Thailand could meet their four gold-medal target this morning after the boccia team won the country's third at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro yesterday.
Featuring Pattaya Tadtong, Worawut Saengampa, Subin Tipmanee and Watcharaphon Vongsa, Thailand thrashed Japan 9-4 in the final of the mixed team BC1-2 boccia event.
Wheelchair racers Prawat Wahoram, Rawat Tana and Saichon Konjen did well in the preliminary stages of the men's 1,500m T54 and will compete in the final this morning, Thai time.
However, two-time defending champion David Weir of Great Britain is among the favourites.
Another medal hope, wheelchair fencer Saysunee Jana, was scheduled to defend her women's epee B title late last night.
In boccia, Thailand were in a class of their own as they successfully retained the BC1-2 title.
They hammered Great Britain 11-0 in the quarter-finals and thumped Argentina 14-1 in the semi-finals.
In the final, Japan took the lead against Thailand who then regrouped and went on to win 9-4 with few problems.
Japan tried to fight back but their attempt proved to be too little, too late.
"We did our best, and the results show where we stand now. I believe we were able to show people how attractive the sport of boccia can be," said Japan player Takayuki Hirose.
"The silver medal feels really heavy. I've never held a medal so heavy," he said.
Pattaya and Watcharaphon were in the team that won gold at London 2012.
Pattaya has now claimed three gold medals, having also won the individual event four years ago.
Thailand also earned another bronze medal in boccia as Nuanchan Phosila, Pornchok Larpyen and Chaloemphon Tanbut, edged Great Britain 3-2 in the third-place play-off of the mixed pair BC4.
Slovakia, who beat Thailand in the semi-finals, took gold after finishing off hosts Brazil in the final.
Having already bagged three gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the 2016 Games, the Thai target of four golds now seems eminently achievable.
Earlier, Prawat won the men's 5,000m T54 title and Pongsakorn finished first in the men's 400m T53.
With five days to go, the Thais are likely to reach their four-gold target with a number of their hopefuls still to compete.
Chutinant Bhirombhakdi, president of the Paralympic Committee of Thailand, said that the athletes were doing better than expected.
"We can hope for more gold medals in wheelchair racing, fencing and boccia,'' he said.
"I think we can exceed our expectation."
Meanwhile, the International Paralympic Committee reprimanded a visually impaired Ethiopian runner on Monday for crossing his arms above his head at the finish line, a protest against alleged rights abuses by his government, AFP reported.
The protest by Tamiru Demisse, the silver medallist in the men's 1,500m in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, came after fellow Ethiopian runner Feyisa Lilesa made headlines during the Olympics last month when he made a similar protest as he claimed silver in the men's marathon.
The gesture -- a sort of X above the head -- is a symbol of defiance against the Ethiopian government's crackdown on anti-government protests that started in the Oromo region in November last year.
Human Rights Watch estimates the Ethiopian security forces have killed more than 400 people involved in the protests.
But the International Paralympic Committee sternly rebuked Demisse, 22, for making a political statement at the Games.
"He's been told very, very clearly that political statements are definitely [forbidden]... in the Paralympic Games, as they are in the Olympic Games.
"It's been made very, very clear to him that this must not be done again," said IPC president Philip Craven.
Led by Pattaya Tadtong, second right, Thai players celebrate winning the boccia mixed team BC1-2 title. reuters UESLEI MARCELINO
Chaloemphon Tanbut competes in the boccia mixed pair BC4 bronze medal match. reuters UESLEI MARCELINO