What’s happening? Why are tickets still available in every zone for the Thailand vs. Malaysia match?
Tomorrow (1 Aug 2026), the Thailand national team will host Malaysia at Rajamangala Stadium in the 2026 ASEAN Championship group stage, Group B, second match at 20:00. The surprising fact is that tickets remain available in every zone, despite this being the biggest tournament in ASEAN.
- Are ticket prices too high? -
Tickets are divided into zones such as Zone W1 priced at 600 baht, Zone E1 at 500 baht, while Zones N and S cost 300 baht. Some fans note that these prices may be a reason why ticket sales are not as enthusiastic as expected.
This is interesting because in the past, tickets for Thailand’s national team matches were not much cheaper, yet many Thai fans were willing to pay inflated prices to watch the team. However, that might have been due to the team’s performance and the appealing opponents, such as Thailand vs. South Korea in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Round 2, when Thailand still had a chance to advance and had recently drawn 1-1 away in South Korea.
For Zones N or S, the official ticket price is less than 200 baht, but scalped tickets outside the stadium have gone up to 1,000 baht and still found buyers. In other zones, prices escalated to 3,000-4,000 baht.
- Has Thai football’s popularity declined? -
It must be acknowledged that recently, interest in the Thailand national team has not been as intense as before. Some people are even unaware that a match is scheduled for this Saturday (based on actual social media comments). This is despite Thailand having a strong tournament start with a 5-0 away win over Laos, leading Group B. Meanwhile, rivals Malaysia, ranked 136th in the world, also started well with a 2-1 win over Myanmar and a 4-0 victory against Laos.
It’s truly surprising because this is the ASEAN Championship, and my impression is that Thai fans typically show great interest from the very first match, often filling or nearly filling the stadium.
- Does the shift from free broadcasts to paid viewing affect interest? -
Another factor often mentioned regarding the 2026 ASEAN Cup is that fans must now pay to watch, unlike in the past when viewing was free. However, this cannot be blamed on the Football Association of Thailand since they do not hold broadcast rights. For example, Thairath has purchased rights for events like World Cup qualifiers and FIFA friendly days. Nor can the blame be placed on TrueVisions, who bought the rights from Sportfive.
TrueVisions invested in acquiring the rights and understandably charges monthly subscription fees as a normal business practice.
- But ultimately, players want fans in the stadium -
Every time I have the chance to interview Thailand’s national team players before training sessions or tournaments...
One constant message is their strong desire for as many Thai fans as possible to come cheer at Rajamangala Stadium because support from the stands means more to the players than many realize.
If you have the chance, please come out in numbers on Saturday, 1 August at 20:00. Support is very important for the Thailand national team players.
- Pup Thattasat -