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Coach Park Hang-seo has made a comeback by signing a contract with Kanchanaburi Power in the Thai League 2, his first coaching job since leaving the Vietnamese national team.
Park is currently the Vice President of the Korean Football Association in charge of the national team heading to the 2026 World Cup. Hence, he will only begin working in Thailand from July, on a two-year contract.
"I received offers from many countries, including Vietnam. However, I chose Thailand, where no Korean coach has truly succeeded," Park said.
"The long-term vision and sincerity towards football in Kanchanaburi have inspired a spirit of challenge in me. I will do my best as a coach to lead and connect football in Thailand, Vietnam, and across Southeast Asia."
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Coach Park Hang-seo (C) with managers of Thai club Kanchanaburi Power. Photo courtesy of Kanchanaburi Power FC |
Founded in 2017, Kanchanaburi FC won the 2022-23 Thai League 3 Western Region. They finished fourth in the 2024-25 Thai League 2 and earned promotion after two play-off matches.
After 27 rounds of the 2025-26 Thai League 1, Kanchanaburi ranked 14th with 22 points - two points behind safety and having played one more game. Poor results led to the sacking of coach Wasapol Kaewpaluk. Replacing him on a short-term contract was coach Lee Jung-soo, a former assistant to coach Kim Sang-sik in the Vietnamese national and U23 teams.
There were no miracles for coach Lee in the final three rounds, and Kanchanaburi were relegated.
However, the club’s leadership believes that South Korean managers' coaching style, proven successful in Vietnam and Indonesia, is not just an "emergency fix." Therefore, they have set their sights on coach Park.
After the contract was finalized, Park's coaching staff was also completed. This includes two Koreans, assistant coach Lee Jung-soo and fitness coach Roh Yeong-su, and three Thais, assistant coach Phanupong Wongsa, analyst Phannarai Phansiri, and goalkeeping coach Narathip Phanprom.
Coach Park's duties are outlined in four points: gaining promotion to the Thai League 1 within one year, becoming the top club in Thailand within the next five years, building a squad capable of competing with Buriram United - the most successful club in the history of Thai football, and making Kanchanaburi qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite and establish their leading position in Asia.
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Coach Park Hang-seo after Vietnam's loss to Thailand in the final of the AFF Cup 2022 in Thammasat Stadium, Thailand, on Jan. 16, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong |
Coach Park is a hero of Vietnamese football. He arrived at the end of 2017 and immediately revived the system, which was at its lowest point after a series of failures at all national team levels. Vietnam under Park were the silver medalists at the 2018 U23 Asian Championship, won the 2018 AFF Cup and gold medals at the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games, and reached the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup.
Vietnam also maintained a position in the top 100 of the FIFA rankings and led Southeast Asia throughout his tenure.
Since his Vietnam contract expired in January 2023, Park has not had any coaching job. He was rumored to be working in India, several Southeast Asian countries, even with Vietnamese clubs, and as an interim coach for his home country’s national team. However, he has only acted as an advisor for Bac Ninh FC in Vietnam’s Second Division, opened a training academy, and participated in commercial activities in Vietnam.
