Thailand Sports Authority Secures Second Passports For Athletes

The Sports Authority of Thailand is coordinating with the Department of Consular Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Bureau to issue a second passport, resolving visa application delays and enabling Thai athletes to compete abroad efficiently while focusing on world-class performance.

Nanthapon Thongnilphan, director of the Professional Sports Development Division at the Professional Sports Committee of the Sports Authority of Thailand, revealed that the office is committed to supporting Thai professional athletes traveling for international competition. Beyond budget support, it provides administrative assistance to registered professional athletes, including endorsing dual passport applications for those who need two passports for seamless international travel.

The core problem Thai athletes face is that when a passport is submitted for visa processing at an embassy—a process that can take days or weeks—athletes with urgent competition schedules in multiple countries cannot travel as planned. The latest case involves snooker world champion and 2026 World Open title holder Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, for whom the Sports Authority arranged a second passport to enable weekly participation in professional snooker tournaments worldwide.

"Our role is to be a strong support system for Thai professional athletes by facilitating passport matters," Nanthapon said. "We will coordinate with the Department of Consular Affairs to issue certificates enabling athletes to legally hold a second passport, and work with the Immigration Bureau to streamline athlete verification, reducing steps and processing time at border checkpoints."

"Providing Thai professional athletes with a second passport will greatly ease their concerns and allow them to focus on competition performance. It also establishes Thailand's sports management as meeting international professional standards," he added.