The match's only goal was scored in the 25th minute by the White Elephants' Macedonian striker Borce Manevski, and despite dozens of nail-biting attacking fronts by the Ronins well into an unprecedented nine minutes of added time, Phuket FC were unable to lock in the equalizer.
Even if they had, the team's fate for Division 2 was more-or-less secured with their 2-1 loss away to Songkhla United on Wednesday.
Failing to secure points in their final two matches, Phuket FC's final ranking for the season is 18th place out of 20 teams with 43 points and a -27 goal difference, ensuring that the club is one of the six teams relegated from the second-tier national league, down to restart in Division 2 regional leagues next year.
Every year, only four teams are promoted from the 12-team AIS Champions League playoffs, contested by the top teams in each of the kingdom's five Division 2 regional leagues (North, Northeast, South, East and Bangkok metro).
Joining Phuket FC next year back to Division 2 from Division 1 include Trat, Ayuthaya, Thai Tobacco Monopoly, Phichit and Chiangmai FC, the later two only narrowly missing survival prospect by a single point despite impressive wins in their respective closing matches.
On the same token, it was Krabi FC who narrowly escaped relegation by a single point after defeating Angthong FC at home last night 2-0.
Sealing their fate in Division 1 next season, Krabi and Songkhla United remain the only two Southern Thai teams on the national football stage.
Meanwhile, also bidding farewell to Division 1, Police United and Pattaya United have sealed promotion to the Thai Premier League, with the final promotion spot to be determined in a showdown tonight between 4th placed Sukhothai and 5th placed Nakhonpathom United, each with 59 points and a goal difference of +18 and +12, respectively.
And although BBCU is currently in 3rd place of league one with 60 points, mathematics ensures that the team will most likely lose its position tonight due to its inferior goal difference of only +8.
In the event of a draw in tonight's promotion showdown, Sukhothai has the promotion advantage with a superior GD and head-to-head record – against both BBCU and Nakhonpathom, – but a win for Nakhonpathom would be enough for that team to get the final TPL promotion spot.
And unless a riot or other violent incident erupts tonight resulting in competition bans on Nakhonpathom and Sukhothai (not unusual for Thai football, Nakhonpathom was already banned for two years once for the exact reason!) than BBCU will most likely remain in Division 1 next season.
Three relegated teams from the TPL to Division 1 will also be confirmed in final matches tonight.
Only TOT SC has sealed relegation to league one, while the remaining two relegation spots will be fought out between five teams in the danger zone – Sisaket (35 points), Chainat (34), Thai Port (33), BEC Tero (32), Saraburi (32) and Siam Navy (32).
Irregardless of tonight's results, Buriram have already secured the TPL 2015 title – and a shot at the AFC champions league next year – at the top with 81 points, while Muangthong United have secured runners up bragging rights – and a playoff shot for the AFC Champions league – with 70 points, nine more than 3rd placed Suphanburi (58), who could be ousted from the nominal 3rd place position by 4th place Chonburi or 5th placed Bangkok United, each with 57 points.
As for the four teams to be promoted to Division 1 (next year league one will return to an 18-team format) from the Division 2 championship, three have already been confirmed through Khon Kaen, Ubon UMT Utd and Rayong FC.
Even though the 2015 Southern champions, Satun United would have qualified for promotion to league 1, having finished in the top of their respective play off group, the team has been banned by the TPL for three years due to a recent incident during a play-off match with Khon Kaen Utd, in which fans attacked a referee, and then "intimidated" him to confess to match fixing in favor of Khon Kaen.
Therefore, the fourth promotion spot will most likely instead be awarded to either Lampang FC or Chachoengsao FC, to be determined after tonight.
Pending Phuket FC confirming their continuation next season in Division 2, they would join Phang Nga FC, Suratthani FC, Ranong, Chumphon FC, Pattalung FC, Trang FC, Nara United (Naratiwat), Pattani FC, Yala FC and possibly Hat Yai FC.
If Phuket FC are to have a chance at promotion back to Division 1 by 2017, they would have to dominate their Southern counterparts next season, and finish as either champs or runners up.
Though champions and runners-up from the North, Northeast, Central-west, Central-east and Bangkok regional leagues automatically qualify for a spot in the Division 2 Championship at the end of the year, only the champions of the Southern region is given an automatic play-off spot, while the 2nd place Southern team has to play off with the 3rd place team from the Northeast regional league for the final spot in the championship. (This year, that spot was won by Udon, who beat Pattani).
From these top 12 division 2 clubs, only the best four are promoted to division 1.
As Division 2 Southern champions in 2010, Phuket FC went on to be the runners-up (to champs Buriram FC) int the D2 championship that year, which ensured their inaugural promotion to Division 1, where they managed to stay in for five consecutive seasons.
Aside from Phuket, Krabi and Songkhla, other Southern clubs which have qualified and played in the Division 1 include Patthalung FC (2012), Narathiwat (2007 and 2010) and Suratthani (2008 and 2009).
The 2016 Thai football season should commence by February if not March. Stay tuned for updates.