BANGKOK -- Preparation for the 2016 Thai Premier League (TPL) season has been thrown into chaos with the governing body confirming that the top flight would be expanded to 20 teams from the current 18 -- though it remains unclear exactly which teams will make up that 20.
It was confirmed that BEC Tero Sasana would be spared from the drop despite finishing 16th and in a relegation spot in the TPL last year. It was also announced that Police United and Pattaya United would be two of the promoted teams. However, it has still not been decided which of Port FC and TOT SC -- who finished 17th and 18th respectively last season -- will drop to Division One.
The third promotion spot from Division One has also still to be resolved as the points from an abandoned game between fourth and fifth-placed Sukhothai and Nakhon Pathom have yet to be awarded. Both teams sit on 59 points, one below Big Bang Chula United in third. The saga over this game, where Sukhothai's floodlights failed, has been ongoing since the initial match was played in May.
Nakhon Pathom head coach Jason Withe admits the uncertainty has created problems as the club prepare for the new season.
"It has affected us a great deal, especially when I'm trying to retain players or sign new players who want to play in the TPL and we don't know which division we will be in next season," Withe told ESPN FC.
"It's extremely difficult to work to a plan A or B as everything depends on which league we play in. Take our stadium as an example. If the decision is to play in the TPL, we have around one and a half months to build two new stands to meet the TPL requirements."
The situation has raised serious concerns about the credibility of the sport in Thailand at a time when transparency is being more heavily scrutinised than ever in the wake of corruption allegations against FIFA.
Withe added: "This should have been dealt with seven months ago. If the TPL followed their own rules, as they have with other teams failing to get their floodlights to work, the three points should have been ours. We have a case of double standards for some reason and it makes a complete mockery of the TPL and shows a lack of professionalism."
The proposal to expand the TPL to 20 teams was made after the 2015 season had ended and no clear rationale has been given. Several clubs have openly opposed the plan, with representatives of TPL champions Buriram United and Thailand's third AFC Champions League team Chonburi walking out of the meeting in protest at the decision.
With such influential teams against the expansion, this may not be the end of the story. And given that other issues are still undecided, there are now doubts over whether the TPL season will start as planned on Feb. 27. There's likely to be challenges and appeals when final decisions are eventually made.
As things stand, the only team to benefit from the expansion are BEC Tero Sasana.
Tero seriously under achieved in 2015, having finished the 2014 campaign in third place. After a disappointing start to last season, head coach Bozidar Bandovic was sacked after just 10 games in charge.
At the time, the club's general manager, Robert Procureur told ESPN FC: "It is our aim to be champions in two years. We have a very young side with nine players in the national team... In a couple of years, these players will have matured and we could challenge for the title."
After ending the season in 16th place, Tero's chairman Brian Marcar told the Bangkok Post, "I may not deal with the team anymore or even dissolve the club in the near future."
But now one of Thailand's most decorated clubs have seemingly been given a reprieve, with most fans simply left to wonder why.
It is absurd that league reconstruction has taken place less than two months before the start of a new season and without the consent of all of its members. Thai football fans and clubs deserve much better.