Thai volleyball fans frustrated after Vietnam's stunning comeback victory

Coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai (C) gives players direction during the match that Thailand lost 2-3 to Vietnam in the second stage of the 2025 SEA V-League on Aug. 10, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Hieu Luong

Having won all eight SEA V-League titles previously, Thailand entered the tournament with high expectations. Their match against hosts Vietnam, especially following the controversies between the teams and their fans around fouls and players' gender debate from the first stage match where Thailand won, drew even more attention.

However, after leading 2-0, Thailand was unexpectedly defeated 3-2 at Ninh Binh Stadium, sparking heated debates in the Thai volleyball community. Thousands of comments poured in on volleyball forums and fanpages like Thairath, Siam Sport and Volleyballthailand.

A post on Volleyballthailand, which has nearly 740,000 followers, indicated that most Thai fans believed their team deserved the loss. The post attributed this to their recent disappointing performance in the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL), where Thailand won just one match out of 12 and finished 17th, barely above the relegation zone.

"Everything has probably accumulated from previous tournaments, and the situation has worsened," said the post. "A lack of confidence before hosting the World Championship is not a good sign."

On the fanpage of Siam Sport, a post about the match garnered nearly 3,500 comments, with many calling it a "historic failure" and questioning whether a change in leadership was needed.

One fan commented: "Thank you, Vietnam, for extinguishing the confidence of Thailand. They’ve taken a step back to improve. Previously, Thailand were on par with Japan and China, but now they’re struggling against teams like Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines."

"We knew this would be a tough match, especially with Vietnam playing at home," coach Radchatagriengkai said after the match, as quoted by The Nation. "They fought with their strongest line-up, and all our players gave their best. I appreciate everyone’s effort, but it is unfortunate we could not secure the win."

Despite his comments, Radchatagriengkai received criticism from the public for his decision-making, particularly in the third set, where he was slow to make substitutions.

"Always saying good words but the results are bad," a user commented, with nearly 300 likes.

Another fan criticized the coach for overworking the players: "Some players were exhausted, yet he still forced them to play. This will only destroy the team's spirit."

The SEA V-League, Southeast Asia's premier women’s volleyball tournament, has been held annually since 2005 and 2025 marks its fifth edition. Thailand have dominated the competition, having won six times in the past eight editions, defeating Vietnam in the final each time.

 

 

Thai volleyball fans frustrated after Vietnam's stunning comeback victory

Bóng chuyền nữ Việt Nam lần đầu thắng Thái Lan