Pornchai Kaokaeo vents his frustration after the Thailand national sepak takraw team lost the 2026 World Championship due to controversial referee decisions.
The drama unfolded during the 2026 Sepak Takraw World Championship men's team final between the two-time defending champions Thailand and the "Tigers" of Malaysia.
The match was intense and tied at 1-1 teams, leading to a deciding third pair. Thailand's Team C started by losing the first set to Malaysia. Towards the end of the second set, Thailand led 14-13 and scored a point that would have tied the sets at 1-1. However, Raddy, the Singaporean referee, ruled that Thailand stepped on the line and awarded the point to Malaysia, tying it at 14-14.
In response, the Thai team protested by refusing to continue playing unless the point was restored and the referee replaced. Ultimately, after the allotted time expired, Thailand was penalized with a forfeit, and Malaysia was declared the champion.
Recently, “Pui” Pornchai Kaokaeo, a 44-year-old Thai sepak takraw legend with 10 Asian Games gold medals and 18 SEA Games gold medals, posted his opinion on Facebook regarding the incident.
“The sepak takraw game was incredibly exciting, but the referee ruined the fun. Thank you for all the support sent to the Thai sepak takraw team. #VeryFrustrated”