Thongsuk Sampahangsit appointed Thailand coach

The Football Association of Thailand has announced the appointment of Thongsuk Sampahangsit as national team coach less than two days after Chanvit Phalajivin confirmed his intention of quitting the job for a V-League club assignment in Vietnam. ''We have three staff coaches and Thongsuk was the most senior so he has got the job,'' FAT President Vijitr Getkaewsaid said of the former Thai Farmers’ Bank FC coach. ''He will be supported by the two other staff coaches Sompol Chomchue and Nipol Malanont,'' he said. ''It should all go smoothly.''

Thongsuk said he would not be reinventing the wheel and continue with the squad and techniques followed by his predecessor. ''We are hosting the AFC Asian Cup and face tough matches against Australia, Iraq and Oman. I will not be making any major changes … the players are well behaved and listen to what the staff coaches tell them. After 10 years of working with Chanwit, I think I'm ready for the job," The Nation newspaper quoted him as saying.