Vietnam and Thailand Teams: The Line Between Two Arenas

Both teams won their opening matches of the 2026 ASEAN Cup, yet while the Vietnam team earned acclaim and confidence from their domestic supporters, the Thailand team drew widespread criticism from their own countrymen, with former international Sarayut Chaikamdee being a prominent critic.

According to Sarayut, the physical foundation of the Thailand team appeared weak, as several players began suffering from cramps from the latter part of the second half, and despite having a numerical advantage for the entire 45 minutes after halftime, Thailand failed to mount a strong attacking threat against Laos's goal.

Looking at Thailand's squad for the 2026 ASEAN Cup, a similar story emerges as at the 33rd SEA Games, where local clubs refused to release players for the national team. This is why Thailand is competing in the 2026 ASEAN Cup without several key players such as Chanathip Songkrasin, Supachok Sarachat, Suphanat Mueanta, or Elias Dolah.

It would not be entirely accurate to say that the Thailand team does not value the 2026 ASEAN Cup, or that coach Anthony Hudson refused to call up veterans to give opportunities to young players. After consecutive failures at both the senior national team and U23 levels over the past two years, Thailand desperately needs an impressive result in the 2026 ASEAN Cup to restore faith among their fans.

It is true that Thai football at the club level is extremely strong, highlighted by Buriram United's quarterfinal appearance in the 2025/26 AFC Champions League Elite, and Buriram United also successfully defended their ASEAN Club Championship title.

However, it seems that the success of Thai clubs on the continental and regional stage has not translated into similar effectiveness for the national team. Thailand's senior team had to wait until the final moments to secure a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup finals, while the U23 team failed to make an impact at the 2025 ASEAN U23 Championship and suffered a comeback defeat in the final of the men's football at the 33rd SEA Games on home soil, despite leading Vietnam U23 2-0 at halftime.

From once being the leading football nation in the region at both club and national team levels, Thailand now maintains its dominance only at the club level. At the national team level, in the face of the wave of naturalization and use of overseas-born players by other teams in the region, Thailand is no longer the formidable force it once was.

It is often said that the domestic league reflects the strength of the national team, but this is not the case for Thai football. Moreover, due to their own ambitions, Thai clubs are reluctant to support the national team by providing players, especially for events not on the FIFA calendar, such as the ASEAN Cup or SEA Games.

If this situation continues, Thai national teams will find it very difficult to assemble their strongest squads for regional tournaments, as seen at the 33rd SEA Games and the ongoing 2026 ASEAN Cup. Once their top position in Southeast Asia is shaken, Thailand will have little hope of making a name for itself on higher stages such as the Asian Cup or World Cup qualifiers.

All development, especially in football, requires a process. The reality shows that no national team can rise to the top of the continent without first establishing a long-lasting and stable dominance in their own region.