Thai sports community outraged as athlete owed money for 4 months

As the 33rd SEA Games hosted by Thailand is approaching, the country's sports community is outraged by the news that athletes have been owed subsidies since May.

Track and field star Puripol Boonson - Photo: BP

Anger is rising in the Thai sports community as athletes preparing for the 33rd SEA Games have not received their living allowances since May, a situation that has lasted for four stressful months.

According to Thai press, this situation stems from the fact that the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) has not yet submitted the budget approval application worth 480 million baht to the Comptroller General's Department.

Although the National Sports Development Fund was allocated on June 18, the audit agency had not yet received the official expenditure request from SAT as of July 22, leaving the disbursement process in limbo.

Over the past three days, Thairath Online has continued to report on this serious situation, emphasizing that the delay has disrupted the athletes’ training plans and severely affected their morale.

Accordingly, many sports associations such as badminton, volleyball and racing have to advance or borrow money from the public employee fund to support athletes while waiting for subsidies.

The response from the authorities has been equally decisive. According to a source from the Thai government , the Audit Bureau is urging the SAT to urgently complete the paperwork to process the subsidy payments before the upcoming SEA Games.

From an expert perspective, although there have not been many personal opinions from coaches or athletes directly quoted in recent news reports, some indirect warnings have been raised.

Sports associations assert that this not only puts financial pressure but also affects the SEA Games goals - when Thailand has ambitions to be the host country to win many gold medals.

The late payment not only shakes the competitive spirit but also raises questions about the ability to complete the medal target at home.

"This affects the mental health of athletes who have spent time and effort training for the SEA Games.

I have contacted Mr. Surawong Thienthong, Minister of Tourism and Sports, and he has promised to speed up the process. However, as far as I know, many associations are dealing with urgent matters and trying to find ways to pay their athletes.

Some association leaders even borrowed money from the civil service to provide contingency allowances for their athletes. This is not advisable in this day and age,” Khaosod newspaper quoted Chaiphak Siriwat, vice president of the Thai Olympic Committee, as saying.

There are no specific figures on how many athletes are owed subsidies. However, this is a systemic problem, directly affecting many sports and hundreds of athletes participating in national training.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lang-the-thao-thai-lan-phan-no-vi-vdv-bi-no-tien-suot-4-thang-20250808074313868.htm