After finishing fourth three times, an achievement few expected, Thailand's football team have vowed to go one better at next month's Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

Unlike regional tournament the SEA Games, which Thai teams have monopolised over lowly-ranked opponents, local fans do not have high expectations for their side in the Asian Games, with much stronger nations like Japan and South Korea to get past.

Last year the Thai team won an unprecedented seventh consecutive SEA Games title. But when it comes to Asian Games, they have only managed to finish fourth at three of the last four games.

The team pulled off an upset at the 1990 Asian Games under Brazilian coach Carlos Roberto Carvalho, spoiling the festive atmosphere in the stadium by defeating hosts China 1-0 in the quarter-finals.

Eight years later in Thailand, and with England's Peter Withe in charge, they sprang another surprise in the quarter-finals by pulling off a 2-1 win over South Korea, despite being reduced to 10 men. At the 2002 Asian Games in South Korea, they downed North Korea 1-0, again in the quarter-finals.

This year, the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) have said a place in the semi-finals is their main target, leaving coach Chanwit Pholchivin a tall order.

To make it through to the last four might be tough for Chanwit's side this time, with the Middle East proving to be an intimidating place for Thai teams, who have never done well there.

The Arab nations have long been a scourge for Thailand as their Middle Eastern opponents include top-class teams from Saudi Arabia and Iran, and they usually make life difficult for Southeast Asia's dominant side.

The other main obstacle the Thai team need to overcome if they are to succeed in the Middle East is the weather conditions. Thai players face a stern test of their stamina in the hot and dry conditions in Qatar.

If Chanwit's side cannot handle the conditions, their chances of qualifying for the knock-out phase are not good as all their opposition in the first round are Arab teams who are accustomed to the heat and humidity.

Although Chanwit is convinced his side stand a good chance of qualifying for the last four, the experienced coach who build his reputation from a string of successes at junior level has appealed to fans to keep their expectations in check.

He explained that the team is a young side which still has a lot to learn.

"Don't forget that the upcoming Games are restricted only for under-23 sides," he said. "So I would like the fans not to expect too much from my lads at these games," added Chanwit, who took over after German coach Siegfried Held had been controversially relieved of duty at the start of last year. "There are many differences between the current side and the senior team who did so well in the past. The most important thing is experience. While the senior team had a lot of experienced players, my squad is still in the process of learning as we build the team for the future.

"The senior side also had a well-prepared training schedule under their belts, while my team has only been training together for about three months. The players had trained for only three weeks before they contested the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia, where we failed to register a victory.

"However, we showed signs of improvement last month in the Agri Bank tournament in Vietnam where we claimed top honours. That success reflected that the players are gradually improving. So I'm convinced that my team would come good in the Asiad."

Before Thailand can dream about making it to the semi-finals, Chanwit's side has to get past their first hurdle, which is a daunting task. With only the top teams from each group plus the two best second-placed sides progressing to the second round, Chanwit's men have been drawn in the same group as Kuwait, one of frontrunners in the region.

Although their prospects against Kuwaiti do not look good on paper, Chanwit refused to overlook other teams and insisted that each game held the same importance.

"We give respect to all of our opponents, even Palestine, as we cannot afford any mistakes," he said. "The game against Kuwait will be our crunch match and will play a big role in whether we make it to the next round.

"However, I would like to remind everyone that we also have to get good results against Palestine to progress, so every game has its own importance. Although I concede that Kuwait is a strong side and at this age level might be as good as Saudi Arabia, that is another issue."

Thailand's Asian Games squad arrived in Qatar last week to acclimatise before opening their campaign in Group C against Palestine on Tuesday. Chanwit's side will complete their first round fixtures against Kuwait on December 5.

Whether or not Thailand can meet their target at the Asian Games will not have much meaning for local fans. But if the team show heart and play to their full potential, any failure will be forgiven.

Kitinan Sanguansak

The Nation