Somporn Chaibangyang, President of the Thai Volleyball Association, explained the reason the host for the second venue of the VNL 2026 has not yet been announced.
On 21 Feb 2026 GMT+7, the Volleyball Association held a meeting to deliver policy and discuss strategies for developing indoor and beach volleyball athletes. The focus was on systematically developing Thai coaches to impart knowledge that nurtures athletes from grassroots to elite levels.
Regarding hosting the second venue of the 2026 Women’s Volleyball Nations League, it is still pending budget approval from the new government. Meanwhile, the Thai women’s team aims to avoid relegation, and fans are invited to support Supreme Tippy Chonburi-E.Tech as they face a Vietnamese team to qualify for the Asian Club Championship.
Somporn Chaibangyang, President of the Volleyball Association of Thailand, presided over the policy delivery meeting and discussion on development strategies for indoor and beach volleyball athletes for 2026. Air Force Lieutenant Commander Chanyarit Wongprasert, Honorary Secretary-General of the association, along with over 50 coaches from indoor and beach volleyball teams, attended the meeting at the Uay Ketsing Conference Room, 2nd floor, Sports Science Center, Sports Authority of Thailand, on 21 February.
The meeting was held to clarify the policy direction and action plan for athlete preparation in 2026. The association invited coaches of Thailand’s national indoor and beach volleyball teams, as well as youth coaches from educational institutions with potential to develop young athletes for the national system, to exchange views, provide suggestions, and collectively establish a systematic development approach spanning grassroots to elite levels with quality and efficiency.
Somporn Chaibangyang said this meeting aimed to deliver policy to indoor and beach volleyball coaches, emphasizing the importance of developing athletes from grassroots ages 14-16 and 18 years old. It focused on understanding changes in volleyball rules to keep pace with modern trends, advancing professionalism and the business side of the sport. The meeting also outlined cooperation to send national athletes to competitions from ASEAN and Asia to the world level, working together to elevate Thai volleyball. Priority is given to developing coaching personnel through global training systems.
Regarding progress on hosting the 2026 Women’s Volleyball Nations League’s second week at Huamark Indoor Stadium, it is currently awaiting budget approval from the new government due to the large expenses involved. The association has already spent substantial funds hosting the Women’s World Championship, so the budget request has been submitted to the National Sports Development Fund. The delay is linked to the formation of the new government. Cooperation from the government, Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Sports Authority of Thailand, and private sector is needed. The estimated budget exceeds 75 million baht. The association expects no problems organizing the event, having previously hosted major tournaments like the World Championship and Nations League several times.
As for the Thai women's national volleyball team, they narrowly avoided relegation last year in the 2026 Nations League. This year, they aim to maintain their ranking and avoid relegation. Volleyball World and the International Volleyball Federation are supporting the team, especially in sports science, as requested by the association. The encouragement from Thai volleyball fans is also very important.
Regarding Asian-level competitions, including the Asian Volleyball Championship and Asian Club Championship, there have been changes with a limit of no more than 8 to 12 teams participating. If there are more applicants, selection will be made from the ASEAN region. In the Asian Club Championship, the women’s category has two Thai teams registered: Supreme Tippy Chonburi-E.Tech and VTV Binh Dien Long An from Vietnam, who must compete for qualification via the ASEAN Club Volleyball Championship (SAVA CLUB VOLLEYBALL CHAMPION) on 26 February at MCC Hall, The Mall Lifestore Bangkapi, Bangkok, starting at 17:00. Thai volleyball fans are invited to support the Thai club teams, promising an exciting and thrilling competition.
Meanwhile, the men’s team faces no issues as Cambodia has withdrawn, granting the Thai men’s team the right to compete in the Asian Club Championship.