Thai football in turmoil: Race for FAT presidency and financial promises revealed

The Football Association of Thailand (FAT) is set to usher in a new president, marking the conclusion of Police General Somyot Poompunmuang’s eight-year tenure as the nation’s football chief.

The battle for the coveted position has seen former national men’s team manager Nualphan Lamsam emerge as the frontrunner, with the election scheduled to take place at FAT headquarters in Bangkok’s Hua Mark district.

The upcoming election for the presidency of the FAT has garnered significant attention, with Nualphan Lamsam positioned as the overwhelming favourite. Kasem Bundit University’s recent poll has projected Nualphan to secure over 40% of the votes from FAT member clubs, placing her at the forefront of the race.

Nualphan’s closest competitor, Pauline Ngarmpring, is anticipated to secure 22.5% of the votes, while other candidates, namely Warong Thiuthas, Komkrit Napalai, and Thanasak Suraprasert, are also in contention. However, the build-up to the election has been marred by allegations of vote-buying targeting Nualphan, which she vehemently refuted in a late-night social media post, reported Bangkok Post.

The race for the presidency also brought to light promises of substantial financial injections into Thai football. Warong Thiuthas, one of the candidates, pledged a staggering 1.124 billion baht for the development of the Thai leagues if elected, aiming to significantly boost the income of domestic clubs over the next five years. Additionally, the absence of a broadcasting rights holder for Thai League 1 has emerged as a pressing issue, demanding urgent attention from the incoming president.

In related news, the FAT pulled off a clandestine coup, securing the services of Japanese maestro Masatada Ishii to lead the national team. The FAT sealed a hush-hush pact with Japanese tactician Masatada Ishii on December 12, to helm the national squad – the price tag is a closely guarded secret. The duration of this covert football alliance was undisclosed, with the FAT keeping tight-lipped on the contractual timeline.