Football fans learned Monday they will be able to watch all 64 matches of the 2018 Fifa World Cup live and free of charge on TrueVisions, Amarin TV and Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5 from June 14 until July 15.
The news was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon in his capacity as chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, although the football World Cup is entirely separate from the Olympics.
Viewers will be able to watch the matches on True4U 24, Amarin TV 34 and Channel 5.
Gen Prawit said a contract to live broadcast the World Cup games from Russia had already been secured and signed with Fifa under a cooperative agreement between the Tourism and Sports Ministry and nine companies.
The nine companies that helped fund the broadcast rights, which cost about 1.4 billion baht, are King Power Group, Charoen Pokphand (CP), Thai Beverage, Kasikornbank, Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), Gulf Energy Development, PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC), Bangchak Corporation and Carabao Dang.
Sports Authority of Thailand governor Sakol Wannapong said they are providing the money to help the government acquire broadcasting rights to the World Cup to please Thai fans.
Mr Sakol said each company contributed different amounts. King Power Group, CP, Kasikornbank, BTS, Thai Beverage and Gulf Energy Development each invested 200 million baht, PTTGC 100 million baht and Bangchak Corp and Carabao Dang 50 million baht.
"It's like a gift for all Thai football fans. I believe they will be happy," Mr Sakol said.
The contract was signed after King Power Group faced a delay in the wake of being appointed to broker the deal on behalf of the nine companies, Gen Prawit said.
The contract was signed by Infront Sports & Media, which holds the rights to live broadcast the 2018 World Cup in Asia, he added.