Thailand national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Thailand

Nickname(s)	ช้างศึก (Changsuek) (War elephants)
Association	Football Association of Thailand (FAT)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach	Masatada Ishii
Captain	Chanathip Songkrasin
Most caps	Kiatisuk Senamuang (134)
Top scorer	Kiatisuk Senamuang (71)
Home stadium	Rajamangala Stadium
FIFA code	THA
First colours Second colours Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current	115 3 (7 February 2019)
Highest	43 (September 1998)
Lowest	165 (October 2014)
Elo ranking
Current	119 14 (3 March 2019)
Highest	62 (January 2001)
Lowest	137 (April 1985)
First international
Thailand 1–6 China  (Bangkok, Thailand; 20 August 1948)
Biggest win
Thailand 10–0 Brunei  (Bangkok, Thailand; 24 May 1971)  East Timor 0–10 Thailand  (Hanoi, Vietnam; 8 December 2024)
Biggest defeat
Great Britain 9–0 Thailand  (Melbourne, Australia; 30 November 1956)
Asian Cup
Appearances	8 (first in 1972)
Best result	Third place (1972)
ASEAN Championship
Appearances	15 (first in 1996)
Best result	Champions (1996, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2022)

The Thailand national football team represents Thailand in international football games. It is controlled by the Football Association of Thailand. The team is also known as Changsuek, which means "War Elephants".

Thailand is the most successful football team in Southeast Asia. They have won the ASEAN Championship seven times. They also have nine gold medals from the Southeast Asian Games. In bigger competitions, Thailand finished third in the 1972 AFC Asian Cup. They have played in the AFC Asian Cup seven times. The team also reached fourth place in the Asian Games twice. They even played in the Summer Olympics two times.

However, Thailand has not yet achieved major success in global football. They won their first game in the AFC Asian Cup in 2007. They then waited 47 years to get past the group stage in 2019. Thailand also reached the final round of World Cup qualification twice. These were for the 2002 and 2018 World Cups. But they did not qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

Team History

Early Years (1915–1995)

King Vajiravudh, who helped start the Football Association of Thailand

The team started in 1915 as Siam. Their first unofficial game was against a team of Europeans. This match took place at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club Stadium. Their first international game was in 1930. They played against the Indochina national team.

Early players of the Siam (Thailand) football team

Thailand played in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. They lost 0–9 to Great Britain. This was their biggest loss at that time. In 1959, Thailand hosted the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games. They won silver medals after losing to South Vietnam in the final. In 1965, Thailand won their first major title. They took first place in the Southeast Asian Games. They played in the Summer Olympics again in 1968. They lost all three matches and were out in the first round.

Thailand football players at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics

During the 1992 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Thailand had a big success. They beat South Korea 2–1 and Bangladesh 1–0. This helped them qualify for the 1992 AFC Asian Cup. In 1994, manager Thawatchai Sartjakul put together a "dream team". It included players like Kiatisuk Senamuang, Tawan Sripan, and Dusit Chalermsan.

Southeast Asian Success (1996–2016)

In 1996, Thailand won the 1996 AFF Championship for the first time. They beat Malaysia 1–0. Thailand was a favorite to win again in 2007, 2008, and 2012. But they lost close finals to Singapore and Vietnam.

In the 1998 AFF Championship, Thailand played Indonesia. Both teams tried to lose on purpose. They wanted to avoid playing hosts Vietnam in the semi-finals. FIFA fined both teams for not playing fairly. Thailand eventually lost to Vietnam in the semi-finals.

Thailand played in the AFC Asian Cup in 1996 and 2000. Their "dream team" was at its best during this time. In both tournaments, Thailand drew two matches and lost the rest.

In the 2000 AFF Championship final, Thailand beat Indonesia 4–1. Worrawoot Srimaka scored three goals in the first 32 minutes. In the 2002 AFF Cup final, Thailand again met Indonesia. They won the game in a penalty shootout after being up 2–0.

Thailand also qualified for the 2004 AFC Asian Cup. They lost all their matches and were the worst team in the tournament.

The Thailand team playing against Oman in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup at Rajamangala Stadium

Things started to improve in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. Thailand was a co-host and played well. They drew with Iraq and had a historic win over Oman. But they lost 0–4 to Australia, which ended their chance to move to the next round. After this tournament, famous players like Kiatisuk and Tawan retired.

In September 2008, Peter Reid became Thailand's coach. But he left after only a year. His team lost to Vietnam in the 2008 AFF Championship finals.

