The Thai men's football team arrived in Vietnam on Wednesday, hoping to reclaim the SEA Games title at the 31st edition of the biennial event.
Coach Mano Polking and 16 of the 20 players began training in Nam Dinh yesterday with the remaining four scheduled to join them today after their club duties in the final round of matches in the Thai League 1 season on Wednesday night.
The quartet are Airfan Doloh, Metee Sarakum, Nakin Visetchart and Korawit Tasa.
The SEA Games are scheduled from May 12-23 but the men's football tournament starts on Friday.
Thailand play Malaysia in their opening match on Saturday. The Thais will also face Singapore, Laos and Cambodia in Group B.
Now a U22 tournament, Thailand are the most successful nation in the men's football competition, having won 16 titles since the event was introduced in 1959 as the SEAP Games.
The Thais, who were last crowned champions in 2017, were eliminated in the first round at the previous Games in 2019.
Despite problems in their preparations for the Vietnam Games, Polking is upbeat about Thailand's chances of winning gold.
"There are several factors and this may not be our best preparations," said the German-Brazilian tactician.
"But we have good management and good players, who will do their best. It is not easy to reach our target of winning the gold medal but it is possible. So Thailand's aim to become SEA Games champions is correct."
Polking is coach of the Thai senior national side but has been appointed to take charge of the SEA Games team instead of U23 boss Worrawoot Srimaka, who steered the team to win the SEA Games title in 2017.
Nualphan Lamsam, manager of Thailand's senior and U23 teams, said Polking got the nod because Worrawoot and his staff felt they may not be able to do a good job in Vietnam.
Under Worrawoot, the U23 side suffered a string of poor results, while Polking guided Thailand to win the AFF Suzuki Cup in January.
Nualphan said yesterday she was worried about the Covid-19 situation in Vietnam where there are still a high number of coronavirus cases.
She called on the players and officials to strictly follow the hosts' Covid-19 protocols.
The Thai team are led by three overage players -- goalkeeper Kawin Thamsatchanan and midfielders Worachit Kanitsribumphen and Worathep Pomphan.
They also feature three overseas-based players Jonathan Khemdee (OB Odense, Denmark), Benjamin Davis (Oxford United, England) and Chayapipat Suphannapeset (Estoril, Portugal).
