On May 25, Kanchanaburi Power FC (Thailand) officially appointed Mr. Park Hang-seo as head coach. At the end of the Thai League 1 - 2025-2026 season, Kanchanaburi FC is at the bottom of the rankings with 23 points after 30 rounds, forced to play in Thai League 2 from next season.
It is expected that Mr. Park Hang-seo will take office at the Thai team in July, after the 2026 World Cup ends. The strategist's return to coaching has received great attention from Vietnamese, Thai and Korean fans.
Sharing with Korean media, Mr. Park Hang-seo revealed the reason for choosing Kanchanaburi Power FC. He said: "Although I have received invitations from many countries, including Vietnam, the reason I chose Thailand is very clear. That is because this is a path that no one has really succeeded in.
The long-term vision and sincerity towards football that Kanchanaburi has shown has aroused a spirit of challenge in me. With a sense of responsibility, representing Korean football, I will try my best in my role as a leader connecting football in Thailand, Vietnam and further in the ASEAN region”.
Coach Park Hang-seo is considered the center of Kanchanaburi Power FC's ambitious plan. They set a goal to return to Thai League 1 within a year and rise to become a top Thai club in the next 5 years, building a squad capable of competing with Buriram United, winning tickets to the AFC Champions League...
The chairman of Kanchanaburi Power FC also placed high hopes on the appointment of Mr. Park Hang-seo. The Thai team hopes that the Korean strategist and his assistants will lay a good foundation for the team, starting from the youth training system as well as establishing a long-term system for the team.
Kanchanaburi Power FC was founded in 2017, won the Thai League 3 seasons 2022-2023, won the FA Cup runner-up in the 2023-2024 season. They have some outstanding players in the squad such as Andros Townsend - former player of Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Everton. This midfielder also played for the England national team for a time. Striker Chendrop Samphaodi, who won a gold medal in men's football at the 2015 SEA Games, 2017, is also a member of the team.
Since leaving Vietnamese football in early 2023, coach Park Hang-seo has not led any team. He became a professional advisor to Bac Ninh club for nearly 3 years, before being appointed Vice President of the Korean Football Federation in April 2025.
Mr. Park Hang-seo is the most successful coach in the history of Vietnamese football. Under the management of the strategist born in 1957, Vietnam won the runner-up position at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, reached the semi-finals of the 2018 ASIAD, won the 2018 AFF Cup, and won gold medals at the 30th and 31st SEA Games. In addition, he also brought the Vietnamese team to participate in the 3rd qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup in Asia.
