Madam Pang praised for using own money to help Thai football with debt

Football Association of Thailand president Madam Pang. Photo by Facebook/Madam Pang

The Supreme Court had ruled that FAT must pay 360 million baht in compensation to Siam Sport, following a lawsuit stemming from the unilateral termination of a contract under the previous president, Somyot Pumpanmuang.

As the federation searched for a solution, Madam Pang stepped in with her own funds to cover a 25 million baht deposit payment to prevent law enforcement from seizing or freezing FAT assets.

Her gesture has sparked a wave of public praise and admiration, Ball Thai reported.

"It's not even her debt. I truly admire Madam Pang's leadership and willingness to sacrifice. No other federation president has done this much," a user commented on Facebook.

"Thank you, Madam Pang, for using your own money to support the federation," a fan wrote.

Another fan added: "She doesn't have a salary, and yet she spends her own money for the greater good. I really admire her."

Although the 25 million baht payment represents less than 1/10 of the debt, the timing and intent of the gesture from Madam Pang were critical. FAT has yet to raise the full amount needed to settle its debt with Siam Sport. A fundraising campaign, initially launched to sell jerseys and gather public donations, was delayed due to a severe earthquake in Thailand last month. The campaign is expected to relaunch soon, with hopes of raising at least 30 million baht.

Madam Pang, 59, real name Nualphan Lamsam, hails from one of Thailand’s most prominent and wealthiest families. In February 2024, she was elected president of FAT with a record 68 out of 73 votes, thus becoming the first woman to lead a national football federation in Thailand and the first in Asia.

Prior to her presidency, Madam Pang served as the leader of the Thailand national football team from August 2021 to January 2024. During that time, she spent approximately 60 million baht of her own money to reward Thailand teams participating in regional and continental tournaments. Under her leadership, Thailand won back-to-back AFF Cup titles in 2021 and 2022.