In recent weeks there has been an exodus of Thai players to foreign leagues, an ominous sign for a country regarded as a regional powerhouse, but lagging in the development of the game.

The spotlight shone glaringly on Thai football, in a rare off-field moment, when national team coach Chanvit Pholchivin abruptly resigned, reportedly to take the helm at Vietnam's V-league outfit Dong Thap, only for the transfer to collapse at the last minute.

As rumours swirled for quite some time about his future with the national team, Chanvit stunned fans a fortnight ago by declaring his decision to accept the post at Dong Thap should they provide him with a rock solid contract and an acceptable salary.

Things dragged over the amount of the compensation Chanvit was expecting in order to allow him to safely quit his government job. When the deal was on the verge of being finalised, the 52-year-old changed his mind about going to Vietnam after a talk with Tourism and Sports Minister Suwit Yodmanee, who begged him to put the move on hold for a year in order to help the national team.

Because of Chanvit's high profile, the move attracted huge interest from the public, not the least because his contract could have been worth as much as Bt20 million had it been signed. Although many felt Chanvit's decision to seek a lucrative overseas contract was just reward for steering the national team to glory and because it would also give Thai coaches greater exposure, it would have been a huge loss to local football had he taken charge of the V-league newcomers.

But while news of Chanvit was dominating the local media, another high-profile coach, Witaya Laohakul, a rare Thai footballer in that he has had experience of the European league, was also being "mourned". The former Hertha Berlin midfielder completed his move to Tori Tori in Japan's third division under a lucrative three-year contract worth around Bt18 million plus bonuses.

Witaya was following in the footsteps of former national coach Chatchai Paholpat who quietly made the switch from Thailand Premier League outfit Osotspa to the V-League's Hoang Anh Gia Lai, receiving around Bt200,000-Bt300,000 a month under his yearly contract.

These developments indicate that the capability of Thai coaches is more recognised in other countries. That is something Thai fans will certainly take to heart. By the same token, however, the departure of competent coaches such as Witaya exposes the chinks in Thai football.

It seems ridiculous for a country regarded as a kingpin in the region to have players and coaches ply their trade in neighbouring countries. It is a bitter pill that football development in Thailand is now lagging behind countries like Singapore and Vietnam, who 20 or 30 years ago were on the bottom rung of the football ladder in Southeast Asia. That was later rectified by the poaching of top Thai players and coaches for the leagues of both countries - the latest being dynamic midfielder Datsakorn Thonglao, who moved to V-League giant Hoang Anh Gia Lai for about Bt200,000 a month for three years.

While this has helped to change the opinions of Thais that they can now make a living out of the sport, to many supporters there's the vexing question of why Thailand cannot hold on to its well-known performers.

The main answer is that Thailand's football league continues to stumble along as a semi-professional competition, even though the concerned parties have tried to promote it as a professional one. Given that the league cannot survive without financial support from the government, how can each team find sufficient funds to pay their star players a viable salary?

The foundation of a professional league is central to the development of football in any country. The obvious thinking is that "a strong league will strengthen a national team" as the league will produce strong players for the national team. This is clearly illustrated by the progression of Japanese football, which has gone from being a peripheral player to a major force in the region, thanks largely to the growth of the J-League. All of Japan's stars, such as Celtic playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura, who have developed into world-class players are a product of their own league.

With the Japanese already far above Thailand's level, Singapore now seems set to surpass the Kingdom and become the frontrunner in the region given their triumph in the recent Asean Football Championship where the Lions upstaged Chanvit's side in the final to claim the title for the third time.

The meteoric rise of Singapore is paralleled by the steady growth of the S-League. Should football development in Thailand continue to tread water, it won't be too long before we find ourselves wallowing in Singapore's wake.

Kitinan Sanguansak

The Nation