Just after losing to Vietnam, Thai football faces a new shock

After the loss against Vietnam, Thai football remains confronted with troubling events, stirring media buzz and making supporters more uneasy.

Thai football recently experienced a highly disappointing SEA Games on home soil, with none of the four teams—men’s U22, women’s football, men’s futsal, and women’s futsal—winning gold. Most notably, the U22 Thai team suffered a shocking 2-3 comeback loss to U22 Vietnam despite holding a two-goal lead.

Amid this situation, Thai media is further shaken by reports of a major Thai League 2 club facing a severe internal crisis due to "unpaid wages". Several players left the team simultaneously during the mid-season 2025/26 transfer window, raising concerns about the club’s financial stability and management.

"Unbelievable! A giant in the Thai second division fails to pay players’ salaries" - the Thai newspaper Ball Thaiheadline on the evening of December 22. What sparked outrage was that while domestic players were owed wages, foreign players continued to be paid fully and on time, highlighting a clear disparity in treatment and creating a tense atmosphere within the team.

The club’s management reportedly feared that if foreign players were owed wages for three months, they might file complaints to FIFA, causing greater losses to the club. Therefore, they prioritized foreign players, leaving Thai players to suffer the most.

Furthermore, sources revealed that the club admitted it might consider dissolving if it fails to return to Thai League 1 next season. This makes the club’s future even more uncertain and worries its supporters.

While the Football Association of Thailand has just disbursed the second round of financial aid to 18 clubs, each receiving one million baht, questions arise whether this money will be used to settle players’ wage arrears. Given Thai football’s lingering pain after the SEA Games loss, this clearly marks another shock.