Nualphan Lamsam, manager of the Thai men's U23 team, has announced a five-million-baht bonus for winning the gold medal at the Vietnam SEA Games.
Nualphan, nicknamed "Madam Pang" by the Thai media, broke the news to the players ahead of their last night's Group B opener against arch-rivals Malaysia.
Nualphan said the incentive was announced to motivate the players.
"I know very well that everyone has come here to play for the honour of the country and I am also aware of the sacrifices the players make in a big event like this," added the War Elephants manager.
"So to motivate all the players, I am offering this five-million-baht bonus to add impetus to our push for the gold medal.
"This sum will be in addition to the reward the team will receive from the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) if they win the tournament here in Vietnam.
"It is not going to be an easy event for us because other teams have had more time to prepare.
"However, myself and coach Mano [Polking] believe that this set of players can achieve anything.
"I also hope that our fans will support us and I can assure everyone that we will be doing our best to bring joy to the Thai people by winning the gold medal."