Nongbua Pitchaya FC and Chiangmai United officially secured their promotion to the top flight from Thai League 2, after wins over Khon Kaen United and Siam Navy FC on Saturday night.

Both sides confirmed their top-two finishes with three games remaining, and will now battle it out for the second division title.

Nongbua have been in contention for promotion for the past two seasons, but struggled to jump the final hurdle. However, they’ve reached new levels under experienced coach Somchai Chuayboonchum this season. The side remain unbeaten and could be the first to complete a second-tier campaign without defeat in the professional era.

The Gamecocks are also making incredible progress in other areas of club development, recently expanding their stadium and becoming a big player at the youth football levels.

Meanwhile, Chiangmai United have undergone a rapid rise in recent seasons, having been formed in 2015 and starting in Thailand’s fifth tier. They earned promotion to T2 for the 2019 season, and managed a respectable 11th place finish before making their promotion hopes known with off-season investment leading into 2020.

The side started this current season under the guidance of Carlos Eduardo Parreira, who left the club to return to the side of former boss Alexandre Gama at Buriram United, and was replaced by Dennis Amato. The German coach previously won the T2 title with Chainat Hornbill in 2017, and made that experience count in guiding Chiangmai over the line.

The third and final promoted team will be decided via a playoff system between 3rd and 6th place, similar to the one seen in the EFL Championship. Those spots are currently occupied by Nakhon Pathom United, Khon Kaen United, Chiangmai FC and Phrae United, while Chainat are lurking just below should the chance to steal a spot arise.