Thailand Bids to Host 2027 U16 Ice Hockey Pan Pacific Series
Thailand's U16 ice hockey team finished fourth at the 2026 Pan Pacific Series but stunned hosts New Zealand in the opener, and the country now plans to bid for the 2027 tournament
The 2026 Pan Pacific Series U16 ice hockey tournament, featuring four nations — hosts New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, and Thailand — has concluded, with the Thai national team finishing in fourth place.
However, the young Thai squad delivered impressive performances, including a victory over hosts New Zealand in the opening match. Team captain Andrew Phong was also named the tournament's best defenseman.
Team manager "Bam" Janista Lueanchaiwong said that overall, every player performed to their full potential. Despite finishing fourth, the key takeaway was gaining experience and learning from international competition. "All our athletes gave their best effort. Even though we placed fourth, we had a game where we beat the hosts New Zealand right from the opening match. We must accept that most Thai players still lack extensive international experience, but everyone showed a fighter's heart," she said.
The manager added that players faced multiple challenges, including adjusting to the time difference and weather conditions that caused some to fall ill. Nevertheless, everyone continued to perform their duties throughout the tournament.
"Regarding results, we did not set ranking expectations as a primary goal because the important objective was giving athletes the opportunity to compete on the international stage under the Thai flag — a valuable experience they can use for future development," she explained.
The coaching staff also gave every player ice time so that Thai youth could experience real match situations, learn to handle stronger opponents, and find ways to improve for higher-level competition.
For future plans, Thailand is interested in bidding to host the U16 Pan Pacific Series next year. Beyond giving young Thai ice hockey players a home tournament, it would also promote tourism and stimulate the economy through hosting an international sporting event.
Meanwhile, the next program for Thailand's youth ice hockey is the U14 national team competing in the One Hockey, 14th PEE WEE & BANTAM International Tournament 2026, scheduled for November 2–7, 2026, in Australia.
