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Football Association of Thailand (FAT) president Madam Pang has stated that the national team will not follow the policy of naturalizing players without ancestry like Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries.
"Players wearing the Thailand national team jersey should have Thai blood," Madam Pang said, as quoted by BallThai. "Naturalized players without ancestry will not represent Thai identity. Vietnam and many teams in the region are actively naturalizing players, but Thailand will only do so with players who have Thai heritage."
Madam Pang mentioned Vietnam's recent inclusion of Brazilian-born players Nguyen Xuan Son (Rafaelson) and midfielder Do Hoang Hen (Hendrio) in a 3-1 victory of Malaysia at the Asian Cup qualifiers.
While noting their professional impact, she insisted this path is unsuitable for Thai football.
This stance follows Thailand's last-minute qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup. The team secured their spot with a tense 2-1 victory over Turkmenistan in their final qualifying match.
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Madam Pang (C) gets emotional during the celebration with Thailand players after the national team qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup on March 31, 2026. Photo by Instagram/@panglamsam |
After this hard-fought win, local media have called for a squad overhaul to prepare for the tournament in Saudi Arabia.
While many fans suggested naturalizing foreign talents without Thai ancestry to boost the squad, Thailand currently have no such players and is unlikely to recruit any soon.
Thailand national team currently boast several talented mixed players, including Nicholas Mickelson, Jonathan Khemdee, Manuel Bihr and Jude Soonsup-Bell.
Thai-German defender Bihr's crucial 89th-minute goal saved Thailand from elimination from the Asian Cup during the Turkmenistan match.
Following the qualifiers, Madam Pang has granted head coach Anthony Hudson more time and power to improve the team. According to plan, Thailand could play up to eight friendly matches during FIFA Days between June and November, alongside regional tournaments like the ASEAN Cup. This schedule provides opportunities to test new personnel, specifically mixed players currently competing abroad, Thairath reported.
According to Thai media, FAT is monitoring and contacting several dual-nationality players. Swedish-Thai defender Erik Kahl is among the new prospects being approached for a potential debut in upcoming friendlies.
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Thai-German defender Manuel Bihr (C) celebrates after scoring the winning goal for Thailand against Turkmenistan in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying match on March 31, 2026. Photo by Facebook/Madam Pang |
Vietnam also feature several foreign-born players of Vietnamese descent, including goalkeepers Dang Van Lam and Filip Nguyen, and defender Cao Pendant Quang Vinh. Brazilian-born center-back Do Phi Long (Gustavo) is currently pursuing naturalization but is not yet eligible to play.
The country is embracing a more open naturalization strategy by also calling up foreign players who meet FIFA's residency requirements.
But Vietnam Football Federation president Tran Quoc Tuan stated in June 2025 that the country would not naturalize players en masse like Malaysia or Indonesia.
"The national team will become stronger for a while, but the domestic system will be weakened," Tuan said. "If we need to strengthen [the national team], it must be done in a suitable way, not in a massive scale like Malaysia and Indonesia."
Malaysia recently called up three naturalized players without ancestral ties: Ezequiel Aguero, Endrick and Paulo Josue. Indonesia also called up players without ancestry like Marc Klok.
Both teams feature over 10 mixed players, who have 25% to 50% heritage.
Another Southeast Asian team heading to the 2027 Asian Cup, Singapore, recently recruited Japanese-born midfielder Kyoga Nakamura, alongside mixed players like Jacob Mahler and Harhys Stewart.
Madam Pang argued that while mixed players offer a boost, that is not the formula for success for Thailand.
"The most important thing remains the foundation, from youth training to the Thai League, to create a sustainable source of players for the national team," she added.
In the coming time, Thailand plan to continue testing the squad through friendly matches, prioritizing opponents in the FIFA top 100.
