Football Association of Thailand president Somyot Poompunmuang is confident that the FAT's new training centre will lead the country to success on the international stage.
The High Performance Training Centre at Bangkokthonburi University was inaugurated yesterday by Somyot, Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa.
"This [the centre] is an important step in the history of Thai football because this is our first fully-equipped football training centre," Somyot said at the opening ceremony.
"We have gone through several obstacles over the years and we are now ready to develop our football to international standards. I'd like to thank Fifa, the AFC and the university for their great support in helping upgrade Thai football."
Infantino said: "This is a good and beautiful football training centre. As the Fifa president, I am ready to help Thailand move forward along with the AFC."
Sheikh Salman said: "I am very happy to see Thai football go forward. It is important for the AFC to see football development in member countries. If they are strong, we [the AFC] will be strong too. We are ready to help our members."
He praised Somyot for his role in the development of football in Thailand.
Facilities at the High Performance Training Centre at Bangkokthonburi University include a sports complex, a natural grass pitch and an artificial one.
There is a national football training centre in Bangkok's Nong Chok district but has been rarely used since it was built by the previous FAT administration.
Meanwhile, Somyot, Infantino and Sheikh Salman will attend the AFC Annual Awards at Bangkok's Aksra Theatre tonight.
Three stars are vying for the AFC player of the year award -- Omar Abdulrahman of the UAE, Wu Lei from China and Syria's Omar Kharbin of Syria.
"All of us have a good chance to win this award,'' Abdulrahman, who received the award last year, said.
Kharbin was a key player in Syria's 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The war-torn country lost to Australia in the AFC play-offs. "Our national team had good results this year," he said.
"I don't think I play football for this award. For me the most important thing is the team. If I get the award, it will be because of my national team and my club [Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia]."
Wu said: "This is the second year that I am on the list of nominees for the award. I think I have a better chance of winning the award this year. But the other two players are also good players and deserve to win as well."
Thailand's Jeerawat Sornwichien is a contender for the futsal player of the year award.
