Thailand U23s Finish Third in Vietnam Tournament, Coach Sees Progress
Thailand's U23 national team finished third in the U23 GIA LAI – VTV CUP 2026 in Vietnam after beating Singapore 3-1. Coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul said the players learned significantly across the three matches, showing improvement in both attack and defense, though he acknowledged the team still lacks tactical cohesion and match tempo. The squad returns to Bangkok on November 15 for a review with the Football Association.
Coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, head coach of Thailand's men's U23 national team, viewed his players' performance positively, believing they learned valuable lessons and can continue developing. He also apologized to fans for the team's inconsistent form.
Thailand concluded the four-team U23 GIA LAI – VTV CUP 2026 in Pleiku, Vietnam, in third place after a 3-1 win over Singapore in their final match.
After the game, Coach Thawatchai said: "This was our last match, the third in the tournament. The boys performed better at a certain level and we got the result we wanted. Looking at the overall picture across three matches, the players learned many things, both in attack and defense, with fewer errors than in the first two games."
"Honestly, before this we had almost no time for tactics. But by the third game we had more chances to train together, so everyone started to understand and learn the playing style among themselves, between me and the players, and among the players themselves."
"Team structure still needs a lot of examination because this is only the first camp and first tournament for this new Thailand U23 squad. We saw player form from various levels — Thai League 3, U21, Thai League 2 — and there are still many others not called up. It will take time to see what fits best."
"This tournament clearly showed what we still lack. Many players just experienced their first international tournament, so the tempo and speed of play looked slower than opponents, like in the first game against Vietnam or the second against Qatar. I gave them homework to go back and improve at their clubs, and we will monitor everyone's development continuously."
"I must apologize to fans for the poor results in the previous two matches. Even though this game's result was okay, in terms of how we played there are still many areas to improve. I believe if this group had more preparation time, they would perform even better."
Following this, the Thailand U23 team will return immediately, arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport on November 15, 2026 at 18:55. The coaching staff will then meet to summarize performance with the Football Association and plan next steps.
