Thailand
| Thailand | |
 | |
| Continent | Asia |
| Population | 65,479,453 |
| Registered players | 114 |
| Referees | 18 |
| Rinks | 3 |
| National teams | Men's Junior |
| National federation | Ice Hockey Association of Thailand |
| IIHF since | April 27, 1989 |
| IIHF ranking | N/A |
| Top league | Thai World Hockey League |
| Current champion | The Sports Corner Snipers |
Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia. Bangkok is the capital and largest city.
Overview
National Teams
Domestic Teams
See Category:Ice hockey teams in Thailand
Arenas
See Category:Arenas in Thailand
Competitions
| Competition | Founded | Folded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siam Hockey League | 2016 | - | National competition |
| Bangkok Ice Hockey League | 2012 | - | National competition |
| Thailand Ice Hockey League | 2018 | 2018 | Defunct national competition |
| Thai World Hockey League | 2004 | 2015 | Defunct national competition |
| Bangkok Hockey League | 1999 | 2000 | Defunct competition |
| Thai Junior Competitions | - | Various junior competitions | |
| Thailand Women's Ice Hockey League | 2017 | - | National women's competitions |
History of hockey in Thailand
Ice hockey in Thailand has been played since the mid-1970s. Most of the activities came from the University of Bangkok, who even had an arena in Bangkok with a capacity of 7000. The Thailand Ice Skating Association was founded in 1986, and the country joined the IIHF on April 27, 1989.[1] Today the Ice Hockey Association of Thailand serves as the governing body of Thai hockey.
The Flying Farangs, an expat team, were founded in 1994. In 1996, an international tournament, the OK Cup (now the Land of Smiles Ice Hockey Classic) was staged in Bangkok for the first time. Nowadays this tournament and the City of Angels Cup are contested annually. Up to 30 teams from 15 Asian countries participate in these tournaments every year
The first league to be formed in Thailand was the Bangkok Hockey League. It was based at the Imperial Samrong Rink, and ran for two seasons from 1999-2000. One team, the Polar Bears, was noted as being "filled with ferocious Thai females." The league folded after the Samrong rink closed.
There were national championships staged in 2002 and 2003, and the Thai World Hockey League was created in 2004. It was founded by the American Scott Whitcomb and the Canadian Scott Murray, who both members of the Flying Farangs club. A quote stated that "With teams like the Klong Toey Whalers facing off against the Ding Daeng Jets and Sukhumvit Stars, it was a huge success." Another competition, known as the Bangkok Ice Hockey League, has been arranged since 2012. The Siam Hockey League replaced the TWHL in 2016.
The national team made its international debut at the 2003 Asian Winter Games.[2] They finished in fifth place by defeating Mongolia 4-2 in the fifth place game. Thailand returned to competed in the Asian Winter Games in 2007, and in 2011, they finished in second place in the Premier Division of the tournament. Thailand has participated in the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia annually since 2008, winning two silver and bronze medals apiece. Bangkok played host to the 2013 tournament.
The U18 national team first participated in the IIHF Asian Oceanic U18 Championships in 1998. They lost all five games and were defeated by South Korea by the mind-numbing score of 92-0, which is a world record. Thailand scored three goals at the tournament. The players who recorded the first-ever tallies for the national team were Sukmongkon Phanupadhana, Pongpol Kanchanachongkol, and Yutthana Phanavibon. After taking the 1999 tournament off, they returned to compete from 2000-2002. Thailand won the gold medal at the 2012 IIHF U18 Challenge Cup of Asia, finishing with a 4-0 record.