Bryan Robson became the coach in September 2009. He led Thailand to a win against Singapore in a qualifying match. But they failed to qualify for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. Robson resigned in June 2011 due to health problems. Winfried Schäfer took over as coach.

Thailand's head coach Winfried Schäfer talking to players during a World Cup 2014 qualifying match against Oman in 2011

Under Schäfer, Thailand started the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers well. They lost to Australia, beat Oman 3–0, and drew with Saudi Arabia. But they did not qualify after losing later games. In the 2012 AFF Championship, Thailand reached the finals but lost to Singapore. In the 2015 Asian Cup qualification, Thailand lost all 6 games.

In June 2013, Schäfer left. Former player Kiatisuk Senamuang became the new coach. His first game was a friendly against China PR. Thailand surprisingly won 5–1.

The Thailand team celebrating after winning the 2014 AFF Championship in Malaysia

In 2014, Thailand won the AFF Championship after 12 years. They beat Malaysia 4–3 overall in the final. Kiatisuk became the first person to win the ASEAN Football Championship as both a player and a coach. Thailand won the AFF Championship again in 2016. They beat Indonesia 3–2 overall.

In 2015, Thailand hoped to reach the World Cup. They played in the second round of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. They won their group and moved to the next round. But in the final round, Thailand was eliminated without winning a match. They only got two points from ten games.

Recent Years (2017–Present)

New Coaches and Asian Cup Progress

The Thai team at the 2017 King's Cup, wearing black to show respect for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej

The Football Association of Thailand wanted the men's team to be one of Asia's best. After the World Cup qualifiers, Kiatisuk Senamuang resigned. Milovan Rajevac became the new coach. However, Thailand lost to Malaysia in the semi-finals of the 2018 AFF Championship.

Thai players lining up at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup

Before the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Thailand lost 1–4 to India. Rajevac was then replaced by his assistant, Sirisak Yodyardthai. Sirisak led Thailand to a 1–0 win over Bahrain and a 1–1 draw with the host UAE. This was enough to reach the knockout stage of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in 47 years. Thailand played China in the round of sixteen. They took an early lead but lost 2–1.

After Sirisak resigned, Akira Nishino from Japan became the coach. He had led Japan to the round of 16 in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This was the first time an Asian coach led Thailand. The team played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. They beat Indonesia 3–0 and UAE 2–1. But they drew twice with Vietnam and lost to Malaysia. Thailand finished third in their group. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the remaining matches were played in Dubai. Thailand had many key players missing. They drew with Indonesia and lost to UAE and Malaysia. This pushed them to fourth place in the group. Nishino's contract was ended in July 2021.

Victories Under Alexandré Pölking

On September 28, 2021, Alexandré Pölking from Brazil became the new head coach. His first big task was the 2020 AFF Championship in December 2021. Pölking led the War Elephants to win the AFF Championship for the sixth time. They beat Indonesia 6–2 overall. In the 2022 AFF Championship, Thailand defended their title. They won 3–2 overall against Vietnam in the final. This secured their seventh title.

In October 2023, Thailand played friendly matches in Europe. Many star players were injured or unavailable. Thailand lost 8–0 to Georgia. This was their worst defeat in the 21st century. In their next match against Estonia, they drew 1–1.

2023 AFC Asian Cup and Beyond

Thailand playing against Japan in a friendly match in 2024

Japanese manager Masatada Ishii became Thailand's temporary head coach. His first game was a friendly against Japan. Thailand lost 5–0. This made fans worried about the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

However, Thailand started their Asian Cup journey well. They won 2–0 against Kyrgyzstan. This was Thailand's first win in an Asian Cup opening match. They then played Oman, a strong team. Thailand defended well and drew 0–0. This gave them four points and helped them reach the knockout stage early. In their final group match, Thailand drew 0–0 with Saudi Arabia. Goalkeeper Saranon Anuin made a great penalty save. This was Thailand's first time keeping a clean sheet in the Asian Cup group stage. In the round of 16, Thailand lost 2–1 to Uzbekistan. Despite the exit, Thailand's performance was praised. Masatada Ishii was then appointed as the permanent coach. His goal is to help Thailand qualify for the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualification and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying

In the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, Thailand was in a group with South Korea, China, and Singapore. Their goal was to finish second and move to the next round. However, they lost their first home game to China 2–1. This led to Pölking being replaced.

After the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Thailand played two more qualifiers against South Korea in March 2024. They earned a surprise 1–1 draw in Seoul. But they lost 3–0 at home to South Korea. Thailand finished their qualification campaign in June 2024. They drew 1–1 away to China and beat Singapore 3–1. However, they did not advance to the next phase. They finished behind China based on head-to-head results. Both teams had the same points and goal difference.

