A test of Thai football fans as Myanmar supporters buy all 1,500 tickets in the away section ahead of the match against the "War Elephants" in the ASEAN Cup 2026 on 8 Aug.
Thailand's senior national team, under coach Anthony Hudson, is performing outstandingly in the ASEAN Football Championship 2026 group stage, Group B, with three consecutive wins: a commanding 5-0 away victory over Laos, a 2-0 home win against Malaysia at Rajamangala Stadium, and a narrow 1-0 away win over the Philippines, securing a full 9 points and virtually guaranteeing top spot in the group.
This impressive performance is likely a key factor reigniting enthusiasm for the Thailand national team, despite earlier controversies over ticket price hikes and the lack of free-to-air broadcasts limiting fan access. It must be emphasized that none of these issues are the fault of the players or coaching staff, who have all been proving their abilities and performing exceptionally well under challenging conditions like a tight match schedule and grueling international travel.
I learned that Sarach Yooyen wanted to personally address the issues of the match schedule and exhausting travel after arriving, when I picked him up at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday (5 August).
The main point he made was, "The game against the Philippines shouldn't have been played on that day. Our flight arrived at 3 or 4 a.m. We should have postponed the match by another day. The players only had one day to train after traveling. I hope all parties will consider this."
Over the past three matches, fans have clearly seen Hudson's team management skills, including rotating players appropriately for each opponent and importantly maintaining clean sheets in all three games, which is no small feat in such a high-pressure tournament.
Normally, with such consistent good results, Thai fan attendance should increase beyond the 16,037 spectators recorded at the recent match against Malaysia at Rajamangala Stadium. Meanwhile, Myanmar fans have already purchased all 1,500 tickets in the away section and requested an 8% increase in allocation, raising their quota to 3,680 tickets, which is expected to sell out. This is a notable reflection that the enthusiasm of away fans may be outpacing that of the home supporters.
This is a test for Thai football fans to come out and passionately support the national team at Rajamangala Stadium, matching the team's strong performance. Ultimately, encouragement from the stands is what every player needs most before aiming for the home-and-away semifinals scheduled for mid-August.
Ticket prices for Thai fans for the match against Myanmar
Zone W1: 600 baht (assigned seating)
Zone E1: 500 baht
Zones W2-W3: 400 baht
Zones E2-E3: 350 baht
Zones S-N: 300 baht
- Pup Thattat -