Billionaire resigns as team manager to contest Thai football supremo election

The Siam Sport reported Thursday that Madame Pang, as she is popularly known, is preparing to resign from her position after the team ended their 2023 Asian Cup campaign in the round of 16.

They lost 1-2 to Uzbekistan on Tuesday after going through the group stage without conceding a goal.

Madame Pang has been managing the national team for two and half years, spending almost 60 million baht (US$1.7 million) and taking the team to two consecutive ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) titles in 2020 and 2022.

She is among the candidates for the football association president, whose election is scheduled for Feb. 8, when the incumbent Somyot Pumphanmuang's term ends.

Online surveys show Madam Pang is leading the race ahead of rivals like politician Pauline Ngampring and former Thai League spokesman Warong Witthaya.

Madam Pang, 57, is a businesswoman, politician and a scion of one of Thailand's wealthiest families.