Somporn Chaibangyang, President of the Volleyball Association, responded to the issue raised by Krittada Nilsawai revealing that athlete allowances have been deducted.
On 23 Dec 2025 GMT+7, following a controversy in Thai volleyball, Krittada Nilsawai, a male player on Thailand’s national volleyball team, openly spoke after leading the team to a gold medal at the 2025 SEA Games hosted by Thailand—the first championship in eight years—before officially announcing his retirement from the national team.
Krittada clearly stated his future plans to play only in professional leagues and that if he is invited back to the national team, he would need to reconsider. He also raised the issue of athlete allowances, saying they do not correspond with the current cost of living.
“For many years, the daily allowance has been 900 baht, but after various deductions, the actual amount received is only 600 baht per day, and this has been the case for decades,” Krittada said, citing the significant rise in living costs—from food prices to basic expenses—while allowance amounts have barely changed over time.
This statement sparked public questions about the welfare system for Thailand’s national athletes, prompting Somporn Chaibangyang, President of the Volleyball Association of Thailand, to briefly respond to the issue.
“This is normal practice and has always been done this way. It is not within the Association’s authority. Our role is to pay in full; we have never deducted from athletes,” Somporn said.