U23 coach Kiatisak 'Zico' Senamuang says he is not interested in taking charge of the full national team for the Southeast Asian Championship later this year.
Thailand U23 coach Kiatisak Senamuang conducts a football clinic for underprivileged children at Polo Football Park yesterday. The event was organised by Citibank.
Kiatisak said yesterday he had turned down an offer for him to become coach of both the U23 and full national teams.
"I want to focus on only one job as coach of the Asian Games [U23] team," said Kiatisak who guided the U23 side to win back the SEA Games title last year.
"I want to take the team to go as far as possible at the Asian Games."
The Asian Games will be held in Incheon, South Korea next month as Thailand will be chasing the country's first ever football medal at the quadrennial event.
The AFF Suzuki Cup, or the Southeast Asian Championship for the full national teams, will take place in November.
Thailand will face co-hosts and defending champions Singapore, Malaysia and the qualifying round winners in Group B with the top two teams of each of the two groups advancing to the semi-finals.
Worawi Makudi, president of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), said he wanted Kiatisak to take a dual role.
"I'd like to thank Worawi for his offer. But there are a lot of good coaches and they should be given an opportunity to look after the national team for the Suzuki Cup," Kiatisak said.
It will be a tough task for Thailand's new coach to regain the Southeast Asian crown they last won in 2002.
The Thais lost to Singapore over two legs in the previous final of the biennial event in 2012.