Thailand's leading newspaper, Thai Rath, headlined an article, "Thailand remains stagnant, halted at the first round for the third consecutive time at the U23 Asia tournament," following the 0-0 draw with China in their final group D match on 14/1.

Thai Rath, a major and best-selling daily newspaper based in Bangkok, covers politics, society, economy, entertainment, and sports. Its name means "Thai Land," and it publishes both broadsheet and digital editions.

Thai players hung their heads in disappointment after the 0-0 draw with China in the final U23 Asia group D match at Al Shabab Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the evening of 14/1/2026. Photo: Changsuek

Thailand concluded their U23 Asia campaign with two draws against Iraq and China, and a loss to Australia. They finished with two points, identical to Iraq in terms of goals scored and conceded. However, the Southeast Asian team placed last in the group due to a significantly lower fair-play score (-11 compared to -3). Iraq finished second to last, while Australia topped the group with 6 points, and China secured second place with 5 points.

According to a Thai Rath expert, this repeated failure indicates a persistent stagnation for Thailand in the U23 Asian Championship. They have only advanced past the group stage one time, when the tournament was hosted at home in 2020. In 2022, the team finished third, behind South Korea and Vietnam. In the previous tournament, they were last in their group, after Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Tajikistan.

The article stated, "This year's performance accurately reflects the results on the field and raises questions about the development direction of Thai youth football." It added, "The gap between the dream of reaching continental heights and the reality has not narrowed in recent years."

Highlights of the 0-0 draw between Thailand and China.

In a video on Thai Rath, commentator Javaraphat argued that coach Thawatchai's team actually did not perform poorly, despite finishing last in the group. He suggested that the larger issue lies with the Football Association of Thailand's (FAT) inadequate preparation for the tournament. Javaraphat stated, "This is not an occasion for the U23 Thailand team to just come and play and then leave; there must be a more thorough preparation plan."

The commentator drew a comparison with Vietnam, where the V-League temporarily paused to allow the U23 team to fully prepare for international tournaments. In contrast, the Thai League continued concurrently, preventing coach Thawatchai from having his strongest squad available. The commentator emphasized, "I want the FAT to work with the clubs so that Thailand can have the strongest squad for the upcoming Asiad 20 in Japan."

Other media outlets echoed similar sentiments; FM91BKK also did not blame the players, stating they had "tried their utmost." Meanwhile, Sports Focus suggested that Thawatchai's squad played "courageously" and received a "harsh lesson about the competitive nature of a continental-level tournament."

In stark contrast to Thailand's struggle, Vietnam topped group A with three consecutive wins, advancing to the quarterfinals where they will face UAE on the evening of 16/1. If they win, coach Kim Sang-sik's team will meet Uzbekistan or China in the semifinals.

Hoang An compiled