Capt. Thammanat Prompha is ready to continue working in sports! He plans to resolve the issues of outstanding allowances and bonuses, while waiting to see the stance of the government formation leaders, highlighting his strength of "decisive leadership" to elevate Thai sports.
On 9 February 2026, Capt. Thammanat Prompha attended the Outstanding Athletes Award ceremony on National Sports Day 2025 at the Huamark Indoor Stadium, where Mr. Atthakorn Sirilattayakorn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, and Mr. Kongsak Yodmanee, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, welcomed him.
Capt. Thammanat responded regarding the political direction and rumors about his return to sports management by saying he is currently waiting to see the stance of the leading parties in forming the government first, and confirmed that he has not had any specific talks with any party.
“I have not talked to anyone since learning the election results around midnight. Mostly, I have been speaking with the public. We must respect the leading parties to set the direction first.”
Regarding the issue of the Tourism and Sports Ministry quota, Capt. Thammanat emphasized that they must wait for the main party's policies before further discussions take place.
On issues in the sports sector, especially regarding outstanding allowances and bonuses for athletes, Capt. Thammanat admitted there is still much work to do urgently and pointed out that sports management requires leaders who "are decisive."
“There are still many things in sports that need fixing and improvement. It requires someone who is decisive and can solve problems quickly. If given the chance, I am ready to continue because previously I was only acting in an interim capacity.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Atthakorn Sirilattayakorn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, spoke about political progress after the 8 February election, stating that he has not yet had discussions with representatives or executives of the Bhumjaithai Party, emphasizing that he has focused on working in his local area.
“I am a candidate for Member of Parliament for Chachoengsao District 1 with the Chart Thai Pattana Party, which has earned the trust of the people. I sincerely thank the public for supporting all three candidates from our party. As for talks with other parties, that responsibility lies with the party’s advisory chairman and leader to consider the party’s direction.”
“As of today, until a new government is formed, I remain acting minister and will work with the Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand to prioritize which issues need urgent resolution and which should be developed next.”
Regarding the possibility of continuing to oversee the Ministry of Tourism and Sports in the future, Mr. Atthakorn said that is a matter for the future and may take another two to three months, but he assured that during his tenure he has worked diligently.
“I am dedicated to working every day. Although I may not please everyone, I assure you I work with commitment. Even though I may lack as much experience as those in the sports sector, my approach is to work from policy down to operations. I hope to collaborate as much as possible with sports personnel during the remaining time.”