Team Colors and Kits

Thailand national team's vintage 1968 Summer Olympics shirt

In the past, Thailand's main football kits were all red.

For a while, the team's kits were made by a local company called FBT. This lasted until June 2007.

In July 2007, Nike started making the kits. From October 2007, the home kit was all yellow. This was to honor King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 80th birthday. Yellow was his royal color.

From October 2012 to 2016, Grand Sport made the kits. The home kit went back to all-red. The away kit became all-blue. But this order was changed from the 2014 AFF Championship onwards.

In September 2016, Warrix Sports became the new kit provider. In January 2017, they introduced new kits. The home kit was all black and the away kit was all white. These colors honored the late King Bhumibol for a year. Black and white are traditional Thai colors for mourning.

In March 2018, Warrix brought back the all-blue home and all-red away kits. They also added a white-black third kit.

In December 2018, new, darker blue and red kits were shown. An all-white third kit was also presented for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. For the 2019 King's Cup, Warrix released a yellow shirt with white shorts and socks. Yellow is said to be the favorite color of the new King King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Team Rivalries

Thailand has rivalries with several nearby countries. These include Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. These rivalries are strong because the countries are close to each other.

Thailand's biggest rival is Malaysia. They have played each other 107 times. Malaysia used to be a very tough opponent for Thailand. Even though Malaysia's football faced problems, Thailand has not beaten them on their home ground since 1971.

Indonesia has played Thailand in three AFF Championship finals. Thailand won all of them. These were in 2000, 2002, and 2016.

The rivalry between Thailand and Singapore is newer. Both countries have been very strong in the AFF Championship. Thailand has won seven times, and Singapore has won four.

Thailand's rivalry with Vietnam has changed over time. In the past, Thailand did not do as well against South Vietnam. But since Vietnam rejoined international football in 1991, Thailand has been more dominant.

Myanmar was Thailand's first rival. This was due to historical wars between the two countries. But Myanmar's football became weaker over time. Since 1983, Thailand has not lost to Myanmar.

Home Stadium

Most of Thailand's home matches are played at Rajamangala National Stadium. It is in Bang Kapi District of Bangkok. This stadium was built for the 1998 Asian Games. It is the largest sports facility in Thailand. It can hold 49,749 seated fans. Other stadiums like Supachalasai Stadium and Thammasat Stadium are also used sometimes.

Recent Matches

The following is a list of match results from the last 12 months.

• On September 10, 2024, Thailand won 2–1 against Vietnam in the 2024 LPBank Cup.
• On October 11, 2024, Thailand won 3–1 against the Philippines in the 2024 King's Cup.
• On October 14, 2024, Thailand won 2–1 against Syria in the 2024 King's Cup final.
• On November 14, 2024, Thailand drew 0–0 with Lebanon in a friendly match.
• On November 17, 2024, Thailand drew 1–1 with Laos in a friendly match.
• On December 8, 2024, Thailand had a huge 10–0 win against Timor-Leste in the 2024 ASEAN Championship.
• On December 14, 2024, Thailand won 1–0 against Malaysia in the 2024 ASEAN Championship.
• On December 17, 2024, Thailand won 4–2 against Singapore in the 2024 ASEAN Championship.
• On December 20, 2024, Thailand won 3–2 against Cambodia in the 2024 ASEAN Championship.
• On December 27, 2024, Thailand lost 1–2 to the Philippines in the first leg of the semi-finals.
• On December 30, 2024, Thailand won 3–1 against the Philippines in the second leg of the semi-finals, winning 4–3 overall.
• On January 2, 2025, Thailand lost 1–2 to Vietnam in the first leg of the final.
• On January 5, 2025, Thailand lost 2–3 to Vietnam in the second leg of the final, losing 3–5 overall.
• On March 21, 2025, Thailand won 2–0 against Afghanistan in a friendly match.
• On March 25, 2025, Thailand won 1–0 against Sri Lanka in a 2027 Asian Cup qualifier.
• On June 4, 2025, Thailand won 2–0 against India in a friendly match.
• On June 10, 2025, Thailand lost 1–3 to Turkmenistan in a 2027 Asian Cup qualifier.

