Meet “Coach Bo” Jakrapan Panpi, head coach of the Thailand U20 national team, as they prepare to compete in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers with live coverage on Thairath TV.
On 24 August 2026, the Thailand U20 national team is set to compete in the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers from 31 August to 6 September at Chonburi Stadium, with all three matches broadcast live on Thairath.
Thairath Sport's news team introduces “Coach Bo” Jakrapan Panpi, the head coach of Thailand’s U20 national team.
“Coach Bo” was born on 2 April 1979 and is currently 47 years old. As a player, he was a defender for Chonburi FC and represented Thailand’s U23 team, winning the gold medal at the 2001 SEA Games and finishing fourth at the 2002 Asian Games.
As a coach, he started as an assistant to “Coach Heng” Witthaya Laohakul from 2006 through the eras of Jadet Meelarp and Kiatisuk Senamuang at Chonburi FC. During that time, he also gained experience managing Angthong FC and Phanthong FC.
He then took charge of Samut Prakan City during 2022-2023, followed by a stint at Uthai Thani FC until parting ways in 2024. He moved on to manage Rayong FC in the 2024/25 season, leading the team to a 12th-place finish and securing their place in Thai League 1. He continued to guide the “Black Stallions” to 36 points from 29 games, ranking 9th in the 2025/26 Thai League, meeting the club president Satit Pitutecha’s goal of a single-digit finish.
He then left Rayong FC and was officially announced as Thailand U20’s head coach on 6 May 2026. His first tournament in charge was the 2026 ASEAN U20 Championship, where he led the team to the runner-up position in June, losing 0-2 to Australia in the final.
Coach Bo’s goal for the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers is to win every game to advance to the final tournament in China and increase the chances of qualifying for the FIFA U20 World Cup.
The match schedule for the Thailand U20 men’s team in the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers is as follows.
#Matchday1: Thailand U20 vs. UAE U20 on 31 August 2026 at 19:30 at Chonburi Stadium.
#Matchday2: Turkmenistan U20 vs. Thailand U20 on 3 September 2026 at 19:30 at Chonburi Stadium.
#Matchday3: Iraq U20 vs. Thailand U20 on 6 September 2026 at 19:30 at Chonburi Stadium.
Live broadcasts available on: Thairath TV Channel 32; www.thairath.co.th/tv/live; Facebook: Thairath TV (www.facebook.com/ThairathTV), Thairath Sport (www.facebook.com/ThairathSport); and YouTube: Thairath Sport.