Defeated by Vietnam, the top Thai official admits a harsh reality

Following the defeat against Vietnam at SEA Games 33, the high-ranking member of the Thai Football Federation admitted the harsh truth.

After a disappointing SEA Games 2025, where Thai football failed to secure any gold medals in all four categories, Dr. Charnwit Polcheewin, Vice President of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), frankly stated that “Thai football needs a change in mindset; it cannot claim to have surpassed Southeast Asia.”

In an interview on the program Clear Rim Sen broadcast by Thairath Sport on December 23, Mr. Charnwit discussed the topic “How can Thai football truly overcome Southeast Asia when it fails to win gold at the SEA Games?”.

At SEA Games 33, the Thai Football Association set an ambitious goal: to win all 4 gold medals in men’s football, women’s football, men’s futsal, and women’s futsal. However, the final result was only 2 silvers (men’s football, men’s futsal) and 2 bronzes (women’s football, women’s futsal), especially the 2-3 comeback loss to U22 Vietnam, which forced FAT to reassess the entire national football development plan.

“In my opinion, we must change our way of thinking. ‘Surpassing Southeast Asia’ should not be just a slogan but a step-by-step goal. The first step is to secure our position regionally. The second step is to expand into Asia, and only then can we dream of competing on the world stage like the Olympics or Asian Games,” Mr. Charnwit said.

He also admitted that over the past year, FAT has faced numerous challenges related to finances, management, and resolving backlogs from domestic leagues. FAT President Nualphan Lamsam (Madame Pang) is said to be “the busiest and under the greatest pressure in her career” to stabilize the organization and secure funding for the youth football system.

“We cannot rely solely on government budgets. FAT is recalculating resources to sustain youth tournaments at U13, U15, U19, and U21 levels. This is the foundation for truly sustainable development of Thai football,” Mr. Charnwit emphasized.

According to Thai media, FAT will hold an important meeting this week to discuss strategies for restructuring Thai football and futsal, aiming to reclaim the leading position in Southeast Asia in the near future.