Thailand will have one of its biggest ever Olympic Games contingents of 51 athletes in Paris, but the hopes of raking in medals remain as modest as ever.
However, the country's sports officials are striking a positive note and are confident that their representatives will fare better than they did at Tokyo 2020 where they won just two medals -- a gold and a bronze.
The national heroes in Tokyo were taekwondo exponent Panipak Wongpattanakit, who took gold in the women's 49kg division, and boxer Sudaporn Seesondee, who claimed bronze in the women's 60kg class, becoming the country's first female pugilist to win an Olympic medal.
Thailand is bidding to win an Olympic medal for the 12th consecutive Games after the 1976 tournament in Montreal and is pinning its hopes on the Kingdom's taekwondo, boxing, weightlifting, badminton and golf stars.
Taekwondo in spotlight
Three years after her golden success in Tokyo, the 26-year-old Panipak remains the country's best bet to win the title.
The world No.1, who has announced she will retire from the sport after the tournament, will defend her 49kg title in the French capital and hope to finish her glorious sporting career with a victory on the biggest stage for sports.
The two-time world champion is heading to Paris with two teammates -- Banlung Tubtimdang (men's 68kg) and Sasikarn Tongchan (women's 67kg) -- who are both making their Olympic debuts.
Banlung shot to prominence when he won a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games while Sasikarn has a number of international titles to her credit and is capable of beating anyone on her day.
Under coach Chatchai Choi, formerly known as Choi Young-Seok, Panipak and her teammates will hope to add to the country's taekwondo medal collection of one gold, two silver and three bronze medals.
Boxing is Thailand's most successful sport at the Olympics with 15 medals and fans will once again pin their hopes on the eight fighters, who will put their skills to the test against the world's best in Paris.
The team's biggest hope is Thitisan Panmot in the men's 51kg division. Thitisan, who earned his Paris ticket at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, will make his Olympic debut alongside Bunjong Sinsiri (63.5kg) and Weerapon Jongjoho (80kg).
Five more women's fighters made up the Paris contingent including Chuthamat Raksat (50kg), Jutamas Jitpong (54kg); Thananya Somnuek (60kg), Janjaem Suwannapheng (66kg) and Baison Maneekon (75kg).
As the boxing team are looking to increase their medal haul, the country's badminton aces are still in search of their first ever Olympic medal.
Thailand will have players competing in all five badminton events at the Olympics for the first time in 20 years.
Leading the way are men's singles world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn and mixed doubles stars Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai.
Ratchanok Intanon and Supanida Katethong will compete in the women's singles event.
Women's doubles pair Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai and men's doubles duo Supak Jomkoh and Kittinupong Kedren complete the nine-player line-up.
Officials of the Badminton Association of Thailand are expecting their players to reach the quarter-finals, especially in the men's singles and the mixed doubles events after the draw earlier this month.
Ratchanok has a tricky assignment after being drawn with Taiwan's Tai Tzu-ying in the group stage, with only one player advancing to the knockout round.
Lifters' quest
Eight years after the last time Thailand won a weightlifting medal at the Rio Olympics, four athletes (two women and two men) -- Surodchana Khambao (49kg), Duangaksorn Chaidee (+81kg), Theerapong Silachai (61kg) and Weeraphon Wichuma (73kg) -- will be hoping to boost the country's medal haul of 14.
The Thai weightlifting team pulled out of the Covid-postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 following a doping scandal and the quartet will be determined to put Thailand back on the podium in Paris.
Weightlifting is Thailand's second most successful sport at the Olympics with 14 medals (boxing has 15).
Khassaraporn Suta was the first Thai lifter to win a medal at the Olympics after she took home a bronze medal at the Sydney Games in 2000 and the last time Thailand won a medal in the sport was at Rio 2016 with Pimsiri Sirikaew (women's 58kg bronze) and Sinphet Kruaithong (men's 56kg bronze) delivering the goods.
The Chinese lifters will be their toughest opponents in Paris, but officials of the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (Tawa) remain confident.
"I believe the team would be able to make Thai fans happy," said a Tawa top official.
Golf also offers a medal hope for Thailand with world No.15 Atthaya Thitikjul and No.19 Patty Tavatanakit earning their berths in the women's field. Men's representatives are Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Phachara Kongwatmai.
Atthaya is heading to Paris high on confidence following her victory at the Dow Championship, an LPGA team event in Michigan, with China's Yin Ruoning last month.
Patty, meanwhile, has two titles to her credit this year at the Saudi Ladies International and the Honda LPGA Thailand. She also finished third at the Evian Championship -- a major tournament -- in France earlier this month.
The cycling team will have four athletes at Paris 2024 competing in three categories -- BMX racing, road race and track.
