing over the dual carriageway.
I took photos of the sparse stadium through the surrounding railings, which I hoped was my intended target, while never totally convincing myself that I was in the right location. There was no one around except an old caretaker whose English was even more lacking than my Thai!
We went all of twenty yards before I begged my pilot to stop. I’d rather have been stranded for the night and face Steve’s wrath than ride on the back. I stood there not really knowing what to do. A couple of locals obviously realised that I was having problems and were doing all they could to suppress laughter after experiencing my brief motorbike excursion.
I jumped out of the bus early on my return using my knowledge of that part of Bangkok and got into a taxi back towards Steve’s house when my unhappy host's name appeared on the phone as it rang. I explained I was en route, but he seemed terribly upset. He’d had a difficult day at the office so sitting outside his locked house in blazing sun didn't particularly help.
I felt even more stupid when after investigation I’d not found my intended target, but I’d gone past it on the way back for my bus. I had taken photos of a college facility!
The following day I stayed close to base. I eventually made it to Chonburi Municipality Stadium many years later.
Chonburi 1 TOT SC 1 (Sunday 2nd November 2014) Thai Premier League (att: 7,666)
Most of my teammates were also keen on the idea, so plans were put in place with Dale Farrington, who runs the English-language Chonburi FC website. That was until the Thai FA had other ideas.
It seems remarkable, and it puts into perspective the moans of Premier League fans in the UK, but the last six rounds of fixtures were changed with just ten days prior notice. It looked like I wouldn’t get the chance to go to Chonburi Stadium.
Fate was to play a huge hand. I had intended to go to the PAT Stadium for Singhtarua v Sisaket on the final day, with the Port side being my preferred go-to option when given the opportunity.
The previous Wednesday they slipped up and drew 1-1 at Chainat while nearest challengers Buriram United, owned by Leicester City owners King Power had brushed aside TOT in Bangkok.
We settled down to some pre-match beers as other ex-pats started to arrive, some with their wives. Tim and Brian had gone to the midweek game and weren’t especially impressed with the tactics of coach Wada or the match officials.
The consensus was that Chonburi’s chance had gone with their draw a few days previously, although the supply of Chang’s installed a little more optimism from the growing crowd. It was good to see football fans are the same around the world.
Dale had added some humour to what was obviously going to be a tense couple of hours as the gang were provided with masks of Wednesday’s linesman Suchart Fangmala and miniature linesmen flags to wave just like their ‘favourite’ linesman had done at Chainat to rule out a couple of legitimate goals.
The rain abated as we entered Chonburi Stadium just before the playing of the King’s Anthem. It was comforting to be with other fans who had also made the last-minute dash. Despite the athletic track around the pitch, it was an impressive sight from upstairs in the Main Stand.
So was the amount of replica shirts on show. The home fans were certainly up for it, as was star man Tiago Cunha. He opened the scoring with an incredible overhead kick to send the vast majority of the near capacity crowd into raptures. It really was a world class goal.
Before I left Bangkok, I had predicted to Steve that there would be some inaccurate score rumours going around the stadium at some point having experienced such nerve-jangling final-day outcomes in the past.
My friends must have really been going through it. It was difficult enough as a semi-neutral, albeit one who desperately wanted Buriram to blow their opportunity.
Unfortunately, it got through and affected the home team as they lost concentration. In particular, Chonburi’s Suttinun Phuk-hom, who then headed the equaliser past his own keeper. There was a mixture of shock and anger, but still plenty of time left.
Half chances went begging. Tiago argued with everyone including himself, while Fode Diakite contrived to miss a relatively simple header in front of goal. If truth be told the Sharks lacked ideas, and the ones that they had were running out quickly.
Before long TOT’s Bas Savage who had enjoyed a good lower-division career in England joined us for an enlightening chat about life as an overseas player in the TPL. He turned out to be a really top bloke.
They must have been good, as I bought them a beer each! Singhtarua had also avoided relegation in their vital clash. The away end seemed oddly packed and celebrating when they scored. Some enterprising fans had ‘adopted’ Sisaket for the day!
As a resident of Thailand, I was not going to turn down the opportunity of going to cheer on the national team, especially as I fancied a return to Chonburi. Tickets for this game and the following Sunday against Suriname were easy to come by via Thai Ticket Major.
There were several ways of heading down the Gulf to the city, but in the end, the advice of friends saw me decide to try to do it by minibus. Sure enough, there was a service from the specific small van station over the road from Chatuchak 2 Market.
It gave me enough time to grab some provisions before we departed, with my drop-off point being opposite Central Chonburi, ideal for my hotel. It took around fifteen minutes from the mall to find my excellent accommodation for the evening at Central Place which cost 668 Baht.
There was time for a nap prior to setting off for a stroll towards the Chonburi Stadium, which was around twenty minutes away. It was good to see plenty of activities for fans outside, as a real effort had been made.
There was nowhere selling beer, and those imbibing were buying from the 7/11 at the far end where my ticket was for the gate on Soi Nartmontasevee 30. I grabbed a couple of small cans and mingled around the Ultras, who set off a pyro display before they entered the stadium.
The crowd in general was family orientated. It was good to see the Thai FA offer the fans of a footballing stronghold the chance to see their national team. It was a case of finding the best seat as the ticket wasn’t numbered. I got a decent view towards the back of the curve.
The match itself would struggle to find a highlights package, but it wasn’t pedestrian. Nepal were serious and were determined not to lose, using every trick in the book to contain their hosts, and by regularly putting ten men behind the ball.
I later read that the visitors were missing some of their star names, so a little understanding is fair. I’m not sure what to say about the first half, apart from Thailand were attacking towards our end, or at least were supposed to, beer wasn’t allowed in the stands, and Pujan Uparkoti of Nepal was shown a yellow card.
Kevin Deeromram for the home side put in a low cross-come shot that away keeper Kiran Chemjong Limbu dealt with after three minutes. The goalie then easily saved a side-footed effort from Picha Autra and then smothered from Tristan Do.
Pathompol Charoenrattanapirom fired high and wide while Chemjong Limbu made himself the centre of attention several times with theatrical catches. Charoenrattanapirom was a little closer soon after the restart from the edge of the box.
A curling effort from Adisak Kraisorn was just too high as Changsuek continued to press. Deeromram somehow sliced wide after forcing himself through on goal on the left hand side of the penalty area as the pressure mounted, with Manuel Bihr having an effort pushed away.
Pansa Hemviboon saw his header come back off the bar with the keeper motionless before the deadlock was finally broken with twelve minutes left on the clock. Philip Roller cut inside in the box and his left footed drive found the top corner of the net via a deflection.
Sasalak Haiprakhon went close with a low drive before a low shot from Chaowat Veerachat in the final minute of normal time securing the victory. It had been hard work, but Thailand got there in the end.
At full time I had plans. HopfAddict looked tempting on the way to the match with its range of foreign beers, but the prices were on the steep side. Instead, I headed to Queen Bar. It had decent reviews and they had been kind enough to reply to my enquiries on Facebook.
It proved to be an excellent choice. The owner was a lovely man, as were the staff and customers along with a decent acoustic guitar singer as well. We got chatting and the boss said to wait so that he could drive me home to my hotel. Outstanding customer service.
It had been another excellent few hours of learning and exploring. The football wasn’t the best, but the people most certainly were.
Many thanks to Chonburi FC fan Dale Farrington for providing information for this piece. Dale compiles the excellent and highly recommended fanzine/blog, It's A Habit That Sticks.
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