Controversy began after Kanchanaburi drew with Nakhon Pathom 1-1 in the 3rd round of Thai League 2 on September 16. After the match, coach Park Hang-seo criticized the refereeing work and said that the limitations in the match management are affecting the development of Thai football.
Notably, the Korean coach mentioned the correlation between Thai and Vietnamese football, stating that he understood why Thailand "is always losing to Vietnam".
This statement immediately caused controversy in Thailand. A part of public opinion agreed with coach Park when saying that he pointed out the issue that needs to be improved in refereeing work. However, there were also many opinions opposing him bringing the Vietnamese team into the story.
Ratchaburi FC Chairman Thanawat Nitikarnjana spoke on his personal Facebook page, saying that Mr. Park should not belittle Thai football because he cannot control his emotions. He also cited some victories of Thai clubs against Vietnamese representatives in regional and Asian tournaments.
At noon on September 18, coach Park Hang-seo posted an open letter on Kanchanaburi FC's fanpage to explain and apologize.
I have no intention of belittling the national team, football or Thai players in any form. I do not want to create conflict or controversy by comparing them to any other country," Mr. Park wrote.
He admitted that comparing the Vietnamese and Thai national teams can make Thai football fans uncomfortable, disappointed and hurt.
Mr. Park said his purpose is to emphasize the importance of raising referee standards, ensuring fairness in competition, thereby contributing to the overall development of Thai football.
I always have absolute respect for Thai football and sincerely hope that football in this country will develop and achieve more achievements in the international arena," Mr. Park shared.
The 68-year-old coach also took responsibility for his statements in his role as coach of Kanchanaburi FC.
This is an important lesson for me. From now on, I will be more careful in my words and consider more carefully the potential consequences I am causing," coach Park Hang-seo said.
The reason why Mr. Park reacted strongly was the controversial situations in the Kanchanaburi match against Nakhon Pathom. The away team opened the score in the 67th minute thanks to Payanat Thodsanid. Previously, striker Jean Hebert received 2 yellow cards in the 33rd and 40th minutes.
In the 84th minute, Nakhon Pathom equalized thanks to Banjong Phadungpattanodom. Slow motion images show a home player showing signs of offside, but Thai League 2 did not use VAR, so the goal was still recognized.
Mr. Park said that the referee handled incorrectly in both the second yellow card situation for Jean Hebert and the ball leading to Nakhon Pathom's equalizer.
Kanchanaburi currently has 5 points after 3 rounds, ranking 5th in Thai League 2. Mr. Park's team won the opening match before drawing 2 consecutive matches.
Coach Park Hang-seo has led Vietnamese national teams for many years and has faced Thailand 7 times. He and the Vietnamese national team defeated Thailand 1-0 at the 2019 King's Cup, then drew 0-0 in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
At AFF Cup 2020, Vietnam lost to Thailand 0-2 and drew 0-0 in the semi-finals. In the final of AFF Cup 2022, the two teams drew 2-2 in the first leg before Vietnam lost 0-1 in the second leg.
After parting ways with Vietnamese football, Mr. Park returned to coaching work in July 2026 when he accepted to lead Kanchanaburi FC. He signed a 2-year contract, with the goal of bringing the team to Thai League 1.
