Ratchaburi Football Club (Thai: สโมสรฟุตบอลจังหวัดราชบุรี), is a Thai professional football club based in Ratchaburi province that currently plays in Thai League 1. The top tier league in Thailand. Ratchaburi has the nickname The Dragons which can be seen in the club official crest.
History
Establishment and early years Ratchaburi Football Club was founded in 2004 and then joined 2006 Thailand Division 2 League. Ratchaburi able to win the Thailand Division 2 League title, get the right to compete in the 2007 Thailand League Division 1.
The 2007 League Division 1 season has a total of 24 teams participating in the competition, divided into 2 groups, 12 teams each and at the end of the competition, the top five of each group will be relegated to the competition. Thai League Division 2, the club did not perform very well, finished the season with the last place in the group A table.
In 2008, Ratchaburi finished in seventh place out of the 11 participating teams, causing the team to relegate, but due to the Football Association of Thailand reshaping the competition in the season 2009 makes Ratchaburi continue to compete in the Thai League Division 2
2009 Regional League Division 2 is the first season to compete in a 5-region zone system, Ratchaburi Football Club is organized in the Central and Eastern region. The club finished the season with 9th place out of 12 participating teams.
Dragon's breath In 2010, the Nitikarnchana family decided to take over Ratchaburi Football Club, which was then in the Regional League Division 2. In 201, the club won the Central-East Division before earning promotion to Division 1 after winning Group A of the Division 2 playoffs.
Prior to the 2012 season, Ratchaburi was sponsored by the Mitr Phol Group and announced the change of the club's name to Ratchaburi Mitr Phol, with Sorraaut Klinprathum as the club's president, Boonying Nitikarnchana as the club's vice president and Thanawat Nitikarnchana is the team manager while taking the helms is Somchai Maiwilai as the club head coach.
2011 Division 2 (Tier 3) 2012 Division 1 (Tier 2) 2013 Thai Premier League (Tier 1)
Whilst in Division 1, Ratchaburi made it to the 2012 Thai League Cup final where they lost 4–1 to Buriram United. The final was most remembered for the farcical circumstances that Ratchaburi faced as they didn't have any substitutes on the bench due to having several ineligible loanees from opponents Buriram United. Ratchaburi never stood a chance as Buriram won the final at a canter.
Promotion to the top flight In the following season, Ratchaburi flew through the 2012 Thai Division 1 League winning the title on their way to the top flight league.
In the first season of the Ratchaburi in top-tier league is considered unsuccessful, ranked 15th out of the total of 18 teams, but due to the problem of scrambling for the rights of the team between Sisaket and Esan United escalate, The Thai League company decided to increase the top 20 teams in TPL, resulting in the Thai Premier League competition in 2013 season, there was only one relegation team, Pattaya United (17th place).
In 2014 season, Ratchaburi reacted by appointing former Girona manager Ricardo Rodríguez as their new manager for the new 2014 Thai Premier League season. The Dragons finished comfortably in 4th place.
Move to Mitr Phol Stadium and recent years
After participating in the top league for 3 years, Ratchaburi Mitr Phol has a project to build its own football stadium. The stadium started construction in 2015 and opened for the first time in mid-2016. In 2016 the club moved to new ground, Mitr Phol Stadium and the club appointed Robert Procureur as the club first technical director.
In 2016, Following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Football Association of Thailand cancelled the remaining league and cup season on 14 October 2016, with three rounds remaining. Ratchaburi then was announced as the 2016 Thai FA Cup champions where the title was shared among Chainat Hornbill, Chonburi and Sukhothai who was then in the semi-finals. Ratchaburi then finished the league in 6th place.
In the 2017 season, Ratchaburi continued to progress under Pacheta's stewardship, and with a team containing half blood players Philip Roller and Kevin Deeromram reached league finish as 6th place as well as reaching the semi-final of the League Cup losing 0–1 to Chiangrai United at Supachalasai Stadium.
In the 2018 season, a dismal run of form saw the team slip to the bottom of the league table. Ratchaburi finished the season in 12th place with 43 points, they were one point adrift from safety.
In the 2019 season, after beating Buriram United in the semi-final, Ratchaburi reached the 2019 Thai FA Cup final for the first time in their history. In the final, played at the Leo Stadium, Ratchaburi lost to Port 1–0, with a goal by Sergio Suárez scored in second half. Ratchaburi made it becoming the runner-up of the competition.
AFC Champions League debut In 2021, Ratchaburi qualified to 2021 AFC Champions League for the first time in club history after finishing the position in top four in the 2020–21 season. Ratchaburi was then placed in group G alongside South Korean Pohang Steelers, Japanese club Nagoya Grampus and Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim. On 4 July 2021, the club then registered their first ever points in the tournament after a goalless draw against Pohang Steelers.
In 2022, Ratchaburi ended their 10-years sponsorship with Mitr Phol where the club name was shorten back to Ratchaburi. The club stadium has also renamed to Dragon Solar Park after the solar panel manufacturing company Dragon Solar.
AFC Champions League Two knockout stage Ratchaburi ended the 2024–25 Thai League 1 in fourth place which then sees the team qualified to the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two. In the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two, Ratchaburi finished the group stage as runners-up thus qualifying to the round of 16 facing off against Indonesian club Persib Bandung. Ratchaburi won 3–0 in the first leg but fall to a 1–0 defeat in the second leg in Bandung where it cause an uproar among the Persib Bandung fans. Ratchaburi won 3–1 on aggregate thus qualifying to the quarter-finals in which they lost to eventual champions Gamba Osaka 3–2 on aggregate. Ratchaburi then went on to finished third in the 2025–26 season where the club then qualified directly to the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite and the 2026–27 ASEAN Club Championship.
