Thailand at Asian Games 2026: Squads, Sepak Takraw & Medal Hopes
Thailand is chasing a top-6 finish and #1 spot in ASEAN at Aichi-Nagoya. Here’s what’s confirmed so far about Thailand’s 2026 squads, sport by sport.
Thailand’s Asian Games Track Record
Thailand’s medal count dropped from 73 in 2018 to 58 in 2023, though it has remained the top-ranked ASEAN nation at both editions.
| Edition | Rank | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Jakarta-Palembang | 12th | 11 | 16 | 46 | 73 |
| 2022/23 Hangzhou | 8th | 12 | 14 | 32 | 58 |
Source: Thailand at the 2018 Asian Games and Thailand at the 2022 Asian Games, Wikipedia; Bangkok Post.
Thailand’s Strongest Sports
Sepak takraw has historically been Thailand’s most dominant sport, with badminton leading its medal count at Hangzhou 2023. Weightlifting, athletics, and volleyball were consistent multi-medal contributors last cycle, with boxing, taekwondo, golf, and tennis as traditional secondary strengths.
Thailand’s Official Squads by Sport
Thailand’s federations have published full named rosters in several sports, with others still finalizing selection weeks out from the Games.
Confirmed via official federation/media sources
| Sport | Key Named Athletes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Badminton | Full 20-athlete roster incl. Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Ratchanok Intanon, Pornpawee Chochuwong, Busanan Ongbamrungphan | Confirmed |
| Tennis | Full 12-athlete roster incl. Kasidit Samrej, Lanlana Tararudee, Maximus Jones | Confirmed |
| Weightlifting | 10-athlete quota incl. Weeraphon Wichuma and Surajana Khambao, both Paris 2024 Olympic medalists | Confirmed |
| Taekwondo | Full 10-athlete roster (8 kyorugi, 2 poomsae) incl. Ballang Tubtimdaeng, Sirawit Mahamad, Nawin Pinthasoot | Confirmed |
| Swimming | 19-athlete roster incl. Kamonchanok Kwanmuang, Mia Millar, Sky Kingpayom Sharpearl | Confirmed |
Reported but not yet formally finalized
| Sport | Notes |
|---|---|
| Sepak Takraw | A broader 48-athlete training pool (24 men, 24 women) named in May for Games preparation; final entry list submitted in July but individual final selections not separately published. |
| Athletics | Sprinter Puripol Boonson, the reigning Hangzhou 100m silver medalist, is repeatedly cited by SAT as the team’s top hope, but a full confirmed team list wasn’t found. |
| Volleyball | Federation confirms Thailand’s best available men’s and women’s indoor and beach squads will compete, targeting 2 medals, but individual player names haven’t been published. |
| Rugby Sevens | Men’s and women’s 7s teams confirmed competing, with two overseas Thai-heritage recruits added to the men’s squad, but no individual names published. |
| Boxing | Officials are bullish on the women’s team as a gold contender, citing a new training approach, but no individual boxers have been named yet. |
| Esports | Thailand says it’s confident of gold, but selection is being tightened after a prior controversy; no finalized roster found yet. |
Team confirmed, no roster yet / not found
| Sports |
|---|
| Golf, Artistic/Synchronized Swimming, Football (Men’s & Women’s) |
Storylines to Watch
Sepak takraw’s suspension cloud: ISTAF provisionally suspended five Thai players and three staff after Thailand withdrew mid-match from the 2026 World Championship final. The federation says the Games entry list was submitted unchanged and is requesting any discipline be deferred until after the Games — worth following closely, given sepak takraw is Thailand’s most historically dominant sport.
Kunlavut Vitidsarn’s push for gold: the badminton world No. 1 and Olympic finalist leads a stacked 20-athlete badminton roster with a top-3 target.
Puripol Boonson’s sprint chase: the reigning 100m Asian Games silver medalist has been running sub-10-second times in European tune-up meets, positioning him as a genuine gold threat in athletics.
Weightlifting’s Olympic medalists: Weeraphon Wichuma (silver) and Surajana Khambao (bronze) both medaled at the Paris 2024 Olympics and are Thailand’s clearest gold hopes for 2026.