Thailand put on a dominant show as they fired three unanswered goals past regional rivals Laos in their second AFC Asian U23 Championship qualifying game in Mongolia on Thursday.
The Thais were desperate for a win after letting hosts Mongolia pull off a 1-1 draw in their first Group J game on Monday.
It was a brilliant effort by the team considering that they took the field without key players Wanchart Choosong and Benjamin Davis, both nursing injuries.
They responded well to a call from head coach Worrawoot Srimaka and revived the War Elephants' hopes for a place in the next year's finals.
A high-pressing game played by Laos kept the Thais in check for 40 minutes before they committed a foul on Korrawit Tasa inside the box and Thailand captain Thanawat Suengchittawon stepped up to convert the resultant penalty.
The Thais were the better side after the break and Jakkit Phalapol picked up his second goal of the qualifying tournament with a curling shot in the 58th minute.
Korrawit added his name to the list of scorers, grabbing the third goal for the Thai team in the last minute of injury time.
Thailand now need to beat Malaysia, who took the top spot in the group yesterday with 1-0 victory over Mongolia, on Sunday to assure themselves of a place in the finals.
The 11 group winners plus four best runners-up will join Uzbekistan in the finals in June next year.
Draw for women's event
Chaba Kaew were on Thursday drawn in Group B to face 2010 champions Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup in India.
Japan, the winners in 2014 and 2018, will be defending their title at the 12-team tournament.
