FAT president Nualphan Lamsam announced the breakthrough following an Executive Board Committee meeting on Sunday (June 21), confirming that the association had paid B120mn directly to Siam Sport and agreed to assume responsibility for a further B240mn owed to True, reports the Bangkok Post.
The arrangement, she said, was reached in cooperation with all parties and removes a long-standing threat to the organisation’s financial stability.
The dispute dates back to 2016, when the previous FAT board cancelled Siam Sport’s rights to manage sponsorship and live broadcasts. The company pursued litigation through three levels of the Thai courts, culminating in a Supreme Court ruling that left FAT liable for the full debt plus interest.
For nearly a decade the case hung over the association, until Nualphan’s administration, elected in 2024, moved to negotiate a settlement and gradually pay down the liability.
Under the new agreement, FAT will clear the remaining B240mn in two instalments, combining direct payments with the granting of broadcast rights.
True Group will hold rights to Thai national team coverage across OTT, IPTV and Pay TV platforms for four years, from 2026 to 2029.
Nualphan said the deal was vital to safeguarding FAT’s future.
“This agreement eliminates the risk of asset seizure and allows us to focus on developing Thai football at every level,” she noted.
Despite liquidity challenges, she pointed to recent progress: securing a four-year Thai League broadcast contract worth B2 billion with AIS-GULF-JAS, increasing financial support for clubs across all divisions, and expanding coverage of men’s and women’s competitions. Exclusive national team broadcasting rights have also been sold to Thai Rath TV and Cineplex.