Former Thailand captain Siwarak Tedsungnoen on Thursday reaffirmed the War Elephants' resolve to wrest back the regional football crown as a New Year gift for the Thai people.
The Thai squad continued training for their last AFF Suzuki Cup Group A clash against hosts Singapore tomorrow, a match which could have a bearing on top two spots in the pool.
The War Elephants currently hold the No.1 spot and need a draw to win the group and avoid a looming semi-final battle with defending champions Vietnam, who are likely to take the top spot in the other group.
Veteran Buriram United goalkeeper Siwarak has yet to start under new head coach Mano Polking in the AFF Suzuki Cup, but he isn't discouraged by that.
"We have all been training very hard and it helps that there are gaps between matches in this tournament," said Siwarak.
"Mano Polking is a good coach and is friendly as well. He explains the tactics in detail.
"The atmosphere in the team is great as we keep encouraging each other and the three goalkeepers in the squad always help each other during training.
"We are all doing our best and are committed to winning the trophy as a New Year gift for the Thai fans."
The final of the tournament will take place on Jan 1.
Meanwhile, J-League runners-up Yokohama F Marinos announced that they have released Theerathon Bunmathan and the Thailand left wing back will return to Thai League 1 champions Buriram United.
Theerathon's stay in Japan was a success story.
The 31-year-old defender joined Yokohama in 2019 and helped them win the league crown in his season to become the only Thai player ever to claim the winners' medal in J-League.
He continued to play for the J-League giants for two more seasons before his move to Thunder Castle was confirmed on Thursday.