Thailand coach Milovan Rajevac said he was happy with Wednesday's draw for the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup.
Defending champions Thailand were drawn in Group B along with Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore. The winners of the qualifying match between Timor Leste and Brunei will join the four teams.
Indonesia lost to Thailand in the two-leg final of the biennial event in 2016.
In Group A, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos will battle it out in the 12th Southeast Asian championship following yesterday's draw in Jakarta.
"Both groups are well-balanced," said Rajevac.
"We are ready to play any team but we won't underestimate any of them. We have to play to our best in every game."
The Serb said he was pleased to be drawn with the Philippines, who sit higher than Thailand in the Fifa rankings.
The tournament offers world ranking points and beating a higher-ranked team gets more points.
The Philippines are No.113 and Thailand No.122 in the latest rankings.
A new format is being used for the first time this year that will see each team play two games at home and two games away in the group stages.
The aim of this is to provide more exposure for players in their home country and provide fans with more opportunities to back their national team on home soil.
The top-two teams progress from each group into the semi-finals played over two legs with the final also a two-legged affair.
During yesterday's draw, all eyes were on who would play Thailand -- who have claimed the trophy a record five times in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2014 and 2016.
In a rematch of the final two years ago, the War Elephants will host Indonesia on Nov 17.
The Thais triumphed 3-2 on aggregate having lost the opening leg 2-1 in Indonesia.
It was the fifth time the Indonesians had finished runners-up in the tournament.