Officials from Thai Premier League team Chonburi FC, currently 6th in the league and through to the last 16 of the AFC Cup, arrived in Kobe last weekend to sign a partnership agreement with Vissel Kobe.

Vissel chairman Koichi Kanaya traveled to Bangkok last week to sign the forms with Chonburi counterpart Vitthaya Khunpleum and then the Thai delegates came to Kobe to complete the dual press conferences.

The partnership comes with the slogan “One Passion, Walk Together” and both clubs hope to benefit in increasing knowledge in the playing areas, as well as coaching, and even football tourism.

Officially, the agreement allows for senior and junior coach exchange in a bid to increase the knowledge of both teams through different styles of football in Asia, while a marketing partnership will help raise the profiles of both clubs.

Chonburi is managed by Withaya Laohakul, who played in Japan for Yanmar Diesel in 1977-78 and for Matsushita Denki in 1986-87, scoring 20 goals in 65 games from midfield. He then spent seven years as Matsushita / Gamba Osaka from 1988 to 1995 and returned to manage Gainare Tottori from 2007 to 2010. Adding to the Japanese connection, the team includes 25 year old Japanese midfielder Kazuto Kushida.