1996–97 Thailand Soccer League

Thai Premier League
Season	1996/97
Dates	17 August 1996 – 16 March 1997
Champions	Bangkok Bank
Relegated	Thailand Tobacco Monopoly ; Osotsapa ; Bangkok Bank of Commerce ; Rajvithi-Agfatech ; Krung Thai Bank ; Singha-Thamrongthai
1997–98 Asian Club Championship	Bangkok Bank FC
1997–98 Asian Cup Winners Cup	Royal Thai Air Force FC
Top goalscorer	Ampon Ampansuwan (TOT) (21)
Highest scoring	Royal Thai Air Force 4-3 ; Port Authority of Thailand ; Rajvithi-Agfatech 4-3 ; Royal Thai Police ; (7 goals)
	← Kor Royal Cup 1995 1997 →

Between 1916 and 1995, the Kor Royal Cup was the top level of club football competition. In 1996 the Thai Premier League (official name: Johnnie Walker Thailand Soccer League) was established by the Football Association of Thailand, sponsored by whiskey manufacturing brand Johnnie Walker.

In its first season, 1996/97, the Thai Premier League consisted of 18 teams from the Kor Royal Cup. Top 4 teams in the final league table would be qualified for championship playoffs, and six teams at the bottom of the league table would be relegated to the Thailand Division 1 League which was to be created next season (1997).

The defending Champions of the Kor Royal Cup, Thai Farmers Bank FC, would enter the next edition of the Asian Club Championship.

Member clubs locations

Bangkok Metro

Bangkok Metro teams
Bangkok Bank
Bangkok Bank of Commerce
Krung Thai Bank F.C.
Osotsapa M-150
Port Authority of Thailand
UCOM Raj Pracha
Rajvithi-Agfatech
Royal Thai Air Force
Royal Thai Army
Royal Thai Navy
Royal Thai Police
Singha Tero Sasana
Singha-Thamrongthai
Sinthana
Stock Exchange of Thailand
Thai Farmers Bank
Thailand Tobacco Monopoly
TOT

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Locations of the Thailand Soccer League 1996-97 teams

Final league table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Thai Farmers Bank	34	18	10	6	56	25	+31	64	Qualification for the championship playoff
2	TOT	34	17	11	6	61	35	+26	62
3	Bangkok Bank	34	17	11	6	54	34	+20	62
4	Stock Exchange of Thailand	34	17	9	8	59	31	+28	60
5	UCOM Raj Pracha	34	16	12	6	62	36	+26	60
6	Sinthana	34	17	6	11	45	45	0	57
7	Royal Thai Air Force	34	14	12	8	48	35	+13	54
8	Royal Thai Army	34	14	12	8	60	50	+10	54
9	Royal Thai Navy	34	13	12	9	44	29	+15	51
10	Royal Thai Police	34	13	11	10	53	39	+14	50
11	Port Authority	34	9	14	11	44	39	+5	41
12	Singha Tero Sasana	34	9	14	11	37	44	−7	41
13	Tobacco Monopoly	34	7	14	13	37	44	−7	35	Relegation spot
14	Osotsapa	34	8	10	16	41	73	−32	34
15	Bangkok Bank of Commerce	34	7	11	16	34	47	−13	32
16	Rajvithi-Agfatech	34	8	8	18	43	71	−28	32
17	Krung Thai Bank	34	5	9	20	32	54	−22	24
18	Singha-Thamrongthai	34	1	6	27	26	101	−75	9

Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd head-to-head; 3rd goal difference; 4th goals scored

Championship playoff

Top 4 of the league (Thai Farmers Bank, TOT, Bangkok Bank, Stock Exchange of Thailand) qualified for championship playoff.

Semifinals

February 23, 1997

Team 1	Result	Team 2
Stock Exchange of Thailand	2-0	Thai Farmers Bank
Bangkok Bank	3-2	TOT

Final

March 16, 1997

Team 1	Result	Team 2
† Bangkok Bank	2-0	Stock Exchange of Thailand

† Champions : Bangkok Bank (Qualification for the Asian Club Championship).

Season notes

The league will be reduced in size to consist of only 12 teams for season 1997. The competing clubs will be: Bangkok Bank, Stock Exchange of Thailand, Thai Farmers Bank FC, TOT, Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Air Force, Sinthana, UCOM-Rajpracha, Royal Thai Navy, Port Authority BEC Tero Sasana and Royal Thai Police.
Another six teams, who failed to make it into the top 12 elite, Thailand Tobacco Monopoly, Osotsapa, Bangkok Bank of Commerce, Raj Vithi, Krung Thai Bank and Thamrongthai will join the top four teams from the old second division - Rayong, Samut Prakan, Royal Household Bureau and Bank for Agriculture and Co-Operatives - to make up a new second tier. It was also confirmed that there will be no play-offs for the championship this year and just one team will go either down to the Second Division and up to the first. However, the second bottom team in the top division will have to face. The second placed team in the second division to decide who takes up a place in the top 12 next year.

Asian Representation

Thai Farmers Bank represented Thailand in the 1996–97 Asian Club Championship, where they would reach the second round, where they were beaten by eventual winners Pohang Steelers of South Korea.