Celebrating 109 Years! "FIFA President and Madame Pang" Officially Inaugurate FA Thailand Building

On May 17, 2024, at 3:00 PM, FIFA President Gianni Infantino officially inaugurated the FA Thailand building, the headquarters of the Football Association of Thailand. The event featured Infantino along with key figures such as Tourism and Minister of Tourism and Sports Sermsak Pongpanich, Sports Authority of Thailand Governor Dr. Gongsak Yodmanee, FA Thailand President Nualphan Lamsam (Madam Pang), association executives, Thai League officials, and media representatives, all celebrating the occasion.

At the grand opening of the FA Thailand building, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and FA Thailand President "Madame Pang" Nualphan Lamsam signed a gold plaque symbolizing FIFA's support for Thai football through the FIFA Forward 2.0 initiative. General Secretary Mr. Patit Suphaphongs led a tour of the new facilities, starting with the first floor, which houses various offices, a studio, and a VAR room. Thailand is the first ASEAN country to implement VAR and plans to train more personnel for its use in the Thai League 1 and 2 for the 2024/25 season.

The second floor features a futsal court where Infantino congratulated the Thai men's futsal team for reaching the World Cup finals for the seventh consecutive time and finishing second in the 2024 AFC Futsal Championship. Thailand's men's team is ranked 9th globally and 2nd in Asia, while the women's team is 6th globally and top in Asia. Infantino also participated in a futsal activity, scoring a goal from half-court to the applause of attendees.

The FA Thailand building, located within the Sports Authority of Thailand complex, was funded by a $2 million grant from FIFA under the 2018-2022 FIFA Forward 2.0 budget. Construction began on January 4, 2022, and completed in March 2024. The three-story building includes office spaces, a VAR room, meeting rooms, and a standard futsal court.