Thailand coach vows to quit if SEA Games 33 gold medal not achieved

Thailand head coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul has promised to step down if the U22 team fails to win the men's football gold medal at SEA Games 33.

His targets include winning the 2025 ASEAN U23 Championship, securing the gold at the SEA Games this year and qualifying for the 2026 U23 Asian Cup.

Thawatchai replaced Takayuki Nishigaya, the Japanese coach who was dismissed after five consecutive losses. Thawatchai had a successful career as a player with the national team, appearing in 73 matches, before coaching several clubs in the Thai League. In the 2024-2025 season, he guided Chonburi to win the Thai League 2, earning promotion to the Thai League 1.

For Thawatchai, taking charge of U22 Thailand team is the greatest honor of his coaching career, but he is focused solely on results in the upcoming tournaments, especially SEA Games 33 on home ground.

Coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul during a training session of Thailand U22 on July 11, 2025. Photo by FAT

"We must win the gold medal after three failed attempts," he said on Sunday, on the Football Association of Thailand’s (FAT) official website. "If we don't win, the coaching staff and I are ready to resign."

Thailand hold the most SEA Games men’s football gold medal wins, with 16. Their last gold came in 2017, after which Vietnam claimed the 2019 and 2021 gold medals, and Indonesia won in 2023.

Over the past eight years, Thailand has changed U22 and U23 coaches 10 times, with big names like Akira Nishino (Japan) and Mano Polking (Brazil) failing to bring success at the regional tournament.

As hosts of SEA Games 33, Thailand are a top seed and placed in Group A, competing in Bangkok. The men’s football event will run from Dec. 3 to 18, with three groups and games played in Rajamangala Stadium (Bangkok), Tinsulanonda Stadium (Songkhla) and 700th Anniversary of Chiangmai Stadium (Chiang Mai).

Before the SEA Games, Thailand's U22 squad will compete in the 2025 ASEAN U23 Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia, from July 15 to 29.

Thawatchai has finalized a 23-player squad, including promising players such as midfielder Seksan Ratree (Buriram United), Sittha Boonlha (Port FC) and Thanakrit Laorkai (Tiamo Hirakata, Japan's fourth division). Thailand’s opening matches are against Timor Leste on July 19 and Myanmar on July 22.

Midfielder Seksan Ratree (C) during training with Thailand U22 on July 12, 2025. Photo by FAT

The 2025 ASEAN U23 Championship will feature three groups in a round-robin format, with the top three teams and the best second-placed team advancing to the semifinals.

"We have limited preparation time, but we'll do our best with the current squad," Thawatchai said. "Vietnam, with almost two months of preparation, and host Indonesia are our main competitors."

Thailand’s best achievement in the tournament came in 2005 when they won the title. They finished second in 2019 and 2022 and third in 2023.

In September, Thailand will host Group F of the 2026 U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, where Thawatchai aims to win the group against Mongolia (Sept. 1), Lebanon (Sept. 5), and Malaysia (Sept. 9). The qualifiers will consist of 11 groups, with the winners of each group and the four best second-placed teams advancing to the final round in Saudi Arabia.

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