BANGKOK: Thai football fans pledged Monday (Dec 1) to skip cheering for their home team from stadium stands during upcoming Southeast Asian Games matches over ticket rules requiring registration with ID.
Members of the Ultras Thailand supporters group said they also took issue with national team fans not being seated behind a goal, according to a statement posted on social media.
The group vowed to travel to every match during the SEA Games hosted by Thailand this month – but said they would not set foot inside a stadium until the Sports Authority addressed their complaints.
“Forcing people to register their personal information before entering a stadium is a violation of the basic freedoms of sports spectators,” the Ultras Thailand said.
The group voiced concern about the ID requirement putting them at risk of being hacked, calling the condition “not safety, but an injustice”.
They also rejected how stadium cheering zones were being managed.
“The arrangement of the away team zone behind the goal provides an advantage to the visiting team and reduces the pressure behind the goal for the Ultras Thailand fans,” the statement said.
“We stand side by side with the national team, but we will not surrender to the Sport Authority of Thailand’s management of this football event.”