"Chanathip" has made a decision after the Thailand national team might be penalized over the issue of lighting flares to celebrate qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup.
On 2 April 2026, Jeerawat "Jay" Sonkrasin, midfielder and captain of the Thailand national football team, took action on his personal social media after lighting flares to celebrate the team's joy and bring smiles to Thai fans by defeating Turkmenistan 2-1 and qualifying for the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
During his walk to thank fans in zone S, some fans handed Jay flares to light, fulfilling his promise that if they won this game, he would be the one to light them, requesting fans not to light any during the match. After the victory, Jay followed through on his word.
As a result, the Football Association of Thailand may face fines of several hundred thousand baht, but it depends on the match officials' report on the incident. Since the flares were lit after the game ended, causing no disruption or damage to the stadium, the punishment may be lighter if it qualifies under this condition.
Most recently, Jeerawat posted on his personal social media about the flare incident: "I might have to pay a fine. May I ask for permission—can you help cover the fine? Just 100 baht each."
Additionally, Captain Jay tagged the Ultras Thailand fan group. It remains to be seen how the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will consider this matter.
