“Coach Tia” Sasom Pobprasert responds to questions about being named a candidate for the Thailand U20 national team coach and suggests methods for developing football in Thailand.
On 24 Jan 2026 GMT+7, “Coach Tia” Sasom Pobprasert, head coach of PT Prachuap FC, addressed the issue of being listed as a candidate for the Thailand U20 national team coach. He advised that developing Thai football requires building foundations from the grassroots level and creating quality coaches.
“Coach Tia” responded about being named a candidate for the Thailand U20 coach position: “Like athletes, having your name on a candidate list and the chance to join or coach the national team is a joy. However, it depends on conditions since I still have a contract with Prachuap. It’s a matter for the future. But if the opportunity arises, we would have to discuss it. It’s definitely something to be pleased about.”
Additionally, “Coach Tia” shared his opinion on the Football Association reviving the youth league: “That would certainly raise youth standards. But can the existing 4-5 tournaments be coordinated? Currently, some tournaments overlap and cause complexity. Maybe we should discuss this because if events clash, kids won’t have enough time to train.”
“Another point I want to raise is a message to the Department of Physical Education or the association to start more grassroots coaching training programs. Don’t forget, having a football team without knowledgeable coaches won’t lead to much development.”
“I’m not saying that coaches currently working lack knowledge, but if they are on the right path and ‘reading from the same book,’ it will be easier to build on that and synchronize efforts.”
“What I want to see going forward is a broad base of Thai coaches, starting from the basics up to the professional level. The more there are, I believe the quality of football players in Thailand will improve significantly.”