Bangkok: "Coach Wang" Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, head coach of the Thai national under-23 football team, aims to lead the team to win the SEA Games gold medal at the end of this year, after not winning the championship for eight years.
According to Thai News Agency, "Coach Wang," Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, revealed the team's preparations for the SEA Games, which Thailand will host later this year. Following an academic seminar titled "2025 SEA Games Thailand: A Challenge," he explained that leading the U-23 team to the final round of the 2026 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, defeating Malaysia 2-1 in the qualifying round, was the team's first major success. He praised all the players for their dedication and tactical approach. The next goal is to win the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games, which Thailand will host. This is a mission that requires the Thai national team to return to winning gold in eight years, having last won in 2017.
Before the SEA Games, the team will have two more rounds of FIFA camps. Coach Wang has told the players that they must try to correct the mistakes from the recent Asian Cup qualifiers. From now on, there is almost three months to prepare the team. Players will be called into the camp, with key players forming the foundation of this squad. Regarding Erawan Garnier from Olympique Lyonnais, he may be called up to reinforce the team for the final round of the Asian Cup, as Erawan may not be able to play during the SEA Games due to the lack of FIFA camps.