Taokaenoi to pump millions to help Thai team

Taokaenoi Food & Marketing Public Company Limited, which makes seaweed snacks, has decided to pump in Bt30 million as part of a sponsorship deal prior to the decisive last-12 World Cup qualifying round due to get underway at the start of next month.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference to announce Taokaenoi’s deal, Somyot said the financial support from private sector could have a positive impact on the development of the sport in the country.

“The money would be spent in developing different squads, not just the senior side as we need to develop all the teams at the same time.  

“Every sport, especially football, needs money. We won’t be able to do the planned things if there is lack of financial support. Luckily, we have the money and we can make our goals a reality.”

The FAT president said sending local coaches abroad would be among the initiatives he has planned to raise the standards of Thai football.

“I want to send our coaches to attend coaching course overseas for six months or a year. The association would cover all the expenses. Those five or 10 coaches would get the education at the same institution in order to have the same philosophy in terms of the way we play football.

“One of the conditions we will set for them is to work for the national team when they come back. I want to see our national team at every age level play in a similar way. Hopefully, in the next 10 years, our fans would be able to see our national team play in ‘Thai style’. We will no longer coach our players in different ways,” said Somyot.   

Itthipat Peeradechapan, Taokaenoi CEO, said his company wanted to provide extra motivation for the team in the form of incentives to perform well when they make only their second appearance in the third and final round of Asian World Cup qualifying.

“We will give Bt1 million bonus for each clean sheet the Thai team manages in the five home matches plus an away tie in Japan,” said Itthipat.   

In the last-12 round, Thailand have been drawn in Group B alongside Asian champions Australia, traditional powerhouses, Japan and Saudi Arabia and two other Middle East nations, Iraq and United Arab Emirates.

The Thai side will open their campaign with a trip to Saudi Arabia on September 1 before hosting Japan at Rajamangala National Stadium five days later.