Sanrawat Dechmitr wants the War Elephants' fans to pack Rajamangala Stadium when Thailand take on Indonesia in the Suzuki Cup on Saturday at any cost -- even if they come to pour scorn on the midfielder himself.
When Thailand began the defence of their Southeast Asian championship title with a comfortable 7-0 win over Timor Leste at the same venue last Saturday, there were a large number of empty seats in the stadium.
Sanrawat said he and his teammates need the fans' support.
"We want you to pack the stadium," he said in a passionate plea to the Thai fans yesterday.
He added: "We want to hear your voice in the stadium. Please come to cheer us in the stadium."
The True Bangkok United star said he won't mind if the fans "come to the stadium just to scold me.
"This would still make me feel better. It could spur me to be able to run for 90 minutes.
"We are not singers or actors -- we are footballers. We do not want you to shout our names. We want you to cheer the national team."
Earlier, Thai football chief Somyot Poompunmuang also called on the fans to support the team at Rajamangala Stadium after reports that a large number of Indonesians would be at the venue.
As of yesterday, about half of the 48,000 tickets for Saturday's match were sold, according to Thai Ticket Major. Tickets are priced at 100-600 baht.
Thailand lead Group B with three points from one game.
Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore also have three points each, while Timor are still chasing their first point.
Indonesia have played two matches, losing 1-0 at Singapore and securing a 3-1 home win against Timor Leste.
Malaysia lead Group A with six points from two matches. Myanmar and Vietnam each have three points, while Laos and Cambodia are both winless after two defeats.
The top two teams of each group will reach the semi-finals.