Thailand national team loses 4 of its biggest stars at the 2018 AFF Cup.

Thai players currently playing abroad, such as Chanathip Songkrasin (Consadole Sapporo, Japan), Teerasil Dangda (Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Japan), Theerathon Bunmathan (Vissel Kobe, Japan), and Kawin Thamsatchanan (Oud-Heverlee Leuven, Belgian Second Division), will be unable to participate in the AFF Cup because their national leagues are still in play during the AFF Cup period.

The biggest tournament in Southeast Asia will take place from November 8th to December 15th. This is when J.League 1 enters its decisive phase. The Japanese national championship will only conclude on December 1st (not including the Emperor's Cup matches in December).

Similarly, the Belgian second division continues until Christmas. The 2018 AFF Cup is also not part of FIFA's official tournament schedule, so the Japanese and Belgian teams are not obligated to release players to the Thai national team.

This information has been reported by a number of major Thai newspapers such asSiam Sport,The Nation,KhaosodPosted.

The official website of the Football Association of Thailand (FA Thailand) acknowledges that coach Milovan Rajevac will be forced to look for new players in order to defend the Southeast Asian championship title for the third consecutive time.

In the past, the Vietnamese national team has faced similar situations many times. The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) once had to put in a lot of effort to persuade Japanese and Korean teams to allow Xuan Truong, Cong Phuong, and Tuan Anh to return home.

"Thai Messi" Chanathip, star striker Dangda, and goalkeeper Kawin are all key players for the Thai national team. The AFF Cup is no longer a top priority for Thai football after winning it twice in a row in 2014 and 2016. It's highly likely that the Thai team will rejuvenate its squad and promote young players for the 2018 Asian Games.

The loss of four of Thailand's biggest stars will be an opportunity for Southeast Asian rivals, including Vietnam. The 2018 AFF Cup is also the most important tournament for Coach Park Hang-seo's team this year. The last time Vietnam won the Southeast Asian championship was 10 years ago.