Nualphan Lamsam, President of the Football Association of Thailand, has recently garnered significant praise from soccer enthusiasts in South Korea. Her compassionate outreach to console fans and attentiveness to their feedback, following Thailand’s defeat against South Korea, stands in stark contrast to the conduct of the Korean Football Association and its president. (Image courtesy of the Football Association of Thailand)
SEOUL, Mar. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – After Thailand’s national soccer team was routed by South Korea in a crucial World Cup qualifying match, the president of the country’s soccer federation took an unexpected step that resonated with fans.
Thailand, coached by the Japanese manager Ishii Masatada, suffered a lopsided 3-0 home defeat against South Korea on March 26 in the fourth round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Following the match at Rajamangala Stadium, Ishii acknowledged the talent gap between the two sides. “The physical difference is the reason for the 3-0 result,” he told reporters. “We aim to solidly defend by creating blocks and to break down opponents through buildup in attack, but we could not execute that style.”
“In Asia, South Korea and Japan are top-class teams,” Ishii added. “There is clearly a quality difference among the players. We have pondered how to overcome that as a team to reach this point, but we are not at that level yet. I was reminded of just how high the quality of South Korean players is.”
Amid the disappointment, Nualphan Lamsam, the president of the Football Association of Thailand, made a striking move, as reported by the SPOTV News outlet on the following day.
Having hoped passionate home fans would inspire an upset in the match against South Korea, Thailand instead left the crowd of 50,000 deeply disappointed with the lopsided loss.
“In the aftermath of the defeat, the president, known as ‘Madam Pang,’ stood in front of Thai supporters along with the players,” SPOTV News wrote. “At a time when it would have been difficult for a president to make such an appearance, she listened directly to the voices and cheers of the fans.”
While such engagement would be an unlikely step for most federation chiefs immediately after a humbling home loss, Lamsam brushed aside concerns to connect with the supporters who had turned out.
Korean soccer fans were also impressed by the Thai Football Association’s proactive decision to renew the turf at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium after 26 years, a move aimed at offering top-notch playing conditions, which notably benefited players like Son Heung-min. Son Heung-min showcased his prowess by scoring the second goal of the match against Thailand. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The newly-elected president, who made history in February as Thailand’s first female soccer chief, even ventured into the mixed zone for interviews with media — an extraordinarily rare sight for the head of a national federation. For over 10 minutes, Lamsam fielded questions from reporters.
The SPOTV News report noted that Nualphan’s “special approach” inevitably drew comparisons to Chung Mong-gyu, the president of the Korea Football Association. Chung maintained public silence after South Korea’s 1-1 draw with Thailand on March 21 in Seoul in a disappointing result given the nations’ FIFA ranking gap.
Chung has faced widespread criticism from Korean fans recently. He unilaterally appointed Jurgen Klinsmann as national team coach without going through a formal hiring process, a poor choice that some have said was behind the team’s disappointing performance at the 2023 Asian Cup.
During the tournament, he blamed players like captain Son Heung-min amid reports of locker room conflicts. And when a gambling scandal emerged, Chung demoted staff responsibilities to deflect accountability.
At the March qualifier in Seoul, Korean fans displayed banners urging “Mong-gyu Out” and declaring “KFA Is Not Mong-gyu’s Property.”
Chung Mong-kyu, president of the Korean Football Association, looks at the starting lineup for the match between South Korea and Thailand. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
In contrast, the celebrity businesswoman Lamsam, previously the CEO of a major Thai insurance firm, has invested new resources upon taking the helm. She donated 5 million baht (approximately $147,000) of her own personal funds to staff welfare and allocated 40-50 million baht to develop Thailand’s lower professional divisions.
Lamsam, who has 780,000 Instagram followers, has also embraced fan engagement. She visited the national team’s training camp with cake before the first match against South Korea, and posted celebratory videos after the draw, thanking players for “the precious point that brought happiness to Thais.”
Ahead of the rematch in Bangkok, she urged a united show of support: “Let’s combine our power and cheer. The whole nation must wear red.”
Lamsam even put her own money on the line, promising a 4 million baht ($147,000) bonus if Thailand defeated South Korea — over 10 times the country’s average worker’s salary. The government pledged an additional 30 million baht ($1.1 million) for a win.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