Coaching Staff

Role	Name
Technical director	Anthony Hudson
Head coach	Masatada Ishii
Assistant coach	Tsutomu Ogura
	Kosei Nakamura
	Mitsuo Kato
	Anurak Srikerd
Goalkeeping coach	Saulo Adriel
Fitness coach	Masaya Sakihana Kritapoj Dangkula
Match analyst	Satoru Okada Koichiro Iizuka Naruebet Saengsawang
Doctor	Phakphon Issarakraisil
Physiotherapists	Yohei Shiraki Suwicha Noradee
Interpreter	Chalermchai Chincherdphong
Kit manager	Thanat Wuttithian
Team manager	Jadet Meelarp

Current Players

Here are the 23 players who were called up for the matches in June 2025.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Patiwat Khammai	(1994-12-24) 24 December 1994 (age 30)	24	0	Bangkok United
20	1GK	Saranon Anuin	(1994-03-24) 24 March 1994 (age 31)	5	0	BG Pathum United
23	1GK	Kampol Pathomakkakul	(1992-07-27) 27 July 1992 (age 32)	11	0	Ratchaburi
2	2DF	Chanon Tamma	(2004-03-19) 19 March 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Chanthaburi
3	2DF	Marco Ballini	(1998-06-12) 12 June 1998 (age 27)	1	0	BG Pathum United
4	2DF	Elias Dolah	(1993-04-24) 24 April 1993 (age 32)	25	1	Buriram United
5	2DF	Shinnaphat Leeaoh	(1997-02-02) 2 February 1997 (age 28)	3	0	Ratchaburi
6	2DF	Songwut Kraikruan	(2001-11-06) 6 November 2001 (age 23)	1	0	Muangthong United
19	2DF	Santiphap Channgom	(1996-09-23) 23 September 1996 (age 28)	6	0	BG Pathum United
21	2DF	Suphanan Bureerat	(1993-10-10) 10 October 1993 (age 31)	33	2	Port
7	3MF	Channarong Promsrikaew	(2001-04-17) 17 April 2001 (age 24)	18	1	Chonburi
8	3MF	Peeradol Chamrasamee	(1992-09-15) 15 September 1992 (age 32)	36	4	Port
10	3MF	Ben Davis	(2000-11-24) 24 November 2000 (age 24)	8	4	Uthai Thani
12	3MF	Airfan Doloh	(2001-01-26) 26 January 2001 (age 24)	5	0	BG Pathum United
13	3MF	Jaroensak Wonggorn	(1997-05-18) 18 May 1997 (age 28)	19	1	BG Pathum United
14	3MF	Kakana Khamyok	(2004-05-21) 21 May 2004 (age 21)	2	0	Muangthong United
16	3MF	Phitiwat Sukjitthammakul	(1995-02-01) 1 February 1995 (age 30)	27	0	Buriram United
17	3MF	Ekanit Panya	(1999-10-21) 21 October 1999 (age 25)	28	2	BG Pathum United
18	3MF	Chanathip Songkrasin (captain)	(1993-10-05) 5 October 1993 (age 31)	71	14	BG Pathum United
22	3MF	Worachit Kanitsribampen	(1997-08-24) 24 August 1997 (age 27)	32	2	Port
9	4FW	Supachai Chaided	(1998-12-01) 1 December 1998 (age 26)	42	8	Buriram United
11	4FW	Poramet Arjvirai	(1998-07-20) 20 July 1998 (age 27)	18	3	Júbilo Iwata
15	4FW	Korawich Tasa	(2000-04-07) 7 April 2000 (age 25)	3	0	Muangthong United

Player Records

Players in bold are still active with Thailand.

Most Games Played

Kiatisuk Senamuang has played the most games and scored the most goals for Thailand

Top Goal Scorers

Team Achievements

Continental Awards

• AFC Asian Cup
  • Third place (1): 1972

Regional Awards

• ASEAN Championship
  • Champions (7): 1996, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2022
  • Runners-up (4): 2007, 2008, 2012, 2024
• Southeast Asian Games
  • Gold medal (9): 1965 (shared), 1975, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999
  • Silver medal (4): 1959, 1969, 1977, 1991
  • Bronze medal (5): 1961, 1967, 1971, 1979, 1987

Friendly Tournament Wins

• King's Cup (15): 1976 (shared), 1979, 1980 (shared), 1981, 1982, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2024
• Indonesian Independence Cup (1): 1994
• VFF Vietnam International Friendly Cup (2): 2006, 2008
• 3 Nations in Taiwan (1): 1971
• 4 Nations in Indochina (1): 1989
• Brunei Games (1): 1990

Overall Summary of Official Honours

These are the official awards recognized by FIFA or related football groups.

Senior Competition				Total
AFC Asian Cup	0	0	1	1
Total	0	0	1	1

Images for kids

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  Map showing Thailand's all-time football opponents

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Tailandia para niños