Speaking on Thai Rath's sports program on 23/12, FAT Vice President Charnwit Pholcheewin suggested that the concept of "surpassing ASEAN" needs re-evaluation by the association. Thai football recently experienced its most unsuccessful SEA Games in years.

Thai players (left) look on as Vietnam celebrates its SEA Games 33 gold medal at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand, on the evening of 18/12. ThinkCurve

At the home games, Thailand secured only a silver medal in men's football, a bronze medal in women's football, a silver medal in men's futsal, and a bronze medal in women's futsal. This performance fell short of their pre-tournament goal of winning all four gold medals.

According to Mr. Charnwit, ASEAN must be the initial step in the development roadmap, rather than focusing on continental and world arenas. "We need to change our terminology," he stated. "It's not about surpassing ASEAN, but about achieving success in ASEAN first. ASEAN is step one, Asia is step two, and the world is step three."

However, he added that consistently winning the Southeast Asian championship is not mandatory. The more crucial objective is to build a stable and long-term foundation.

The SEA Games 33 failure prompted FAT to include football and futsal development plans on the Executive Board meeting agenda for 23/12. Mr. Charnwit noted that the SEA Games results reflect systemic issues, extending beyond just the professional performance of the national teams.

FAT leadership confirmed that over the past year, the association's top priority has been resolving outstanding management and financial issues. FAT President Nualphan Lamsam, known as "Madam Pang", focused on handling debts and financial obligations related to Thai League 1, 2, and 3, along with several legal cases from the previous term. Organizational handover and stabilization are seen as prerequisites before implementing long-term professional plans.

Regarding youth football, Mr. Charnwit confirmed that FAT has developed a plan to organize age-group tournaments but faces significant budget difficulties. The Thailand U21 tournament is nearing completion, with a cup presentation scheduled for 24/12. However, funding for the U13, U15, and U19 tournaments for next year is still being prepared.

The FAT Vice President explained that the association cannot continue to rely solely on the state budget and must actively seek its own resources. FAT has collaborated with the Secretariat to reallocate the budget and is also seeking support from the private sector.

Mr. Chanwit revealed that the three-step plan, encompassing Southeast Asia, Asia, and the world, was prepared by him for submission to the Executive Board. However, discussion opportunities have been limited due to the association's need to prioritize resolving outstanding issues. "We are still working continuously," he emphasized. "Everyone on the Executive Board knows the President has carried a very heavy workload recently."

Since Thailand missed out on all four football gold medals at SEA Games 33, Ms. Pang has not yet made an official statement.

Hoang An (according to Thai Rath)