Former president of the Football Association of Thailand (FA Thailand) Worawi Makudi has offered to provide information and evidence of alleged mismanagement by former executives, led by Pol Gen Somyot Poompanmuang, for use in legal proceedings.
Incumbent president, Nualphan Lamsam, has threatened to sue Somyot and his management team for causing extensive damage to FA Thailand, including 132 million baht in debt and 360 million baht in compensation due to Siam Sports Syndicate for breach of copyright, as ordered by the Supreme Court.
Worawi, the president of FA Thailand before he was replaced by Somyot, claimed that the unilateral cancellation of a contract, for Siam Sports Syndicate to broadcast live Thai League soccer matches via True Visions in 2016, has cost FA Thailand about 4 billion baht in lost revenue.
The cancellation culminated in FA Thailand losing the court case and being ordered to pay Siam Sports Syndicate the compensation, he said.
Regarding the one million baht monthly salary received by Somyot as FA Thailand president and Thai League manager, Worawi said that it has been the traditional practice for all association presidents not to take the salary, because the association’s presidency is a voluntary role.
Regarding the 155 million baht, reported to have been borrowed by Somyot from FIFA for the association during the COVID pandemic, he claimed that he has no idea whether the amount was actually loaned, but he said that, as a former president, he had never done this and the incumbent president should check whether the amount has actually been received by the association.
