The national team may find out who their new coach is on Tuesday, Witthaya Laohakul, technical chief of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), said on Monday.
Eight coaches have been interviewed by Witthaya and his staff -- Winfried Schaefer, Rene Meulensteen, Jorvan Vieira, Masahiro Shimoda, Milovan Rajevac, Dragan Talajic, Marcos Paqueta and Alain Perrin.
Frenchman Perrin, who has coached French clubs Marseille and Lyon as well as the Chinese national team, met Witthaya yesterday.
"We had a good talk," Perrin said.
Perrin's China played a friendly match with Thailand in 2014 and the Frenchman believes Thai players have the potential to become much better.
However, Witthaya said three candidates are on his shortlist.
"They all have coached teams at the World Cup finals and are not Asians," he said.
"Everything should be ready in one or two days."
Only three candidates meet Witthaya's requirements -- Serbia's Rajevac and Brazilians Paqueta and Vieira.
"The new coach must be able to lift the standard of the national team and has a clear-cut playing system," Witthaya said.
The position is vacant after Kiatisak Senamuang stepped down last month following Thailand's heavy defeats in the 2018 World Cup qualifying round.
Rajevac, 63, is believed to be the front-runner, having steered Ghana to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup.
He has also coached Qatar and Algeria and is renowned for his discipline.
According to reports, his asking salary is two million baht a month -- the same amount the FAT paid Kiatisak.
Paqueta, 58, guided Brazil to win the U17 and U20 world championships in 2003.
He was coach of Saudi Arabia at the 2006 World Cup and has worked with several clubs in the Middle East.
Viera, 63, helped Iraq win the 2007 Asian Cup and was assistant coach of Morocco at the 1986 World Cup.
The new coach is expected to sign a one-year contract after which his performance will be reviewed.
The FAT wants the new coach to start working on May 1 to prepare the national team for their home game against the United Arab Emirates on June 13.