As the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games have drawn to a close, the nation is still rejoicing at seeing so many Thai athletes bring home medals while breaking a few records along the way.
The Thai delegation pocketed 13 Olympic and 30 Paralympic medals over the past few weeks.
The winners will receive cash rewards, or incentives, mostly from the National Sport Development Fund (NSDF).
Although Paralympic athletes grabbed more trophies than their able-bodied compatriots, their cash rewards are significantly smaller: six million baht for gold medallists, four million baht for those who won silver, and 2.5 million baht for those who bagged a bronze.
The comparable sums for Olympians are 12 million, 7.2 million and 4.8 million baht, respectively.
Some may defend the higher rewards for able-bodied athletes, given their popularity, but this disparity should nonetheless be addressed and reviewed. Paralympic athletes have been improving at recent editions of the Games.
They finished second only to Indonesia in the overall medal tally at the Asean Para Games in June 2023, sweeping 126 medals. Later that October they ranked seventh at the Asian Para Games in Guangzhou, winning 108 medals.
But the wildly divergent cash rewards are merely one of the problems they face. Despite their success, such double standards are unfortunately not unusual.
Some may still remember the SEA Games in Phnom Penh in 2023 when Thai authorities chose a low-cost airline for the nation's Paralympic athletes and their extra travel accessories.
This was a grave mistake, as several of them were left stranded at the airport for hours as they had to wait for their accessories to arrive. This was in sharp contrast to their able-bodied peers, who enjoyed much more comfortable flights on Thai Airways.
The former Prayut Chan-o-cha government ordered a probe into this, but the results were never made public.
Needless to say, it takes much more effort for people with disabilities to become athletes, let alone champions in regional and global sporting events.
Their success is a boon for the country, however, and should serve as inspiration for other people regardless of their physical or mental condition.
Their resilience and ability to overcome adversity make them perfect role models for those with underprivileged backgrounds who would otherwise likely end up being a burden on their families and society.
At least some of the nation's para-athletes have come from poor and underprivileged families.
Among them is Putharet Khongrak, the 29-year-old wheelchair racer who narrowly lost in the final of the 5,000 metre T54 event in Paris when his wheelchair crashed just five metres before the finish line.
He shed tears afterwards, lamenting how that tragic loss had stripped him and his family of the cash reward that would help ease their plight.
There must be more families in the same tough situation as the Khongraks.
The impoverished athlete's remarks suggest it is high time for the government to address the welfare gap for this group of people.
Moreover, domestic authorities should try in earnest to give them all the support they need to enjoy a better life, and bring more glory to the country while filling people's hearts and dreams with more inspiring tales of success against the odds.