For more than two decades, Thailand has stood as a powerhouse of golf in Southeast Asia. With at least two gold medals in every edition of the past 12 SEA Games, and clean sweeps in both 2007 and 2015, the kingdom’s golfing legacy is not only rich but also firmly established.
Few nations in the region can match Thailand’s depth, development pipeline or its ability to turn promising juniors into world-class professionals.
The ascent of current World No. 1 Atthaya Thitikul, a former SEA Games gold medallist, remains the clearest symbol of Thailand’s dominance.
As the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand draw closer, confidence is once again building within the Thailand Golf Association.
Association president Rangsarit Laksitanon believes that the nation is on track for another strong showing, reinforced by months of intensive training and international competition.
“Throughout the recent months, the association has been conducting continuous training camps, as well as sending athletes to compete abroad to build confidence,” Rangsarit said, adding “The results have been impressive and I believe that, at the SEA Games at the end of this year, Thailand will deliver another strong performance.” He expects at least two gold medals.
While Thailand has historically dominated both the men’s and women’s divisions, this year the spotlight falls on the men’s individual and team events.
The men’s squad arrives with both pedigree and momentum, led by one of Thailand’s most exciting amateur talents in recent memory, Pongsapak Laopakdee, known to his fans as ‘Fifa’.
Fresh off his triumph at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in the United Arab Emirates, a victory that made him the first Thai ever to win the prestigious event, Pongsapak enters the SEA Games ranked No. 34 in the Amateur World Golf Ranking.
His breakout win also earned him dream invitations to the 2026 Masters Tournament and The Open Championship, placing him in rare company among global amateurs.
Now, the 19-year-old stands on the brink of delivering something Thailand has not achieved in eight years; a men’s individual gold. The last Thai golfer to win it was Kosuke Hamamoto in 2017.
Joining Pongsapak in the men’s team are Parin Sarasmut, a key contributor to Thailand’s solid seventh-place finish at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championship, Thanawin Lee, runner-up at the Singha Thailand Amateur Open, and Warut Boonrod, a rising star with a reputation for delivering under pressure.
Together, they form one of the region’s strongest units.
The road to gold will not, however, be without its challenges. Vietnam has emerged as Southeast Asia’s fastest-rising men’s golf nation, powered by world No. 44 Nguyen Anh Minh, No. 146 Nguyen Tuan Anh and No. 195 Le Khanh Hung.
Singapore’s Hiroshi Tai, ranked 60th globally, is also expected to mount a strong challenge in the individual event. Yet, Thailand’s blend of experience, form and world-ranking advantage still positions them as the team to beat.
On the women’s side, Thailand enters with both quality and confidence, especially after clinching the title at the Southeast Asian Amateur Team Championship in the Philippines in early November.
Prim Prachnakorn, ranked 51st in the world, headlines the team, alongside Pimphisa Raprong, with whom she captured the silver medal at the 2025 Asian Youth Games.
The trio is completed by Kritchanya Kaopattanaskul, champion in the women’s team event at the 2025 Singapore Open Amateur and runner-up at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup.
All three Thai representatives dominated the individual categories during their warm-up tournament in the Philippines, an encouraging sign ahead of the SEA Games. Thailand appears favoured to retain the women’s team gold, though the women’s individual event promises to be fiercely competitive. Malaysia’s world No. 9, Jeneath Wong, and the Philippines’ No. 15, Rianne Malixi, stand out as strong challengers for the top podium spot.
Golf at the 33rd SEA Games will feature four gold medals. The men’s individual, the women’s individual, the men’s team and the women’s team. At the 2023 Games in Cambodia, Thailand took home two golds (men’s and women’s teams) and a silver (women’s individual).
With the event returning to home soil, at the Siam Country Club Rolling Hills in Chonburi from December 11-14, expectations are naturally soaring.
Thailand may not publicly predict a clean sweep, but history, and current form, suggest that another golden chapter could well be written.
