Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, head coach of Thailand's U23 national team, opened up before leading the team to the Asian Championship in Saudi Arabia.
At 23:30 on 3 January 2026, at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the Thailand men's U23 football team gathered to prepare for departure to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to compete in the final round of the AFC U23 Asian Championship.
This trip is led by head coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, accompanied by all 23 players.
Before departure, Coach Wang said, "Yesterday’s friendly was a good opportunity to play against North Bangkok University, marking our first preparatory match for this tournament. Before heading to Saudi Arabia, we saw several aspects of our game. In the friendly, we mixed players and observed our passing, defensive, and attacking play. It was positive overall; some areas went well, while others need improvement. We have 2-3 days of training upon arrival in Saudi Arabia before our first match, which I believe will enhance our performance."
"We tested both a three-back and four-back system to prepare for opponents known for their height and aerial strength, such as Weison and Nathan James. Although they may have limited club playing time, given our player constraints, they have performed well. We need to improve timing in tackles and be cautious about fouls. This tournament features strong and fast players, so we must enhance our defensive coordination and group defending."
"We have appointed Pichitchai Siakratok as team captain and Sitta Bunla as vice-captain. Bank has been with the team since the first camp under my leadership at the ASEAN Championship in Indonesia. He has leadership qualities and the respect of teammates. Sitta, who has been part of every camp, is well known and respected both on and off the field."
"In every national team event I’ve served, I have always given my best. As a player, I proudly represented the country for many years, regardless of role. Whenever given the chance to serve, I am honored. I want to invite fans who may have been disappointed before not to lose hope and to support the young players and all Thai national teams."
Meanwhile, Pichitchai Siakratok, captain of the Thai U23 team competing in the Asian Championship, said, "As captain, I try to guide the younger players and teammates to move in the same direction. Regarding the friendly match with our new system, I have experience playing both three- and four-back formations and am working to adapt to the coach and my teammates."
"The team atmosphere is very good. Seniors adapt to the juniors, and juniors adapt to the seniors. Our goal for this tournament is to focus on one game at a time, and I believe we can compete strongly against every team."
The Thailand U23 team will travel via Qatar Airways flight QR837 to Doha, Qatar, then connect to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, arriving at 14:15 on 4 January 2026 Thai time. The team will train immediately upon arrival. The Thailand U23 match schedule in the AFC U23 Asian Championship is as follows:
#Matchday1: 8 January 2026 – Australia vs. Thailand at 18:30 Thai time, Al Shabab Club Stadium.
#Matchday2: 11 January 2026 – Thailand vs. Iraq at 21:00 Thai time, Prince Faisal bin Fahad Sports City Stadium.
#Matchday3: 14 January 2026 – Thailand vs. China at 18:30 Thai time, Al Shabab Club Stadium.
All matches will be broadcast live on YouTube via BG Sports.
This AFC U23 Asian Championship does not serve as qualification for subsequent tournaments but will influence seedings for the 2028 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers. That 2028 tournament will determine the Asian representative for men's football at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA.
Read related news.