Thailand faces new controversy ahead of SEA Games 33: Badminton champion sues over cut in allowance and removal from team

Nattamon Laisuan, Thailand's top badminton doubles player

Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan, the reigning national mixed and mixed champions of Thailand, have filed a lawsuit against the Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT). They claim that the governing bodies have failed to keep their promise when they removed the pair from the team list for the 33rd SEA Games.

Initially, as national champions, Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan were in the Thai badminton team but later, BAT changed the rules. They selected the players based on the world rankings instead of their achievements in the domestic arena.

As a result, Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan were disqualified, leading them to file a lawsuit. Not stopping there, the two athletes sued for having their allowance cut during the preparation for the 33rd SEA Games.

dfqror7owzulq5fa6ri40u48dptwkl-4797-6835-1759306442.jpg — Athlete pair Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan

In a statement, Nattamon Laisuan said: “I feel unfairly treated. When applying the 2024 regulations, we met the criteria set by the regulations, namely to be champions of Thailand. However, we were not allowed to participate and I want to ask for compensation.

I feel sad about what happened. I set a goal for myself. I wanted to participate in the SEA Games, and I wanted to do it on my own. BAT confirmed to me that I would be allowed to participate in the SEA Games. They told us to train together more but in the end we were disqualified. I want justice."

However, BAT is very tough on this lawsuit. They assert that the athlete selection process was approved long ago and this is “a transparent process”. Moreover, Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan were not paid their allowances because the federation cut them, but because the two athletes violated the regulations, “not coming for regular physical examinations” - quoted by BAT.

The Thai Badminton Authority is also very firm, declaring that they will not accept any conditions of these two athletes, affirming that Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan can sue higher levels but they will not be able to change the situation. "The initial list of participants in the 33rd SEA Games was 26 people but was later reduced to 20 people to ensure the criteria of selecting only the strongest athletes," quoted from the statement from BAT.

This lawsuit is still ongoing, extending the number of controversies in Thai sports ahead of the 33rd SEA Games. Before that, there were cases related to petanque, sepak takraw, shooting, and badminton, causing headaches for the organizers of the 33rd SEA Games.