A Future Thai Citizenship Option?

[Rangsit]

Too many leagues can only confuse the issue

Wanchai Rujawongsanti

There are already two football leagues in Thailand _ the Thai League and the Provincial League _ and critics believe that is one too many.

But the government thinks that a third league is needed to make Thailand's dream of reaching the World Cup finals come true.

Deputy Commerce Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal, one of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's advisers on sporting matters, says the government is considering setting up a new league to be called the ``Prime Minister's League''.

The proposed league would comprise new teams other than those in the two existing leagues.

Using funds from the government, the teams would be run like professional clubs and the players would be full-time professionals.

Around half of the players in each team would have to be non-Thais so that local players would gain experience from playing against foreigners.

Foreign players in the new league who are good enough would be offered Thai citizenship _ a move Japan once did with foreign players in their J-League which proved to be successful to a certain degree.

The idea is apparently backed by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who says Thailand should look for good players from Cameroon, Senegal and other African countries to play in the Kingdom.

The government, or Pongsak, may not realise that quantity does not always mean quality.

As the Thai League and the Provincial League have been struggling to gain popularity, it is highly unlikely that a third league would become a hit.

In fact, it would cause more confusion as to which league is the national league.

It is surprising that the government wants a new league as many people seem to prefer a single national league.

I believe the government should put all its efforts into merging the Thai League, run by the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), and the Provincial League, organised by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT).

The cost of creating a new league would not be cheap and the money needed for that should be used instead to help promote the existing leagues or to merge them together to make one strong league.

As for the idea that teams in the proposed new league should hire a certain number of players from Africa, South America or Europe, it is likely the only players who would come here would be the not-so-good ones.

Playing against African, South American or European players week in week out would certainly benefit Thai players _ but only if they are really good players.

However, if these foreign players are skilful, it is unlikely that they would come to play in Thailand when they could earn a fortune in European leagues where countless Africans and South Americans are making their names and lots of money.

The foreign players who would play in the new league would only add colour to it _ we would have people of all races and colours in the same competition.

We do have a few foreigners playing in the Thai League who come from countries like Uganda and Cuba. Do you think these foreigners make Thai players better?

Giving foreign players Thai citizenship is not a bad idea. This is nothing new and a number of European countries such as Italy and Germany have lured South Americans or Africans _ who are really good _ to play for them.

But foreign players who would be willing to play for Thailand would certainly be those who are not wanted by their home countries or football's big guns.

The proposed league looks more likely to be a waste of money or just a political propaganda _ as the name ``Prime Minister's League'' suggests _ rather than a springboard for Thailand to win a World Cup berth.

Meanwhile, PM Thaksin promised Thai football bosses who recently paid a courtesy call on him that he would try to buy back all Thai players who are making a living in the Vietnamese League, including Terdsak Chaiman, widely regarded as Thailand's best player at the moment.

The prime minister also said that Thailand should hire a capable coach whose salary would be expensive but added that he was willing to help finance that.

It is surely not a good omen for Brazilian Carlos Roberto Carvalho, Thailand's current head coach, who is apparently not liked by Thailand's major sponsor and manger Thavatchai Sajakul.

Carvalho recently was engaged in a war of words with Thavatchai who wants a high-profile coach to replace him.

The Brazilian hit back, saying he would only talk to FAT president Vijitr Getkaew and secretary-general Worawi Makudi and not a politician _ a reference to Thavatchai, who is a member of Parliament.

If Carvalho really does not like politicians, he could soon feel lonely and have no one left to talk to as many FAT chiefs are politicians of sorts with Vijitr and Worawi becoming members of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party and intending to stand in the next general election.

Bangkok Post 7/01/2004

[huski]

Foreign players in the new league who are good enough would be offered Thai citizenship

So let me get this straight, the way for a farang to get THAI Citizenship is one of the following:

10 years of Permenant Residence status

or a sex change and marry a THAI man

or bend it like beckham?