Asian champion Komet Sukprasert will be the first Thai to compete in the BMX racing competition since the inclusion of the event at the 2008 Beijing Games, while Jai Angsuthasawit will take part in the keirin and individual sprint events -- the first Thai since the 1976 Montreal Games.
Phetdarin Somrat will compete in two events including women's time trial and women's road race while Thanakhan Chaiyasombat will join the men's road race event.
Sprint sensation Puripol Boonson. (Photo supplied)
Confident sprinter
The athletics team will have two representatives -- Puripol Boonson and Subenrat Insaeng.
Sprint sensation Puripol will make his Olympic debut in Paris. The 18-year-old secured his Olympic berth with a winning performance in the 100m race at the Kasanov Memorial 2024 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, last month.
Puripol won the 100m silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year. He was also part of the Thai 4x100m relay team that won a gold medal at the Asian Championships last year.
At the age of 16, "Angel Bew" became a triple SEA Games champion after winning the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay races in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2021.
Besides attempting to clock a sub-10-second time in Paris, Puripol added that he would be trying his best to reach the semi-finals of the 100m event.
Discus thrower Subenrat made the Games roster when the 30-year-old received a last-minute invite from the World Athletics recently.
Twelve-year-old skateboarder Vareeraya Sukasem made headline news after securing her Paris 2024 qualification, becoming Thailand's youngest ever Olympian.
Vareeraya, who was encouraged by her mother to pick up her first board when she was six, said she is "excited to become a Thai girl representative to compete in this sport."
Other stars
The women's table tennis team of Suthasini Sawettabut, Orawan Paranang and Jinnipa Sawettabut will make their historic appearance at Paris 2024.
They are the first Thai athletes to earn a place in the table tennis team event at the Olympics and only the second Thai team after the men's 4x100m relay squad at the 2008 Beijing Games.
The trio will compete in the team event while Suthasini and Orawan will also feature in the singles event.
Janakabhorn Karunayadhaj is the first Thai equestrian to qualify for the Olympics and she will take part in the individual jumping competition. Janakabhorn won a bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.
Two swimmers Jenjira Srisa-ard and Dulyawat Kaewsriyong received wildcards to race in the women's 50m freestyle and the men's 100m freestyle events respectively.
In shooting, the 16-year-old Kamonlak Saencha (women's 10m air pistol) and Thongphaphum Vongsukdee (men's 50m three-position rifle) will make their Olympic debuts alongside five-time Olympian Tanyaporn Prucksakorn (women's 25m pistol).
Sailing has four athletes including Sophia Montgomery in the women's ILCA 6, Arthit Mikhail Romanyk in the men's ILCA 7, Jonathan Weston in the men's formula kite and Benyapa Jantawan in the women's formula kite events.
Thai-Japanese judoka Masayuki Terada will compete in the men's 73kg event, Phurit Yohuang has qualified for the men's individual event of the modern pentathlon and rower Premanut Wattananusith will take part in the men's single sculls event.
LIST OF ATHLETES
- Athletics (2) — Puripol Boonson, Subenrat Insaeng
- Badminton (9) — Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Ratchanok Intanon, Supanida Katethong, Dechapol Puavaranukroh, Sapsiree Taerattanchai, Jongkolphan Kititharakul, Rawinda Prajongjai, Supak Jomkoh, Kittinupong Kedren
- Boxing (8) — Thitisan Panmot, Bunjong Sinsiri, Weerapon Jongjoho, Chuthamat Raksat, Jutamas Jitpong, Thananya Somnuek, Janjaem Suwannapheng, Baison Maneekon
- Cycling (4) — Komet Suprasert, Jai Angsuthasawit, Phetdarin Somrat, Thanakhan Chaiyasombat
- Equestrian (1) — Janakabhorn Karunayadhaj Golf (4) — Atthaya Thitikul, Patty Tavatanakit, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Phachara Khongwatmai
- Judo (1) — Masayuki Terada
- Modern pentathlon (1) — Phurit Yohuang
- Rowing (1) — Premanut Wattananusith
- Sailing (4) — Sophia Montgomery, Arthit Mikhail Romanyk; Jonathan Weston, Benyapa Jantawan
- Shooting (3) — Kamonlak Saencha, Thongphaphum Vongsukdee, Tanyaporn Prucksakorn
- Skateboarding (1) — Vareeraya Sukasem
- Swimming (2) — Jenjira Srisa-ard and Dulyawat Kaewsriyong
- Table tennis (3) — Suthasini Sawettabut, Orawan Paranang, Jinnipa Sawettabut
- Taekwondo (3) — Panipak Wongpattanakit, Banlung Tubtimdang, Sasikarn Tongchan
- Weightlifting (4) — Surodchana Khambao, Duangaksorn Chaidee, Theerapong Silachai, Weeraphon Wichuma
