Nakhonsi United FC, long the sole representative of Southern Thailand in the country's second tier, has been relegated to Thai League 3 — now sponsored as the BYD Dolphin League III — after finishing 17th in the 2025-26 Thai League 2 season. The club enters the new campaign with a clear goal: work back up through Thai League 2 and, eventually, into Thai League 1.

Founded in 2014 and based in Nakhon Si Thammarat, the largest province in Southern Thailand, with 1.5 million residents, the club, nicknamed the "Southern Dragons," was acquired last year by Australian football professional Tony Basha. Since taking over the club, Basha's stated approach centres on long-term development rather than short-term fixes, focusing on expanding the youth academy and strengthening coaching structures.

The club's Thai League 2 tenure had been a source of regional pride since a historic 2022-23 promotion, and the fans have remained loyal through last season’s change in fortunes. Nakhon Si PAO Thammarat Stadium, known locally as Chattrakankosol Stadium, holds 5,000 spectators, with match days drawing supporters from neighbouring provinces as well as the city itself. Online, the club's official Facebook page has well over 104,000 followers, alongside a growing TikTok and Instagram presence built on match highlights and behind-the-scenes content.

That loyalty mirrors football's broader standing in Thailand. The sport has deep roots, introduced in 1897 and formalised under royal patronage with the founding of the Football Association of Thailand in 1916, and the English Premier League remains hugely popular among Thai audiences on cable and streaming platforms.

Thailand's professional pyramid runs three tiers across an August-to-May season: Thai League 1, Thai League 2 and Thai League 3, currently sponsored as the BYD Dolphin League III. The third tier is the pyramid's broadest base: 69 clubs split into six regional zones (Northern, Northeastern, Central, Eastern, Western and Southern) with the 2026/27 season kicking off on 19-20 September 2026 and running through July 2027. Regional group winners advance to a national championship stage, with the eventual champion earning promotion back to Thai League 2 — the first step in Nakhonsi United's stated path back to the top flight.

The Sponsorship Experts, Paul Poole (South East Asia) Co., Ltd.
will be managing sponsorship and partnership marketing for Nakhonsi United Football Club 2026/2027. We have a number of commercial sponsorship and partnership opportunities available for brands and businesses wanting to integrate with this high profile football club as well as many other opportunities to create bespoke events for your brand or business.

Paul Poole (South East Asia) Co., Ltd. is an independent marketing consultancy based in Bangkok, Thailand specialising in commercial sponsorship and partnership marketing, working with both rights holders and brands - acting as a catalyst by bringing them together and maximising the relationship.

We have packaged, sold and managed sponsorship and partnership opportunities for a wide range of rights holders and worked with many of the world’s leading brands to source and engage the right sponsorships and partnerships for them to maximise.