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Midfielder Seksan Ratree (L) in Thailand’s 1-2 defeat against Singapore in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup semifinals, at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Aug. 18, 2026. Photo by ThailandNT |
Ratree stated that Thailand players are focusing on recovery after overcoming Singapore in the semifinals on Tuesday.
The team hold a slight physical advantage, with one more day of rest than Vietnam, alongside the advantage of playing the first leg on home ground. In addition, team cohesion has strengthened after about a month and a half of training together.
“Rapid recovery is essential for achieving a good result,” Ratree told the press during the team’s training session on Thursday. “We are focusing on one match at a time, and we must beat Vietnam at home to gain an advantage.”
The 2026 ASEAN Cup final does not apply the away goals rule. The team that win the first leg usually goes on to secure the title, except for an exception in 2016, when Thailand lost 1-2 to Indonesia in the first leg but won 2-0 in the return leg at home.
Ratree is a talented young Thailand midfielder currently playing for Port FC in Thai League 1. However, he has suffered bitter defeats against Vietnam in the final twice in 2025, with both losses occurring at Rajamangala Stadium.
In January 2025, Thailand lost 1-2 and 2-3 across two legs in the 2024 ASEAN Cup final. Later, in December, Ratree and the U22 team took a 2-0 lead against Vietnam but ultimately lost 2-3 in a dramatic SEA Games 33 final.
The 23-year-old midfielder hopes that Thailand fans will flock to Rajamangala to support the national team.
Subdued fan support
Rajamangala Stadium has a capacity of approximately 55,000. But it has been far from fully occupied during the tournament.
The stadium recorded attendances of 16,037 for Thailand’s match against Malaysia and 13,026 for the game against Myanmar during the group stage.
Just 10,802 spectators turned out for the semifinal second leg against Singapore.
These figures represent a sharp decline compared to the previous tournament, when the stadium hosted around 31,000 fans for the semifinal second leg against the Philippines and 46,000 for the final second leg against Vietnam.
Although star player Chanathip Songkrasin is not participating in the 2026 ASEAN Cup, he has urged fans to come to the stadium.
“Football has its ups and downs, but even on bad days, we managed to win and reach the final. Let’s look at the bright side,” the veteran midfielder wrote on Instagram. “I hope fans will come to support the national team in the final. I believe it will be a great day and we will win.”
The first leg of the 2026 ASEAN Cup final will take place on Saturday. Four days later, the return leg will be held at Vietnam’s My Dinh National Stadium.
Vietnam and Thailand have faced each other in the Southeast Asian final three times. Vietnam won with an aggregate score of 3-2 in 2008 and 5-3 in 2024, while Thailand secured a 3-2 aggregate victory in 2022.