Academy development Ratchaburi opened its first youth academies in 2016 under the name The Dragons Academy. In 2017, Ratchaburi have appointed former player Douglas Cardozo as the club head of youth development.
Stadium
From 2007 to 2016, the club used Ratchaburi Provincial Stadium owned by the city council as their home ground. In June 2016, the club built Dragon Solar Park in the town of Huai Phai, Ratchaburi Province to be its new home ground and is directly owned by the club. The stadium has a capacity of 10,000 seats.
Coordinates Location Stadium Year Ratchaburi Ratchaburi Provincial Stadium 2007–2016 Ratchaburi Dragon Solar Park 2016–present
Players First-team squad https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Mendes_(footballer,_born_1994)
Out on loan
Management and staff PositionNameChairman Tanawat NitikanchanaTechnical director Robert ProcureurHead coach Worrawoot SrimakaAssistant coach Somchai Maiwilai
Honours League Thai League 3 Champions (1): 2012 Thai League 4 Champions (1): 2011 Regional League Central-East Division Champions (1): 2011
Cups League Cup Runners-up (1): 2012, 2013 FA Cup Winners (1): 2016 Runners-up (1): 2019
Records and statistics As of 22 January 2026. +Top 10 all-time appearancesRankPlayerYearsClub appearances1 Pathomchai Sueasakul2016–20232222 Ukrit Wongmeema2012–2022, 2025–present2183 Kritsananon Srisuwan2017–present2164 Ekkaluck Thonghkit2013–20212035 Chutipol Thongthae2013–20191816 Kampol Pathomakkakul2021–present1807 Sila Srikampang2010–20191758 Kiatisak Jiamudom2020–present1689 Pawee Tanthatemee2016–202313410 Henri Jöel2011–2015132 +Top 10 all-time scorersRankPlayerClub appearancesTotal goals1 Heberty90652 Njiva Rakotoharimalala60353 Derley67244 Philip Roller12223 Yannick Boli726 Steeven Langil142227 Marcel Essombé3520 Kang Soo-il439 Yannick Djaló4319 Douglas Cordozo68
Biggest wins: 8–1 vs Customs Ladkrabang United (27 October 2021) Heaviest defeats: 0–6 vs Buriram United (8 December 2024) Youngest goal scorers: Phongsakon Sangkasopha ~ 18 years 1 month 1 day old (On 20 November 2024 vs Bankhai United) Oldest goal scorers: Douglas Cardozo ~ 40 years 7 months 17 days old (On 2 November 2022 vs Warin Chamrap) Youngest ever debutant: Pichaya Chaiwarangkun ~ 16 years 7 months 28 days old (On 7 April 2019 vs Chiangrai United) Oldest ever player: Douglas Cardozo ~ 41 years 7 months 11 days old (On 7 May 2023 vs Buriram United)
Former players
International capped players AFC/OFC. Faiq Bolkiah Vafa Hakhamaneshi Rajaei Ayed Daniel Ting Safawi Rasid Hein Phyo Win Myo Min Latt Thein Than Win Adam Reed Amin Nazari Bernd Schipmann Curt Dizon Daisuke Sato Javier Patiño Jesse Curran Luke Woodland Manny Ott Mark Hartmann OJ Porteria Ikhsan Fandi Cho Jin-soo Lee Jae-sung CAF. Mehdi Terki Alvin Fortes Joël Sami Samed Okocha Awudu Mohamed Mara Romário Baldé Yasser Baldé Giovanni Sio Yannick Boli Njiva Rakotoharimalala Ibrahim Amada Alharbi El Jadeyaoui Serge Nyuiadzi UEFA. Marvin Ogunjimi Romain Habran Andy Keogh Nerijus Valskis Andrija Delibašić Yannick Djaló Scott Allardice Jonathan Viera Sébastien Wüthrich CONMEBOL/ CONCACAF. José Luis Cordero Larry Clavier Jérémy Corinus Steeven Langil Javier Acuña
Managerial history +NamePeriodHonours Somchai Maiwilai January 2009–January 2010 Prapol Pongpanich January 2010–2 August 2010 Somchai Maiwilai (2)3 August 2010–June 20132011 Regional League Central-East Division 2011 Thai League 3
2012 Thai League 2 Iván Palanco June 2013–24 December 2013 Ricardo Rodríguez 19 January 2014–1 November 2014 Àlex Gómez 1 November 2014–30 January 2015 Josep Ferré 31 January 2015–14 December 2015 Pacheta 5 January 2016–13 November 20172016 Thai FA Cup Christian Ziege 13 November 2017–22 February 2018 René Desaeyere 22 February 2018–15 March 2018 Lassaad Chabbi 15 March 2018–7 November 2018 Manolo Márquez 7 November 2018–22 January 2019 Francesc Bosch 22 January 2019–22 March 2019 Marco Simone 25 March 2019–14 July 2019 Somchai Maiwilai (caretaker) (3)14 July 2019–20 October 2019 Nuengrutai Srathongvian 20 October 2019–10 November 2019 Chaitud Uamtham 10 November 2019–15 November 2020 Miloš Joksić 19 November 2020–25 December 2020 Somchai Maiwilai (4)25 December 2020–26 January 2022 Bruno Pereira26 January 2022–4 July 2022 Xavi Moro 4 July 2022–11 May 2023 Douglas Cardozo 11 May 2023–23 June 2023 Carlos Peña 24 June 2023–26 May 2024 Surapong Kongthep28 June 2024–16 September 2024 Somchai Maiwilai (interim) (5)17 September 2024–20 November 2024 Worrawoot Srimaka20 November 2024–present
Season-by-season record