Breaking all conventions, Buriram United has brought together two giants, True and AIS—who are commercial rivals—onto the same jersey.
On 6 Jul 2026, the “Thunder Castle” Buriram United, a powerhouse in Thai League—the country's top football division officially known as BYD SEALION 6 LEAGUE ONE—headed by club chairman "Big Ne" Newin Chidchob, gradually revealed new players to compete in five tournaments during the 2025-27 seasons, with an initial 11 new signings. The club released a teaser video on their official Facebook fan page yesterday to excite fans.
Among the notable signings are young Thai attacker Iklas Sanhorn, age 21, recruited from PT Prachuap FC (“Toa Pikhart”), Anan Yodsangwal, a 24-year-old Thai national team forward from Lamphun Warrior (“Rajan Kokhao”), and Jakphan Praisuwan, a versatile 31-year-old defender who ended his contract with True Bangkok United (“Khaeng Thep”).
With these three ‘War Elephants’ national team players, the club certainly drew attention from fans. However, what stole the spotlight and captured interest among fans, football experts, and many Thai influencers was the new sponsor AIS appearing on the team’s jersey for the upcoming season, positioned prominently on the upper back of the shirt, while True, a partner since 2015, remains on the right shoulder of the jersey.
This sparked excitement among Thai fans because, from a business perspective, True and AIS fiercely compete in the mobile network market in Thailand. Both have previously broadcast Thai League and the Premier League, which are popular among Thai football fans. Yet, they do not always compete aggressively, as in the past, the two companies collaborated for the national interest.
For example, during the national emergency of the Tham Luang cave incident, where 13 members of the Wild Boars Academy youth football team—12 players and 1 coach—were trapped inside Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non cave in Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai, both True and AIS deployed mobile signal vehicles together to extend coverage, enabling rescue teams and government agencies to communicate effectively.
Looking back, True first became involved with the “Thunder Castle” Buriram United in 2015, initially sponsoring the shorts before moving their logo to the right shoulder of the jersey, marking a partnership spanning over 10 years. AIS, meanwhile, is a new sponsor on the kit this season, occupying a highly visible position on the upper back of the jersey.
Although surprising and exciting for fans, this is not Buriram’s first time doing such a thing. Previously, during MotoGP events, they created a phenomenon by featuring rival brands Singha (Boon Rawd Brewery Company Limited) and Chang (Thai Beverage Public Company Limited) on the same platform.
It will be very interesting to see what projects True and AIS have planned to elevate Thai football, as their involvement surely goes beyond just placing logos on the jersey. Fans can look forward to what comes next.